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Making sacrifice: how the hell do I do that?

Anything related to matters of the mind

RedCloud

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I'm in a bit of a pickle. A time pickle.

I am in my second year at university, 12 hours of lectures per week, plenty more take home work, spending time with friends, commuting, going to the gym, and more.

HOW DO I FIT IT ALL IN WHILE DEVELOPING A BUSINESS?!

As I understand it, if you want results you have to work your a$$ off. And I mean work it off to the bone. That requires time, the all mighty currency we all worship.

My problem? I struggle to find enough of it. I need your help on how to find the time.

What I'm doing to find and optimise time:
  • Trying different schedules. At the moment, I have 3 days for university, 4 days for business.
  • Looking into places where I can save time. Examples include, reducing commute time, spending money on delivering my food shopping, finding any activity that isn't a requirement for me to be alive and be sane.
  • I've written down what I do each week to determine what takes up time. Surprisingly eating takes up a lot of my time. So I have started to meal prep. You can see that below.

WHAT TAKES UP MY TIME
I have highlighted any rows of interest.
ActivityHours/weekNotes
Sleep7010 hours a night (in bed)
10K24Decent, but need more time
Eating21Mostly cooking and cleaning
Uni work (at home)17.5Assignments, reading, practical's
Workout8Low impact, high benefit
Reading7Low impact, high benefit
Adaptable time5Shopping, unexpected delays, etc.
Uni lectures4Useful!
Muay thai4Low impact, high benefit
Uni practicals4Only specific practical's
Comms3.5Emails, messaging, etc.
This table outlines what I do each week and how much time it takes up.

There isn't 10 minutes of my day where I am sitting doing nothing. Whether it be chores, work, working out, business, commuting, sleeping, I'm always doing something.

I'm baffled on how I can find enough time to develop a business while getting 10 hours in bed, while doing the things I enjoy, while spending time with friends, and more importantly, while succeeding at university.

WHY NOT JUST DROP UNIVERSITY?
I am expecting people to say "just stop doing university and concentrate on your business". That's a great idea and all but I'm fairly new to all of this so my mindset isn't in a reliable place to do that. I have actually broke down crying in actual, genuine fear thinking "am I actually gonna do this? Am I actually willing to throw away university, everything I have believed for 20 years, for a life style that I have only just learnt about in the past 1-2 months?"

I am willing to do what it takes to become a successful person. But I know that isn't enough. I know I must make some sacrifice. And that's the scary bit. It's scary as F*ck for me.

Why I want to succeed at university
Mainly as a backup plan.

If my business isn't successful by the time I leave university (in 2.5-3 years) then I don't want to be dumped into McDonalds (no offense do all you McDonalds workers out there). I want to have a job with a salary that will keep me comfortable while I develop the business alongside.

Another reason is due to what I have already sacrificed for university. I obliterated first year and got great marks. I'm an even stronger person now and will be able to obliterate it again.

Although, that was because I actually wanted to succeed at university during that time. It lined up with my goals. Now though? Now my goals have changed and therefore the activities I use to get to my goals have also changed. University doesn't line up with my goals. That makes it more difficult to succeed.

END
As I see it, university, business, being successful is easy. Yeah, it's easy. The hard bit is finding time, finding balance.

If my business was the only big thing that I needed to think about, I know I would obliterate the competition. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I am very proud of my mindset and I believe that it is very powerful.
The same with university, if it was the only big thing that I had to worry about then it would be a breeze.

Why? Because I find it easy to work on things that I actually care about. I actually care about the business and therefore can happily spend 12 hours a day working on it without issue. The issue, though, is time.


EDIT: to clarify, "10K" refers to spending time in business ventures with the ultimate goal of reaching 10K/month.
 
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Last edited:

Consolation

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Can you reduce the Muay Thai thing to 2 hours? I'm assuming that you took martial arts for health benefits, not self-defense purpose. Or, can you change it to 15 minutes sprint running? As long as you do some physical exercise, you'll be okay.

I want to have a job with a salary that will keep me comfortable while I develop the business alongside.
Yes. A huge salary is an advantage IF the right time comes for the business to be injected with huge amount of capital. However, Billionaire Mark Cuban once said, "The reality is that for most businesses, they don’t need more cash, they need more brains."

But, I disagree when you said 'being comfortable while developing a business'. Whether you have a big paycheck or not, it's never going to be comfortable when starting a business.

I have already sacrificed for university.
You must've been a hard-working person. A valuable traits that can be transferred to entrepreneurship. But can you asses wether this is a sunk cost fallacy?

The hard bit is finding time, finding balance.
What balance? Imbalance comes first if you want balance. A good night's sleep and enough meal can be considered 'balance' if you're developing a business. I suggest you find out how Elon Musk had fun when he was just starting.

I beg forgiveness from you if I'm being too harsh.
 

RedCloud

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Can you reduce the Muay Thai thing to 2 hours?
I attend it to develop more of a mental state than a physical state. Sure, there are health benefits, but I am there to train my discipline and to develop a valuable skill. I believe that being punched in the face every now and then maintains a strong mindset.

But, I disagree when you said 'being comfortable while developing a business'. Whether you have a big paycheck or not, it's never going to be comfortable when starting a business.
Ah yes, I meant financially comfortable.

You must've been a hard-working person. A valuable traits that can be transferred to entrepreneurship. But can you asses wether this is a sunk cost fallacy?
It might be. It's just that I don't want to take the risk of failing university. I can still succeed at university while ultimately having a successful business. The problem is, do I go for it now before I have a job as I have more time? Or do I secure my qualification as a backup then go hard on business?

What balance? Imbalance comes first if you want balance. A good night's sleep and enough meal can be considered 'balance' if you're developing a business. I suggest you find out how Elon Musk had fun when he was just starting.
I understand that sacrifices have to be made to become successful. That's the entire reason of the post, I am scared to sacrifice the things I enjoy and value: muay thai, the gym, univeristy. I know that it is possible to have a business along side those things as, looking at the table, they hardly take up much time but have a huge benefit on my mental health. Which is a big requirement to function.

I beg forgiveness from you if I'm being too harsh.
Haha, I don't think anyone can be too harsh. Life is harsh, and so are it's realities. I would rather face them than ignore them.

Thanks for your help :)
 

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I'm baffled on how I can find enough time to develop a business while getting 10 hours in bed, while doing the things I enjoy, while spending time with friends, and more importantly, while succeeding at university.

Not to sound crazy here or anything - but have you considered that the sacrifice you might have to make is to hold off on starting a business until after university?

If university is a major goal of yours right now, why not put 100% of your efforts into it? University isn't exactly a 9-5 that you are trying to build a business around the edges of. It's a very mental/time/energy intensive process that many folks struggle with even when that's the only thing on their plate.

Hustling means you can do ANY thing you set your mind to. It doesn't mean you can do EVERY thing you set your mind to.
 
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RedCloud

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Not to sound crazy here or anything - but have you considered that the sacrifice you might have to make is to hold off on starting a business until after university?

If university is a major goal of yours right now, why not put 100% of your efforts into it? University isn't exactly a 9-5 that you are trying to build a business around the edges of. It's a very mental/time/energy intensive process that many folks struggle with even when that's the only thing on their plate.

Hustling means you can do ANY thing you set your mind to. It doesn't mean you can do EVERY thing you set your mind to.
I have considered this.

But as I see it, I have a lot more free time now compared to the free time I will have while working a full time job. I want to take advantage of that and get a business off the ground before I leave university.

There is also the point raised in MJ's books, that if you keep delaying things when are you actually going to get them done? Although, this may apply to people who are lazy rather than out of time.

I'm lucky that I don't have to work while at university. Some people work part time jobs. If they have enough time, so do I. I just have to find it.

Maybe a good compromise would be to do some sort of side hustle? That will still give me valuable experience while being less stressful and time costly.
 

Johnny boy

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Pick someone who has a much better life than you that you look up to in some way.

What would that person do?

Do that. You already know deep down in your gut what to do and you know that everything you just wrote was meant to excuse and soothe yourself. "The things I do are important, my college degree will help, I use my time well, I'm not a bad person" is what you're trying to affirm to your subconscious. Meanwhile I bet there's a little quiet scary voice that says "you piece of shit stop lying to yourself you know exactly what you need to do" and you hate that it's there.

If you have an idea, you'll lock yourself in your room and focus on it if it matters. You will enjoy not doing anything else.

I spent this spring telling people "sorry I wish I could hangout but I can't" (I didn't want to AT ALL I was HAPPILY working on my business)

I didn't go to MMA class for months. I didn't go to the gym more than like twice in that time.

My girlfriend hated me because I didn't want to do anything fun and I made her work 7 days a week for more than 10 hours a day doing admin stuff to help me and work the phones.

I didn't need to motivate myself, I felt like I was watching it rain money and all I had to do was collect buckets so I could set them out and collect cash. Would you call that "work"? It was like a carnival game.

I was SO happy to say "F*ck that" to everything else. I would wake up and work, and I would work until bedtime where I would think about it before falling asleep so I could dream about it and make sure my brain kept processing it so I would maintain all of the thoughts from yesterday and stay focused, 7 days a week from March until July.

And now I get to say "I opened 2 new locations this year, doubled the company again and laid the foundation for a national company to develop within the next couple years".

Now that it's not the time to have a busy work schedule, I go to the gym, MMA, dates, etc. I ride the jet ski, go golfing, see friends and live my life a little. I focus on my other habits that will help build and maintain the rest of my life. Things like learning new stuff, staying fit, traveling, etc.

Then, I will go back to work and do what needs to be done. I'll spend 12+ hours a day on the business and take it from this level to the next. And when I get to the next camp I'll take a breath and enjoy that new level on my climb.

Don't feel bad, you don't have a business that matters to you. I used to look at people who dedicated any amount of their life to something and felt guilty because I never could do it. I never cared that much to work hard. But it's funny, I ended up finding something. It happens when you have a small idea and pursue it a bit, then you create a vision and you realize over time that it's worth focusing on and you will naturally prioritize it, then the only trick is to trust your gut and know that you should REALLY pursue it and you will find yourself working 16 hour days and having fun.

You're in college and you want to have fun. Have some fun, keep up your good habits. When you have a business idea then have the guts to pursue it and you'll naturally drop off the less important time commitments and there's nothing wrong with that.
 

Johnny boy

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Maybe a good compromise would be to do some sort of side hustle? That will still give me valuable experience while being less stressful and time costly.
It's ALL a side hustle until it gains traction. It would be stupid to dedicate 100 hours a week to something with 0 demand and 0 sales. Test anything first.
 
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Oso

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WHAT TAKES UP MY TIME
I have highlighted any rows of interest.
ActivityHours/weekNotes
Sleep7010 hours a night (in bed)
Adaptable time5Shopping, unexpected delays, etc.
It appears changing one of these 2 is your only available route. 10 hours/night worth of sleep, imo, is overkill. Obviously people operate differently, however I never go over 6 hours/night.

Furthermore, basic logic tells me operating a business would fall into the category of "Adaptable Time." I'd also recommend eliminating redundancies. Muay Thai is great (I've practice for 16 years now), however it's redundant to worry about a 10K, working out, AND spending time in Muay Thai. Eliminate 1-2 of them.

Regardless of how you work it, there really isn't much wiggle room here, so something will have to give. At the end of the day, you either force yourself to make time, or accept the fact you're putting business goals on the backburner in lieu of other shit. Which is fine, but it requires being real with yourself and accepting the fact there's a contradiction between "what you want" and "what you're doing."
 

RedCloud

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Pick someone who has a much better life than you that you look up to in some way.

What would that person do?

Do that. You already know deep down in your gut what to do and you know that everything you just wrote was meant to excuse and soothe yourself. "The things I do are important, my college degree will help, I use my time well, I'm not a bad person" is what you're trying to affirm to your subconscious. Meanwhile I bet there's a little quiet scary voice that says "you piece of shit stop lying to yourself you know exactly what you need to do" and you hate that it's there.

If you have an idea, you'll lock yourself in your room and focus on it if it matters. You will enjoy not doing anything else.

I spent this spring telling people "sorry I wish I could hangout but I can't" (I didn't want to AT ALL I was HAPPILY working on my business)

I didn't go to MMA class for months. I didn't go to the gym more than like twice in that time.

My girlfriend hated me because I didn't want to do anything fun and I made her work 7 days a week for more than 10 hours a day doing admin stuff to help me and work the phones.

I didn't need to motivate myself, I felt like I was watching it rain money and all I had to do was collect buckets so I could set them out and collect cash. Would you call that "work"? It was like a carnival game.

I was SO happy to say "F*ck that" to everything else. I would wake up and work, and I would work until bedtime where I would think about it before falling asleep so I could dream about it and make sure my brain kept processing it so I would maintain all of the thoughts from yesterday and stay focused, 7 days a week from March until July.

And now I get to say "I opened 2 new locations this year, doubled the company again and laid the foundation for a national company to develop within the next couple years".

Now that it's not the time to have a busy work schedule, I go to the gym, MMA, dates, etc. I ride the jet ski, go golfing, see friends and live my life a little. I focus on my other habits that will help build and maintain the rest of my life. Things like learning new stuff, staying fit, traveling, etc.

Then, I will go back to work and do what needs to be done. I'll spend 12+ hours a day on the business and take it from this level to the next. And when I get to the next camp I'll take a breath and enjoy that new level on my climb.

Don't feel bad, you don't have a business that matters to you. I used to look at people who dedicated any amount of their life to something and felt guilty because I never could do it. I never cared that much to work hard. But it's funny, I ended up finding something. It happens when you have a small idea and pursue it a bit, then you create a vision and you realize over time that it's worth focusing on and you will naturally prioritize it, then the only trick is to trust your gut and know that you should REALLY pursue it and you will find yourself working 16 hour days and having fun.

You're in college and you want to have fun. Have some fun, keep up your good habits. When you have a business idea then have the guts to pursue it and you'll naturally drop off the less important time commitments and there's nothing wrong with that.
Ok, well maybe I am pressuring myself too much into making a business.

As you say, let the ideas come to me rather than me trying to find ideas.

However, creating freedom is one of my 3 main goals in life. And a great way I found to get freedom is to get money. And a great way to get money is to create a system which has the potential to increase income while you work the same amount of time.

That's why I want to start now rather than later.

You also say about dropping your other habits are ok. I can see that but for me they are a part of my life, they are what maintains my sanity which is crucial to build a business.

I value 3 things: relations (family/friends), fitness (muay thai and strength training), and freedom (business?).

I know I'm going off track a bit but you can see that university doesn't come under there. However, I feel obligated to succeed with it.

This is likely just a temporary problem. I am at the beginning of this journey. I'm sure I will look back on this problem and chuckle at how small it is.
 

RedCloud

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It's ALL a side hustle until it gains traction. It would be stupid to dedicate 100 hours a week to something with 0 demand and 0 sales. Test anything first.
I see!

Well if I do start seeing traction (sales) then I would feel happier to reduce the amount of time I spent with university. It's just that initial push that I am struggling with.

Thanks for your valuable answers btw <3
 
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RedCloud

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It appears changing one of these 2 is your only available route. 10 hours/night worth of sleep, imo, is overkill. Obviously people operate differently, however I never go over 6 hours/night.

Furthermore, basic logic tells me operating a business would fall into the category of "Adaptable Time." I'd also recommend eliminating redundancies. Muay Thai is great (I've practice for 16 years now), however it's redundant to worry about a 10K, working out, AND spending time in Muay Thai. Eliminate 1-2 of them.

Regardless of how you work it, there really isn't much wiggle room here, so something will have to give. At the end of the day, you either force yourself to make time, or accept the fact you're putting business goals on the backburner in lieu of other shit. Which is fine, but it requires being real with yourself and accepting the fact there's a contradiction between "what you want" and "what you're doing."
1st of all: 16 years.. that AMAZING!

About the sleep: I spent 9-10 hours in bed, 8-9 hours a sleep on average. I believe that sleep is extremely valuable, more than anything else. That's because it improves all other functions which saves time by itself.

Regardless of how you work it, there really isn't much wiggle room here, so something will have to give.
That's true. Which is why I am struggling with sacrifice. Fitness is one of the 3 main pillars that I care about in my life. Without it, I would be nothing (mentally, at least. Well and physically because I would turn into a twig).

It's difficult but there will be an answer, even if I don't like it.
 

heavy_industry

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First of all, congratulations for keeping track of your time and being so disciplined in your schedule. You're already very far ahead compared to the average student.

I wouldn't quit university because it offers you several benefits, including the fact that you now have the opportunity to learn how to optimize your time better. If you learn how to live a productive life under these circumstances, just imagine what you will be like once uni is finished and you have a lot more time on your hands. You will be unstoppable.

I wouldn't reduce the amount of training either. I believe this is one of the best investments you can make for your brain and body.

I don't know what are your goals, but you seem to be using your time very wisely. But if you insist on getting even more free time, I would suggest optimizing your sleep environment so you can get 8 hours of rest instead of 10, and switching to meal-prepping or using the one meal a day protocol.

Congratulations once again for your discipline. You've inspired me to start tracking my time as well.
 

RedCloud

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First of all, congratulations for keeping track of your time and being so disciplined in your schedule. You're already very far ahead compared to the average student.

I wouldn't quit university because it offers you several benefits, including the fact that you now have the opportunity to learn how to optimize your time better. If you learn how to live a productive life under these circumstances, just imagine what you will be like once uni is finished and you have a lot more time on your hands. You will be unstoppable.

I wouldn't reduce the amount of training either. I believe this is one of the best investments you can make for your brain and body.

I don't know what are your goals, but you seem to be using your time very wisely. But if you insist on getting even more free time, I would suggest optimizing your sleep environment so you can get 8 hours of rest instead of 10, and switching to meal-prepping or using the one meal a day protocol.

Congratulations once again for your discipline. You've inspired me to start tracking my time as well.
Haha, thanks a lot!

It's an honour to be of inspiration :)

I see what you mean about time management. I have been unknowingly developing that skill since around 15-16 during exams.

I also agree about training, for me it's what keeps my sanity.

I should clarify in the post, I do get 8-9 hours of sleep but to achieve that I need 9-10 hours in bed as it takes some times to actually fall asleep.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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Actions express priorities.

Based on your schedule listed above, business is not a priority.

Might not be something you want to hear, but that's the truth.

  • Your 10K is more important.
  • Being a good Muy Thai fighter is more important.
  • School is more important.
  • Long sleep is more important.
  • Reading is more important. (1 hour of execution = 20 hours of reading)

Until business becomes more important in your life, you'll always find it at the bottom of your priority list, and treated cursorily. Business was always a top 3 priority my life, ranking up there will health and autonomy.

Looks like for you, business doesn't even make your list.

That said, I don't believe anyone should be dropping out of college unless that have an established business with verified sales that can be scaled. So in short, "dropping out of college" is not the answer.
 

RedCloud

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Actions express priorities.

Based on your schedule listed above, business is not a priority.

Might not be something you want to hear, but that's the truth.

  • Your 10K is more important.
  • Being a good Muy Thai fighter is more important.
  • School is more important.
  • Long sleep is more important.
  • Reading is more important. (1 hour of execution = 20 hours of reading)

Until business becomes more important in your life, you'll always find it at the bottom of your priority list, and treated cursorily. Business was always a top 3 priority my life, ranking up there will health and autonomy.

Looks like for you, business doesn't even make your list.

That said, I don't believe anyone should be dropping out of college unless that have an established business with verified sales that can be scaled. So in short, "dropping out of college" is not the answer.
It seems that other's also have the same opinion about reducing time in university, it isn't the answer.

I had a walk to mull over what every one was saying and have made the decision to continue university by allocating enough time to it so that I can be successful with it. I will still look into business along side as I see no harm in doing that if I am not making a sacrifice to do it.

I also came to the conclusion that sacrificing university for possible success in business is the same as gambling. You have money, you risk that money to get a reward which is more money. And you expect that "more money" to make you more happy. The same with my situation. I have university (an opportunity for a qualification), I risk university so that I get the reward of more time. And I expect that "more time" to help make a business.

Just to clarify, when I say "10K" I meant working on business. I just called it that to place the idea in my head that the aim is to make 10K/month.

Finally, I'm sure you get it a lot but thanks so much for your books. I'm very grateful that people like you exist to guide others to what makes them truly happy.
 

biophase

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Actions express priorities.

Based on your schedule listed above, business is not a priority.

Might not be something you want to hear, but that's the truth.

  • Your 10K is more important.
  • Being a good Muy Thai fighter is more important.
  • School is more important.
  • Long sleep is more important.
  • Reading is more important. (1 hour of execution = 20 hours of reading)

Until business becomes more important in your life, you'll always find it at the bottom of your priority list, and treated cursorily. Business was always a top 3 priority my life, ranking up there will health and autonomy.

Looks like for you, business doesn't even make your list.

That said, I don't believe anyone should be dropping out of college unless that have an established business with verified sales that can be scaled. So in short, "dropping out of college" is not the answer.
You spend 32 hours a week on exercise and sleep an extra 2 hours a day. You spend 12 hours reading and miscellaneous stuff. That's 68 hours, a full time job plus overtime!

Did you know that you actually workout more than you study?

I look at this and say that you have all the time in the world. And yet you choose to spend it, as MJ says, NOT doing business.

EDIT: After knowing what 10K was... Ok so you spend 24hrs working/thinking on business a week and so what was the question??
 
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Choate

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Looking at your table, you are just inefficient and what you do.

You are making excuses. You are making university the scapegoat when it is not - the problem is you. You manage your time and priorities poorly.

I don’t think you hustle like you think you do. And if you are truly always busy, you are working hard without being smart. You are overcommitting to multiple activities, probably leading to diminishing returns and sacrificing your other goals in the meantime.

You have run into the wall we all have at some point: you have completely filled your schedule and can stay “busy” for the entire day. But you truly don’t control your time, it still controls you. Take action now otherwise you might find some months or years from now that your ladder has been on the wrong building and you’re still at the bottom of the ladder you truly want to climb.

If you're spending 24 hours per week working on your business/side hustle ("10k"), you have to start to look at how to make those hours more impactful. You don't need more hours, you need to use the hours you do have better.
 

RedCloud

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You spend 32 hours a week on exercise and sleep an extra 2 hours a day. You spend 12 hours reading and miscellaneous stuff. That's 68 hours, a full time job plus overtime!

Did you know that you actually workout more than you study?

I look at this and say that you have all the time in the world. And yet you choose to spend it, as MJ says, NOT doing business.

EDIT: After knowing what 10K was... Ok so you spend 24hrs working/thinking on business a week and so what was the question??
The question was how can I find more time to work on business with my current schedule?
And I was also interested in guidance on how to make sacrifices to do that.

Although this has been answered differently than I expected and my problem has been solved!

I was originally trying to maximise the amount of time allocated to working on a business venture as that would increase the probability of it's success before I leave university.

However, the kind people in this thread have made me realised that I shouldn't be doing that anyway. I should be spending time with the things that I actually care about, which I do already.

My original plan was to slowly abandon or minimise my involvement with university. Now, I will still strive to succeed with it alongside pursuing any business ventures that I believe have a chance. IF I am very certain that a business venture will continue to grow at a steady rate, only then will I be comfortable with leaving university.
 

RedCloud

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Looking at your table, you are just inefficient and what you do.

You are making excuses. You are making university the scapegoat when it is not - the problem is you. You manage your time and priorities poorly.

I don’t think you hustle like you think you do. And if you are truly always busy, you are working hard without being smart. You are overcommitting to multiple activities, probably leading to diminishing returns and sacrificing your other goals in the meantime.

You have run into the wall we all have at some point: you have completely filled your schedule and can stay “busy” for the entire day. But you truly don’t control your time, it still controls you. Take action now otherwise you might find some months or years from now that your ladder has been on the wrong building and you’re still at the bottom of the ladder you truly want to climb.

If you're spending 24 hours per week working on your business/side hustle ("10k"), you have to start to look at how to make those hours more impactful. You don't need more hours, you need to use the hours you do have better.
I see!

I have learnt the more you do something the better at it you get at it.

I assume this is the same with working on business ventures. The more you do it, the less time you need to do the same amount of work.

Everything I currently do, apart from university, does line up with my 3 main goals/values in life. However, I see university as a safety net which is my motivation to keep at it.

I make sure to do a monthly review of my goals and performance. Do you think that would help reduce the risk of "climbing the wrong building" as you say?
 
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Choate

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I see!

I have learnt the more you do something the better at it you get it.

I assume this is the same with working on business ventures. The more you do it, the less time you need to do the same amount of work.

Everything I currently do, apart from university, does line up with my 3 main goals/values in life. However, I see university as a safety net which is my motivation to keep at it.

I make sure to do a monthly review of my goals and performance. Do you think that would help reduce the risk of "climbing the wrong building" as you say?

When I originally wrote this, I like others conflated your "10k" goal as running.

As for University, it's great. The benefits go far beyond just financial - it is development of you as a person, character development, networking, and so much more. No one here is telling you to cut back on Uni and in fact most of us would advise you against it, regardless of how business goes (special circumstances aside, like the business taking off). You are halfway through it, finish what you started.

Ultimately you have the time, you just have to be more efficient with it. And you have to set clear goals. What are you doing for 24 hours per week working on your business where you find that isn't enough? What is your goal? If you were making $150/hour for 24 hours per week in your business, that's almost a $200k salary while still achieving all of your other goals. Or, if you could sell one product per week and turn a small profit while optimizing and scaling, would you be satisfied with that?

I'm getting action faking vibes and the thread doesn't feel authentic - as in, time really isn't your issue or main concern. Perhaps you haven't found the success you personally want yet and you are starting to blame scapegoats (like time or university) instead of grinding it out.
 

RedCloud

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When I originally wrote this, I like others conflated your "10k" goal as running.

As for University, it's great. The benefits go far beyond just financial - it is development of you as a person, character development, networking, and so much more. No one here is telling you to cut back on Uni and in fact most of us would advise you against it, regardless of how business goes (special circumstances aside, like the business taking off). You are halfway through it, finish what you started.

Ultimately you have the time, you just have to be more efficient with it. And you have to set clear goals. What are you doing for 24 hours per week working on your business where you find that isn't enough? What is your goal? If you were making $150/hour for 24 hours per week in your business, that's almost a $200k salary while still achieving all of your other goals. Or, if you could sell one product per week and turn a small profit while optimizing and scaling, would you be satisfied with that?

I'm getting action faking vibes and the thread doesn't feel authentic - as in, time really isn't your issue or main concern. Perhaps you haven't found the success you personally want yet and you are starting to blame scapegoats (like time or university) instead of grinding it out.
Yes, I think scapegoats may also be a problem that I hadn't considered.

I haven't even been at it for that long and, as you say, I am already blaming others things/looking for other ways to get success. When the success is just grinding it out.

I have been taking advice from other people online. They were saying that you should spend a crazy amount of time on a business if you want to to succeed. That's what I started to do. Luckily, you guys have made me realise the reality and I have been stopped before any damage has been done.
 

Choate

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Yes, I think scapegoats may also be a problem that I hadn't considered.

I haven't even been at it for that long and, as you say, I am already blaming others things/looking for other ways to get success. When the success is just grinding it out.

I have been taking advice from other people online. They were saying that you should spend a crazy amount of time on a business if you want to to succeed. That's what I started to do. Luckily, you guys have made me realise the reality and I have been stopped before any damage has been done.

From my perspective, all is well. Just keep moving forward. 25 hours/week on business while starting out at 19/20 years old is going to be good while also managing other aspects in your life, like exercise, university, other obligations, etc.

Your main concern isn't that you are lacking time or that anything is impeding you. It's making sure you spend those hours wisely. Watching TikTok videos of entrepreneurs or reading business books isn't working on your business. Be proactive, produce something, help one person, etc. Set crystal clear, simple goals to start and make you sure spend quality time moving the needle towards them.
 
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UnnamedBeast

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Though if you do end up with time troubles eventually you can always try to cut some hours from other things, like maybe half an hour for all activities that you can reduce, and also finding faster/more effective ways to study or cooking everything for the week in a day so you don't have to spend 20 hours of your week on just cooking
 

RedCloud

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From my perspective, all is well. Just keep moving forward. 25 hours/week on business while starting out at 19/20 years old is going to be good while also managing other aspects in your life, like exercise, university, other obligations, etc.

Your main concern isn't that you are lacking time or that anything is impeding you. It's making sure you spend those hours wisely. Watching TikTok videos of entrepreneurs or reading business books isn't working on your business. Be proactive, produce something, help one person, etc. Set crystal clear, simple goals to start and make you sure spend quality time moving the needle towards them.
Great advice, thank you man <3
 

RedCloud

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Though if you do end up with time troubles eventually you can always try to cut some hours from other things, like maybe half an hour for all activities that you can reduce, and also finding faster/more effective ways to study or cooking everything for the week in a day so you don't have to spend 20 hours of your week on just cooking
Exactly!

For example,
For cooking I'm going to meal prep which will probably save me like 14 hours a week.

Another example is that I'm looking at ways of reducing my commutes as well.
 
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biophase

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The question was how can I find more time to work on business with my current schedule?
And I was also interested in guidance on how to make sacrifices to do that.

Although this has been answered differently than I expected and my problem has been solved!

I was originally trying to maximise the amount of time allocated to working on a business venture as that would increase the probability of it's success before I leave university.

However, the kind people in this thread have made me realised that I shouldn't be doing that anyway. I should be spending time with the things that I actually care about, which I do already.

My original plan was to slowly abandon or minimise my involvement with university. Now, I will still strive to succeed with it alongside pursuing any business ventures that I believe have a chance. IF I am very certain that a business venture will continue to grow at a steady rate, only then will I be comfortable with leaving university.
What do you do in those 24 hours of business? If you did that only 5 days a week, that is almost 5 hours a day. What exactly do you do for 5 hours each day? Would you log the business work you do in the next day in 30 minute increments and post it here?
 

RedCloud

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What do you do in those 24 hours of business? If you did that only 5 days a week, that is almost 5 hours a day. What exactly do you do for 5 hours each day? Would you log the business work you do in the next day in 30 minute increments and post it here?
I manage my time using a simple database on an app called Notion. Each task has different characteristics such as priority and time it takes and is sorted using them. That way I can easily pick the best next task to do.

Sure, tomorrow I will be working 6 hours so should give 12 logs :)
 

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What do you do in those 24 hours of business? If you did that only 5 days a week, that is almost 5 hours a day. What exactly do you do for 5 hours each day? Would you log the business work you do in the next day in 30 minute increments and post it here?

Here's what I did today!

For some context, I am starting an SMMA. I understand, now, that it is very saturated and breaks the commandment of entry. Despite that, I'm going to continue to work on it for now as I am learning some valuable skills and experience that I can use anywhere in business.

Log 1
10:00 - 10:30
- Listed down any new actions that I need to do today or in the future from reminders that I set in the past
- Caught up with what I was doing last time

Log 2
10:30 - 11:00
- Compared the type of services that I could offer
- Evaluated and came to a conclusion as to what characteristics the "best service" is

Log 3
11:00 - 11:30
- Created a value based comparison table for each possible service I could offer
- Concluded that the best service to offer is one that I have an interest in
- Despite that, I started to research what SMM strategies fitness brands use most frequently

Log 4
11:30 - 12:00
- Continued to look at my local gyms, equipment retailers, supplement retailers, and fitness brands to see what SMM services they currently use

Log 5
12:00 - 12:30
- Evaluated the services I could offer out of the ones I found that were most used by fitness brands and gyms
- Realised that I was losing focus so I took a 5 minute break away from my room
- Cut down the services to two that I continue to compare
- Chose a service based on my speculations of it's need

Log 6
19:30 - 20:00
- Wrote down specifics about my service and how I will serve it
- Started to research how to reach out to potential clients in my local area (50 mile radius)

Log 7
20:00 - 20:30
- Started watching a YouTube video on how to find potential clients and contact them
- Made notes on what to do to increase the chances of a response from a cold contact attempt

Log 8
20:30 - 21:00
- Continued to learn about out reach and how to perform it for results
- Started to learn methods to find new leads
- Started watching a YouTube video on how to find new leads
- Made notes on finding leads

Log 9
21:00 - 21:30
- Continued to watch that video on finding new leads
- Made notes on finding leads

Log 10
21:30 - 22:00
- Continued to watch that video on finding new leads
- Made notes on finding leads
- Finished watching the video
- Updated any of my tasks
- Finished up work for the day
 

football4life

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I'm in a bit of a pickle. A time pickle.

I am in my second year at university, 12 hours of lectures per week, plenty more take home work, spending time with friends, commuting, going to the gym, and more.

HOW DO I FIT IT ALL IN WHILE DEVELOPING A BUSINESS?!

As I understand it, if you want results you have to work your a$$ off. And I mean work it off to the bone. That requires time, the all mighty currency we all worship.

My problem? I struggle to find enough of it. I need your help on how to find the time.

What I'm doing to find and optimise time:
  • Trying different schedules. At the moment, I have 3 days for university, 4 days for business.
  • Looking into places where I can save time. Examples include, reducing commute time, spending money on delivering my food shopping, finding any activity that isn't a requirement for me to be alive and be sane.
  • I've written down what I do each week to determine what takes up time. Surprisingly eating takes up a lot of my time. So I have started to meal prep. You can see that below.

WHAT TAKES UP MY TIME
I have highlighted any rows of interest.
ActivityHours/weekNotes
Sleep7010 hours a night (in bed)
10K24Decent, but need more time
Eating21Mostly cooking and cleaning
Uni work (at home)17.5Assignments, reading, practical's
Workout8Low impact, high benefit
Reading7Low impact, high benefit
Adaptable time5Shopping, unexpected delays, etc.
Uni lectures4Useful!
Muay thai4Low impact, high benefit
Uni practicals4Only specific practical's
Comms3.5Emails, messaging, etc.
This table outlines what I do each week and how much time it takes up.

There isn't 10 minutes of my day where I am sitting doing nothing. Whether it be chores, work, working out, business, commuting, sleeping, I'm always doing something.

I'm baffled on how I can find enough time to develop a business while getting 10 hours in bed, while doing the things I enjoy, while spending time with friends, and more importantly, while succeeding at university.

WHY NOT JUST DROP UNIVERSITY?
I am expecting people to say "just stop doing university and concentrate on your business". That's a great idea and all but I'm fairly new to all of this so my mindset isn't in a reliable place to do that. I have actually broke down crying in actual, genuine fear thinking "am I actually gonna do this? Am I actually willing to throw away university, everything I have believed for 20 years, for a life style that I have only just learnt about in the past 1-2 months?"

I am willing to do what it takes to become a successful person. But I know that isn't enough. I know I must make some sacrifice. And that's the scary bit. It's scary as F*ck for me.

Why I want to succeed at university
Mainly as a backup plan.

If my business isn't successful by the time I leave university (in 2.5-3 years) then I don't want to be dumped into McDonalds (no offense do all you McDonalds workers out there). I want to have a job with a salary that will keep me comfortable while I develop the business alongside.

Another reason is due to what I have already sacrificed for university. I obliterated first year and got great marks. I'm an even stronger person now and will be able to obliterate it again.

Although, that was because I actually wanted to succeed at university during that time. It lined up with my goals. Now though? Now my goals have changed and therefore the activities I use to get to my goals have also changed. University doesn't line up with my goals. That makes it more difficult to succeed.

END
As I see it, university, business, being successful is easy. Yeah, it's easy. The hard bit is finding time, finding balance.

If my business was the only big thing that I needed to think about, I know I would obliterate the competition. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I am very proud of my mindset and I believe that it is very powerful.
The same with university, if it was the only big thing that I had to worry about then it would be a breeze.

Why? Because I find it easy to work on things that I actually care about. I actually care about the business and therefore can happily spend 12 hours a day working on it without issue. The issue, though, is time.


EDIT: to clarify, "10K" refers to spending time in business ventures with the ultimate goal of reaching 10K/month.
dude, reading is like masturbation for 99.9% of people. its mainly entertainment, it's much better to go out in the real world and try things on your own...
 

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