The Importance of Creating a Margin Surplus in Your Life
Okay, so here’s the scenario:
You have a team briefing from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. But you also have a doctor’s appointment scheduled for 11:30 a.m., and the doctor’s office is 15 minutes away. That means you have an extra 15 minutes to spare to get to your appointment on time.
That excess time is called a margin surplus.
Now back to you, your supervisor appears and hands you an additional 15-minute task to complete.
You take a look at it and think, “Okay, I have 15 minutes until I have to leave for my doctor’s appointment. But I think I can make it.”
This basically ensures that you have no space for error, and there is no time to waste — not even a mere second.
Now you are marginless.
And that’s just Scenario A. What if we add a new constraint to that for Scenario B? You’ve discovered that your hour-long meeting is running 10 minutes late.
You no longer have the flexibility to complete the boss’ task and still make it to the doctor’s on time.
So now we have what we call a margin deficit.
Why Create a Margin Surplus in Life?
People nowadays are becoming busier, and time management is often neglected. Because of this, we live our lives with little to no time control, or, to be more precise, with little to no time margin.
What is the significance of this? Let’s discover the reasons why you should have a margin surplus in all aspects of your life.
- It enables you to be more adaptable.
When we try to get something finished, we need to be flexible.
In this fast-paced world, we overbook our days and calendars and never take a breather. Then, when something goes wrong, we are completely taken aback.
As busy beings, we need to change gears.
How? By planning ahead of time to make the most of your time, and then sticking to your calendar commitments. (That’s all there is to it!)
You will feel more versatile as a result, getting more flexibility to change up the tasks for the current day and the next.
And having more flexibility helps you to prepare ahead of time and do more than expected.
- It helps you manage your money more effectively.
We’re not just concerned about your time management here. It’s also about other aspects of your life margin, such as finances.
How so? Being financially stable is another form of a margin surplus.
So if you made it to the end of the month and discovered that you don’t have enough resources left, you have a negative financial margin.
Can you see where I’m going with this?
This is crucial to understand when discussing your financial situation, particularly in “these uncertain times”.
- It shows you how to pace yourself for your overall well-being.
As you know, it’s important to have a healthy well-being, mentally and emotionally. And having a margin surplus can help you maintain and improve your mental and emotional health in a variety of ways.
Here’s a sample scenario for you:
Your team has been assigned a large-scale project. You’ve been working overtime, even on weekends, exerting yourself and not giving your brain a rest to the point of exhaustion. With this kind of working lifestyle, you have suffered stress and bodily ailments.
This, my friends, is a margin deficit in itself.
The irony is that we exist in a culture that expects us to live without limits, and mental health is critical to surviving in this insane environment.
So how can you pace yourself and ensure your wellness?
It’s beneficial to take time for silence and solitude to calm and relax yourself. Stand back and rest your brain for a while. Soon enough, you will gain some margin surplus.
Wrapping Up
I’d like to point out (and I can’t stress this enough!) that the happiest life is enjoyed while there is margin excess!
Although it’s easier said than done, even a small amount of cushion built into your day will make a significant difference, regardless if it’s about your personal or professional life.
I want you to take a couple of minutes right now and see how you can build a fresh margin. And then, in the future, you’ll have what you need on that one.
If you want to start building a margin surplus (and accumulate happiness!) in your life, Sales Leadership Summit 2021 is the right place to start.
Every year, the Sales Leadership Summit is the biggest and only conference designed exclusively for sales leaders in the real estate industry.
Hundreds of people return every year to experience great teaching, build new strategies, learn new tools and expand their network of friends.
