The Relativity of Success

What Einstein forgot…

When Einstein’s Relativity papers were published, the world
got a new concept.

Time and space are actually interchangeable!

There is relativity in the way we live our daily lives, too.

I’ve learned that in business, the way that people manage
their time and their space seems to go with how much money
they make.

Managing Time: Are they punctual? Can they keep a commitment
on a deadline? Most successful people that I’ve met and
worked with are very dependable. If they say that they will
do something, they do it when promised. If I arrange to meet
a successful person at a particular time and place, they
manage to be there. On time.

Managing Space: Are they organized? Are their important
papers and reports available when they want them? Successful
people manage to get themselves organized so that they have
the time to function. They’re not always looking for
something or making apologies because they weren’t able to
find something. In general, the successful people I’ve
worked with do not have occasion to make may apologies – or
excuses.

And now I’ve learned that another element needs to be added
to the “Relativity” mix.

Things.

I learned this as a result of the experience we’ve just had
in moving to a new home.

Our closets were like the clown’s car at the circus – stuff
just kept coming and coming out of the shelves, drawers, and
corners of our house and garage.

Stuff I thought I’d lost. Things I haven’t had a use for in
decades. And we were storing all of these things.

I had to keep going out and buying more packing boxes and
tape.

As we got ready for the move and the packing intensified,
Vikki’s garage sales and my trips to make donations of our
unwanted but useful stuff whittled down the load.

But it still took three trucks to move what was left. I’m
really tired of moving boxes of stuff that I don’t really
use.

I’ve discovered that stuff owns me – it takes time and space
to deal with, and that cuts into my life and work.

It also costs us money. Too many unused things means too
much looking for the things that we DO need and use.

I’ll tell you something. It isn’t all gonna find a new home
here. We’re going through each box with a very suspicious
eye. We’re looking at every sock and tee shirt and book and
CD.

We’re asking ourselves, “Do we need this?”

” Now?”

I’m not asking, “Will I need it someday?” because the answer
will always be “Yes”.

I’m asking, “Am I willing to store this again in some closet
or box or garage, so that I forget I even have it until the
next time we move?”

Then, seven times out of ten, that item goes into a box for
one of my kids or grandkids, or charity.

We have empty space in our cupboards and closets. We have
ready access to the things we need.

And we do not have closets and drawers full of stuff that we
don’t use.

It’s a delightful experience.

It really feels lighter. Like we’ve lost weight.

We’re going to keep this feeling. It saves us money and
time.

So it looks like the Relativity of Success actually has FOUR
elements:

Time

Space

Possessions

And the Money you save, when you manage the first three elements.

Seeya,

Tom