The Biggest Lie

There is an old joke that the biggest lie told by a Canadian is: “Jump in, the water’s warm.” (This summer, it's actually true).

But that’s not the lie that’s holding you back.

In business, and in life, the biggest lie is this: “I just need to free up some time.”

Here’s the truth: you will never just “free up” time. It doesn’t work that way.

Time management is simply where you choose to spend your time. I know this statement is easier to say than to do, but it’s the truth. You have to intentionally choose where you spend it, even if it means going against your natural instincts, such as:

- the urge to finish what’s right in front of you

- the comfort of checking off a task on your to-do list

- the quick thrill of “just one more thing”

Ever notice how many songs are about time?

Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time.

Pink Floyd's Time.

Cher’s If I Could Turn Back Time. (you’re welcome for the earworm.)

The Rolling Stones’ Time Is On My Side.

We’re obsessed with time.

In leadership, this obsession gets even trickier. We know we should spend more time on what’s important, not just what’s urgent, or what's easy, or what's comfortable.

But urgent work is seductive: it has clear deadlines and it gives you that sweet hit of "busy" and “done.”

Important work, the kind that’s longer-term, strategic, and high-impact, rarely offers that.

There’s no tidy end-date, no easy box to check. No instant payoff. You might work on it for weeks before seeing visible results. That's why so many leaders push it to “later”… and later never comes.

The truth is:

You don’t need more time.

You need more clarity.

You need more discipline to put the right things first, even when it feels uncomfortable, incomplete, or unurgent.

If you’ve been telling yourself “I’ll do it when I have more time,” consider this your nudge.

I’m offering a short Clarity Session to help you:

- Decide exactly where your time should go.

- Shift from urgency addiction to strategic focus.

- Start today, not “someday”

Comment below to book call to discuss this. Your future self will thank you.

In the meantime, where are you choosing to spend your time?