Test and time yourself

I usually keep our blog pretty professional and rarely let you in on actual stories or things that have inspired me.  I’ve decided that should change and our blog is going to be a bit different from here on out.  I realize that stories and certain times in my life has been major turning points and many of those stories and times could be beneficial for other people to hear.

Today, I would like to discuss the power and importance of testing and timing yourself.

Ever since I was a little kid, I found myself testing and timing myself.  I mean seriously, everything has always been a test and race for me.

While in college, I timed myself for one of the funniest, most epic things I have ever done.

My girlfriend and I (wife now), turned on the bathtub at 2am. and immediately sprinted out the door.  We hopped in the car, drove 3 miles down the road, and hopped the fence to sneak into the country club pool.  We climbed to the top of the 10 meter platform (~33ft), did a flip off of it into the almost freezing water, sprinted back to the car, flew back to my house and arrived just at the nick of time to turn the water off at the perfect level for us to warm ourselves up from the freezing water and weather.  Needless to say, this was intense and my roommates were weird-ed out by us rushing out and in so fast.

How fast could I run to the end of the drive way and back?  Could I beat my brothers in a swim race? Could I climb a tree faster than my classmates?  Who could finish the test first?  Who could run the fastest?  Jump from the higher cliff?

Who was the fastest sculpture in ceramics class?  Yes, in high school I was actually proud of myself because I usually finished ceramics projects first; and no, I was not nearly the best – but I had to compete somehow.

For just about everything that I have ever done, I always have tried to both test and push myself and I firmly believe that if we time and test ourselves, we can achieve greater things in both life and in business.  I am a very competitive person and thrive with tests.  There is a good chance you might not be quite as competitive as I am, however psychology and the self-serving bias tells me there is actually a good chance you are.

Set your timer for 30 minutes and see what you can accomplish.  I’m serious.  Try this today.  Take 30 minutes and get as much done as you can.  Once 30 minutes is up, check off everything that you accomplished from your to-do list.  You’ll find that just by putting a time limit on your activities and testing yourself, you will perform more effectively and efficiently.

We work better in 20-40 minute bursts anyway.  If you find yourself sitting and staring at your computer for 3 hours straight, you will probably lose some of your efficiency.

It’s even harder to test and time yourself as a business owner and adult when you don’t have teachers giving you test and you’re not competing in races or competitive events.

Don’t lose your competitive nature as you get older… Thrive in it.

Make moves today,
Marc Horne
HC Consulting Group