Back in March I wrote a post that was pretty popular on Forbes Work in Progress called How to Catch a Time Thief and Get More Done. The essence of this post, as you can imagine, was how to reclaim your time and, more importantly, put it to better use.

As we know, everyone has the same amount of time in a day, a week, a month and a year, yet some people are much more adept and effective at using it wisely. I’m talking about the amount they achieve both work-wise and personally.

I really like this recent post from Tamsen at Brass Tack Thinking, a popular blog I’ve only recently discovered and am so glad to have. The posts are insightful, pertinent, relevant and they give great cause for discussion, debate or introspective thinking.

What really resonated with me was this statement:

TIME doesn’t make you do something. YOU do.

The question isn’t, “Do I really want (or need) to get this done by a certain date?”

It’s “Do I really want to get this thing done, or not?” And really, “Am I willing to do what it takes to do it?” Your progress, your success is a product of your actions.

I think I’ve always realized I feel on top of the world when I’m taking positive action. Over the last few weeks I’ve been travelling and attempting to run my business at the same time. These last few days in Graz, Austria I’ve managed to base myself in one place and as a result made a tonne of progress.

Granted I worked 11 hours straight yesterday (which I don’t advise as my eyes have been sore all day today and bloodshot!). My point is, though, I cleared my entire inbox, set up new systems, got important client work done, wrote a blog post that went viral and made some `fantabulous’ connections with women as a result.

Did I make progress on my eBook? No. Why not? I know it’s going to be a big piece of work that requires a lot of effort, time, creativity and dedication.

I will, however, MAKE time as of tomorrow. There’s nothing that annoys me more than people who say, “I don’t have time to [insert excuse here].”

I also have learned to not underestimate how much time it takes to do little things. I watched with disbelief as the clock kept on ticking ferociously yesterday and that even after seven hours my focused ‘to-do’ list was only 60% complete.

That said, I did beat the clock in the end and felt pretty damn proud. How?

Firstly, by focusing on deliverables, not `nice to do’ activities like being everyone’s best friend on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. I had my ‘to-do’ list right by me so I’d come back to what I intended to do and make it happen.

Secondly, by having this great tip at my side:

“Tell yourself you only have 30 minutes to get your task done. Once you do, your brain takes over and finds a way to get the job done!”

Thirdly, by giving myself a pat on the back at regular intervals when I did great stuff, and yes, reading blogs and commenting is actually a vital part of a blogger’s strategy and anyone wanting to build a community. So acknowledge what’s useful and what’s not and you’ll know where you want to spend your time and how.

If you've found yourself saying “I don't have time to…”  lately, then STOP! Admit to yourself why you are the chief time thief right now, and what you’re going to do to stop stealing from yourself!