You’ll often hear someone say, “make time for what matters.” But how many of us actually DO it?

Instead of making time for things that matter, we spend our lives on Facebook, watching TV and doing other things that generally don’t provide any benefit to our life. Then, we have the audacity to tell others that we’re “just too busy” to do XYZ.

The fact is that most people AREN’T busy. I know that you’re sitting there thinking, “But you don’t know me. I’m really REALLY busy.” I’m sure you are. You’re just sooo busy, aren’t you?

Every person has 24 hours each day to do what they need to do. 24 hours. You’re telling me that you are busy for 24 hours straight? Sure, you need time to sleep. So, we’ll take out 8 hours. 16 hours. If you are constantly busy for 16 hours a day, something is VERY wrong.

The fact is that, while many people claim to be “busy,” few are productive. They do Task A just for the sake of doing Task A, not because Task A is actually important.

Take a minute to think about everything you’ve done today. Write it down. I’m serious. Stop reading this right now and write down every single thing you did today. Meals, makeup, showering, pooping, working out, everything.

Now, how many of those were truly important? How many got you closer to your goals?

My guess is that there are only 2-3 items on your list that were ACTUALLY important. The rest, frankly, is bullshit. You don’t need it.

What’s the best way to get ahead? Eliminate, eliminate, eliminate!

I’m not suggesting you move into the hills and become a Buddhist monk. (Although, that doesn’t sound all that bad at the moment.) What I am suggesting is that you seek ways to do less, to own less.

People complain all the time that they are “too busy” or their life is “complicated.” So, simplify it! Stop whining about it and start eliminating your problems! It’s really not that difficult.

Saras Sarasvathy is my hero. Over the years, she has studied scores of expert entrepreneurs to find out what makes them tick. This has led her to create the website Effectuation.org and write several books on the entrepreneurial process. What makes her work so wonderful? Simplicity.

Dr. Sarasvathy doesn’t overcomplicate things. She teaches the principles of entrepreneurship in a simple, but doesn’t bog down the reader with excessive details. She has a simple motto that she teaches her students: Do the doable, then push it.

But what does this mean?

When most people think of entrepreneurs, they think of Steve Jobs of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Bill Gates of Microsoft. These companies are MONSTERS! They employ thousands of employees and provide products and services to millions! Often, this overwhelms the beginning entrepreneur and makes them feel so insignificant that they never pursue their dreams. This is where Dr. Sarasvathy comes in.

Do the doable, then push it.

No one becomes a giant over night. Apple started in a garage. Dell computers started in a DORM ROOM! Starbucks started as one, small coffee shop. So, what made these companies so great? The founders never stopped pushing.

They all started with an idea–a simple idea. Build a computer. Create an online store. Nothing fancy. Just an idea. Then, they pushed it. When that was successful, they pushed it some more. In fact, none of them EVER stop pushing, and THAT is what has made them successful. Their efforts are relentless.

Now, let’s be realistic. Most of us will never create something that changes the world. But we CAN create something that changes OUR world. And in the end, OUR world–our personal world–is the only one that matters.

Mission statements. Companies have them. Volunteer organizations have them. It seems like everything under the Sun has a damn mission statement. Except people.

So, here is your challenge today: Come up with a personal mission statement. Just a simple sentence that summarizes your goals for the year–or even the next few months.

Once you’ve figured it out, share it with everyone in the comments below.