If you want to know the secret to becoming financially free, it boils down to two critical factors: how you manage your time and how you develop your skills. Understanding these two elements took me over a decade, but I hope that by the end of this article, you’ll have a solid grasp of them and be on your way to financial freedom.
Analyze Where You Spend Your Time
If you are facing financial difficulties right now, the first thing you need to understand is that you may be spending your time in the wrong areas. I had to learn this the hard way. I realized I was wasting my time and energy on activities that weren’t moving me closer to my financial and life goals. I was hanging out with people who weren’t building me up, spending hours on social media like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, and not investing my time in education or self-improvement.
The turning point came when I started to analyze every minute of my day. With the help of a coach, I committed to tracking how I spent each hour for a week. My mentor told me, “If you look at every hour of every day for a week, you’ll become a different person within 30 days.” Initially, I thought this advice was crazy—I believed I was already super productive. However, I took on the challenge, and it opened my eyes.
Identify and Cut Wasted Time
When I started to track my time, I saw that I was sleeping for nine hours, spending over two hours on exercise, and using the rest of my day on tasks that didn’t align with my bigger goals. I wanted to be a coach and speaker in a different field, but I wasn’t dedicating any time to develop those skills. I had to make some changes. I cut my sleep down, shortened my workout time, and reallocated those hours to focus on becoming skilled in coaching and speaking.
You need to do the same. Take a hard look at how you’re spending your time. Are you dedicating your time to building your dreams, or are you distracted by social media, Netflix, or other unproductive activities? Write down what you are currently spending your time on and decide what you will focus on moving forward.
Get Rid of Distractions
Every few months, I take stock of my time and evaluate my habits. If I find that I’m spending too much time on TikTok or Instagram, I delete those apps from my phone. Why? Because time is the only resource you cannot buy. You need to reclaim your time if you want to achieve financial freedom.
Focus on Building Your Skills
Once you have control over your time, the next step is to focus on developing your skills. If you’re struggling financially, it’s often because you lack the necessary skills to make money effectively. Over the last decade, I have worked on building a diverse skill set, especially in areas like business development and sales. Now, I’m confident that I can always generate income because I have the skills to build and scale businesses.
If you want to achieve financial freedom, you need to become skilled in high-demand areas. One of the fastest ways to make money is to become a master marketer or sales expert. Learn how to market and generate leads for businesses—these are valuable skills that can be developed in weeks, not months. By focusing on these areas, you can quickly become profitable in the marketplace.
Take Action and Transform Your Life
Most people won’t take these steps. They’ll keep following their old habits and wonder why nothing changes. But if you’ve made it this far in the article, you’re different. You’re ready to take control of your time, develop your skills, and automate your path to financial freedom.
Automation creates a lifetime of freedom. Start by evaluating your time and skills today. Make the necessary cuts and invest in yourself. Stay motivated, stay focused, and remember: the path to financial freedom is within your reach.