How I stopped making excuses (and started making time for my Escape Plan):


Alright, confession.

I used to spend HOURS every single day on Whatsapp.

  • Instantly replying to group chats
  • Sitting waiting for notifications to pop up
  • Being a keyboard warrior

But I loved it. I got a buzz off it.

Until I started my own business from zero.

And I was wasting precious time every day that could’ve been spent getting my next client or you know, making money to pay for my rent?

I know, dumb.

I ended up thinking I had “no time”.

But it was an excuse, I was avoiding the hard work.

Once I changed my mindset, ditched the excuses and focused…

I had all the time in the world.

And now I’m buzzing to be in the position I’m in.

Here’s the thing though:

I know too many people in 9-5 jobs who are unsatisfied.

But say they have “no time” to build their Escape Plan.

So if you’re still making “no time” excuses, here’s 3 brutally honest lessons from someone who is not a productivity guru but…did manage to quit his 9-5, ditch his Whatsapp addiction, create free time, actually focus and build a semi-successful one person business that makes a lot more money than the 9-5 job:

Lesson 1. Realise the “no time” excuse is holding you back

You can keep saying you have no time. But the truth is you’re not prioritising your escape plan.

And that lack of prioritising leads to:

  • Feeling frustrated with yourself
  • Feeling glum about your future
  • Doubting your ability in yourself

I know because I’ve felt all of this.

Nothing will change until you change.

This is fact.

Lesson 2. You DO have 45 minutes without sacrificing your life

  • Wake up 15 minutes earlier
  • Go to bed 15 minutes later
  • Take a poo for 15 minutes longer

Boom, you have 45 minutes to grow your Escape Plan.

Alright I’m kinda kidding with the poo thing but seriously, think about how long you spend sat on the can doom scrolling. Replace that with tasks that grow your Escape Plan.

Sacrificing a little TV and social media time every day is the easiest time gainer.

No brainer to use it investing in your future.

Lesson 3. Treat your future like it’s worth your time

I always believed I could be and do better.

Not sure why, just had this feeling my whole life I’d make something of myself. So when it came to building the foundations of my new business, I spent my time assuming it would drive me to fulfilling my destiny.

(sounds kinda bleurgh but self belief is unbelievably powerful)

If your future includes starting a family and spending as much possible time to see your kids grow up, start building for it now.

That future is worth every single minute of time you spend on it.

TL;DR:

  1. Realise the “no time” excuse is holding you back
  2. You DO have 45 minutes without sacrificing your life
  3. Treat your future like it’s worth your time

Stop telling yourself you don’t have time.

Find small pockets of 15 minutes here and there.

And treat your future like it’s worth the investment.

The progress will follow.

Cheers,

Matt Barker

P.S. time is not infinite, so we need save as much time as possible and that includes...saving time writing social copy. Write faster and you create more time for sales, marketing, family, downtime.

On Wednesday 9th October I'm hosting a free Zoom training called "The 5 Minute Daily Writing System".

I'll show you the exact system that is allowing me to spend 5 minutes writing and create unique, long form educational content (like this newsletter) every single day.

I'd love for you to join us.

Yes, I want to write faster Matt.

Follow my socials → LinkedIn / Twitter / Threads / Substack

Read past newsletters & shop products → Browse

Sponsor this newsletter → Book a slot

Unsubscribe / Update your email preferences / 113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205

Matt Barker

Join 11,000+ readers of The Digital Writer for no-nonsense tips, strategies and advice to attract your dream clients with social copywriting.

Read more from Matt Barker

Yesterday I remembered how annoying it was when I'd post on social and get basically no likes or comments (from anyone, not even the right people). I'd put the effort in, but no results. Are you in the same boat right now? You are not alone. I’ve been there too.(remember everyone started zero, doesn't matter where they are now). I'd wonder why my content wasn’t landing with the audience I wanted to attract. And let's be real, it sucks. But over time, I realised it wasn’t about working harder...

Writing on social is unpredictable. Amount of times I’ve written up what I think is a freaking legendary post, then it bombs or doesn’t blow up like I thought it would? 100s of times. Easy to get disheartened. Especially when you’re just getting started and every post feels like you’re putting yourself on a billboard for everyone to see. The mistake most online writers make though? They don’t learn from “bad” posts. But after writing 10,000+ social posts, I’m numb to the feeling of “bad”...

I’ve been writing on LinkedIn since January 2022. At the point of writing this it's October 2024, so that brings my online writing journey up to 34 months. Then consider I've posted at least 7 times per week since then, and we're up to around 1,000 pieces of content JUST on LinkedIn. But sometimes, my posts don’t land the way I expect. And it’s demoralizing. When you think you’re sharing gold, but the audience doesn’t react. That feeling isn't reserved for newbies - it still hits occasionally...