The ‘If Only I Had the Time’ Trap and How to Escape It
We all want what we don’t have.
Not all the time, but sometimes.
And for many successful leaders, that desired thing is time.
My big question is….time to do what?
When I start working with a time-strapped business owner, the first thing we do isn’t a calendar audit. It’s not a delegation plan. It’s not even a discussion about productivity.
I ask one question.
“On a scale of 1 – 10, How would you rate your happiness in these areas of your life – love, family, health, spirituality, career, finances, friendships, & fun”
Asking this question doesn’t magically give them more time.
BUT it tells me what actually matters to them.
And the time-saving magic commences from there….
Here’s what usually happens next:
- They realize the areas where they’re scoring low aren’t because of a lack of success. They’re because of a lack of presence.
- They discover the things they promised themselves they’d enjoy ‘when things slowed down’ are the very things they keep postponing.
- Most importantly, they recognize that reclaiming time isn’t about having more hours, but about using time for what truly matters to them.
Time freedom isn’t about your calendar, it’s about your energy.
Most leaders assume time freedom means less work.
But I’ve seen plenty of business owners cut back their hours only to feel just as stretched, overwhelmed, or restless.
That’s because time freedom isn’t about having fewer commitments—it’s about having the right ones.
The people who feel the most free aren’t the ones who have completely open schedules.
They’re the ones who spend time on what fuels them.
More Success ≠ Less Freedom
Many leaders believe that if they can just:
✅ Hire the right people
✅ Make more money
✅ Get past this busy season
…then they’ll finally have time.
But here’s what actually happens:
🚩 You hire a team but keep making all the decisions.
🚩 Revenue grows, but so do responsibilities.
🚩 The busy season ends… and another begins.
Time doesn’t free itself.
You have to take it back.
How to Reclaim Your Time – Starting NOW!
If you feel like time is slipping away, start with this exercise:
Define what “time freedom” actually means to you.
- Is it uninterrupted creative time?
- Is it limiting your role to work activities within your zone of genius?
- Is it being fully present for family and personal life?
Audit your week through the energy lens.
- What activities energize you?
- What drains you?
- Where are you saying yes out of habit instead of intention?
Start designing your ideal week.
- Block out time for high-value work (before meetings take over).
- Protect personal time like it’s a revenue-generating activity (because it is).
- Start small—shift one thing this week that moves you closer to your ideal.
Time freedom isn’t something you achieve after you hit a goal—it’s something you create on the way there.
You already have the time to do what you love – and what you’ve been putting off.
It’s just a matter of shifting focus and shifting energy.
Takeaways:
- The “I’ll do this when I have time” is a trap many business leaders fall into.
- In order to escape the trap, figure out what matters to you and what you spend the most time doing. If the two misalign, then that’s where your time killer is.
Here to be your time shapeshifter,
Laurie
