I Don't Have Time, I'm Too Busy

...actually means, "this isn't important enough to me," or "I don't want to stop doing X to start doing Y."

Time is a nonrenewable resource. Every week the amount of time spent on social media sites like Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube collectively sucks up billions of hours of what most describe as "spare time." 

But wait, 10 years ago these sites didn't exist...

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Where did all this time come from? We were busy 10 years ago too, right?

What did we do before Twitter, Facebook, Vine  and Snapchat?

Saying "I don't have time" always means something else. Yes, time is fixed. However, unlike other resources - time is replenished every second. 

Social media is just one example of where we are spending our time. Now we talk on the phone less, listen to voicemails less, and use the telegram never. We are always recalibrating. 

Learn to say "No" so you can say "Yes".

I would have never had time to work on this 4-H Livestock app for iOS if I didn't say "No" to manning booths at conventions and fairs for the past 6 months. I had to say "No" to a handful of school enrichment and speaking opportunities. I enjoy doing these fun things, but I made the decision that this app project was more important. I chose innovation. I chose different impacts.

Stop doing busy work. Stop going along to get along. Stop doing work for outcomes, we're here to make impacts. If you're tired of doing an Extension program, just stop doing it. If the public really misses it, they will step up to keep it running without you. Stop and think, how many programs would be missed if you stopped doing them right now?

You will never have time to be innovative unless you make time.