I think the term “mass chaos” would be a fair way to describe my stage of life right now. I usually don’t tell people everything that is going on in my life for several reasons. It could be that I understand everyone else is busy too, it could be that I also understand some of our busyness is self-inflicted, mainly I don’t want to be the one-upper story teller guy. But my calendar ahead doesn’t leave much wiggle room either with the year coming to a close in about 3 months. However, I have full faith that everything is right where it needs to be. I am blessed to have things that many others don’t: a family, a home, and a fulfilling career.
I am assuming that as you read that first paragraph, your mind drifted to whatever was going on in your life too. Kids starting school and sports, cattle being gathered and shipped, fall harvest. For farms and ranches, late summer can be critically painful with lots of work in front of us, shorter days, and short cash flow with unweaned calves and unharvested crops standing in the field. For us at RMC it is the upcoming delivery season. Workshops in September, Executive Link meetings in November, Ranching for Profit schools in December and January, and then a short breather, before Executive Link again in March. Don’t forget there are a few holidays mixed in that time frame too. Whatever we have going on, it is important for us to keep a pulse on our stress levels. Stress will come and go with different seasons, but I want to make sure that the stress levels actually go down, and that we don’t just get used to a new high level of stress and consider that normal now.
Dr. John Delony quotes “if busyness is your drug, then rest will feel like stress” and I think we are all guilty of this at times. I almost slapped myself last Thanksgiving when I thought to myself it was boring just sitting there waiting for the food to cook. More recently this summer, I stayed home from work with our sick kiddo and was riddled with anxiety all day because I felt there was work that needed done sooner than later. Once again, mindset changes that day. What terrible problems did I have? I had a house to take my kid to, and the freedom to stay with him there so my wife could focus on her work that day. Looking back, the only real problem we had was trying to get the car seat smelling clean again.
What would happen if we set up our schedule to where it had some slack in it? So that one unexpected event wouldn’t cause a ripple effect for days or weeks on end. Strategic Coach, a business coaching program, has a time management strategy that includes Free, Focus, and Buffer days. This strategy encourages a paradigm shift. If our schedule is too full, we don’t allow ourselves the capacity to think critically and be creative. To reframe time as a strategic resource rather than something to simply fill. By intentionally separating space for rest, deep work, and preparation, it prevents the constant overload that stifles creativity. It creates the mental bandwidth needed to think clearly, make better decisions, and focus on what truly drives results.
So I ask you, where can you critique your time management to make room for rest, fun, and family? I hope you can join us this winter at a Ranching for Profit School where together we can help identify your high value work. After all, we love working hard, let’s just be sure we are spending time in the areas that provide the biggest return.
I was lucky enough to attend my first Ranching for Profit School in 2017 with P.J. and Tricia Kimmel from Montana. We have kept in touch over the years and it has been fun to watch them and their business change with time. Watch this video below as they share how they built a ranch and a life for them and their boys.
