Ep 115: The One Thing You Must Have to Make a Great Horse
If I had to pick one thing that you must have to make a great horse, my answer would be:
Time.
Time is my most precious commodity. It takes time to create a great product. And for someone like me who relies on making great horses to make a living, it takes time to deliver something worthy of income.
When I look at a horse, I tend to be the eternal optimist. I see all the potential of what that horse can be, but sometimes, I overestimate how much time I can devote to helping that horse reach its full potential. Over the years, I have realized that my expectations must be realistic for the amount of time I have to devote to that individual horse.
Now, the tricky part is…we only have 24 hours in a day. We can’t create more time. But, we can commit to using our time more efficiently.
At the brink of a new year, many people set a goal to wake up earlier. This is a great goal; however, for many of us, it’s a goal that doesn’t stick around for very long. We tell ourselves that we want to wake up two hours earlier, and for a few weeks, we do. Then, we get busy, and those two extra hours of sleep start to seem very necessary.
But, what if you committed to waking up just 15 minutes earlier? Although 15 minutes doesn’t seem like much, think about this:
15 minutes each day = 91 hours per year
What could you do with an extra 91 hours? That’s more than two full 40-hour workweeks in your year.
For your horse, that could be 91 more hours in the saddle. 91 more hours of opportunity to help your horse develop its full potential..
That extra 15 minutes each day might mean time to enjoy a simple, leisurely ride. Time to relax and take it slow. Or, even just time spent in the stall building trust with that animal. Don’t underestimate the impact that 15 minutes can have on your relationship and communication with your horse.
This 15 minutes per day mirrors the effect of the 1% rule. At first, 15 minutes a day might not seem noticeable. But over a period of time, the impact of these 15 minutes will begin to surface if you commit to those 15 minutes consistently. 1% every day.
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