We all complain about not having time, but a minute is longer than you realise, especially when you’re thinking about the results you can achieve. As a commercial hot air balloon pilot, I learnt that small actions taken consistently can prevent major problems and create significant improvements in your business and life.
Key Takeaways
- A minute is much longer than most people realise when focused on productive thinking
- Breaking chains of negative events prevents small problems becoming major disasters
- Sharing mistakes and experiences helps teams learn without repeating costly errors
- Regular one-minute reviews after jobs identify improvements for future success
- Small consistent actions create significant business and lifestyle improvements over time
Why Don’t We Have Time for Our Business?
“I just don’t have time!” Yes, we have all heard it and I am sure we have all said it. Time, time illusive time, we know we can’t create more of it and it’s how we use it that makes a difference but how do we use it better?
This isn’t an article about berating you for complaining that you don’t have time while still finding time for social media, watching television, or procrastinating. This article is about helping you make small and significant improvements just one minute at a time.
What Can You Actually Achieve in One Minute?
First let’s define how long is a minute. Sixty seconds right? More importantly it’s about understanding what you can achieve in a minute, how many thoughts can you have in a minute and realising what a difference this can make.
Often when I am speaking or running a training session I will ask the whole audience to close their eyes for a minute, during this time I will guide them to think about things in the past, present and future. When they think a minute is up they can open their eyes and look at me to see how much time has passed.
It is not uncommon for the first person to open their eyes less than 15 seconds into the exercise. More than half the room will have opened their eyes in under 30 seconds and almost 90 percent before the 45 second mark. After that I start getting concerned that those that still have their eyes closed have fallen asleep!
What’s my point? A minute is a lot longer than you realise especially when you are thinking and the results you can achieve as a result of these thoughts.
How Can You Stop Problems Before They Start?
As a commercial hot air balloon pilot I spent hours studying past aviation related accidents. One of the key things we learnt was that an accident was very seldom a once off occurrence. It was most often as a result of a chain of events.
As an isolated event or occurrence the pilot could generally handle the situation but when they occurred in sequence well then there was going to be a problem. As a pilot you needed to recognise the potential for a chain of events to start and then break the chain.
An example might be as you are going through your pre-take off checks, an excited passenger asks you a question. As tempting as it is to answer them and then continue where you left off, you know this could be the first link in the chain. So after answering the passenger and assuring them you will have plenty of time to answer all of their questions once you have done your checks you go back to the beginning and start again.
This applies perfectly to work situations. For example, you wake up late, you rush to work and get a speeding fine, which puts you in a bad mood and makes you even more late, you are abrupt and rude on the phone and upset a client and so the cycle continues.
The Ultimate Tradie Business Transformation programme teaches you how to recognise these chains before they destroy your profitability and relationships.
Why Should You Share Your Business Mistakes?
In aviation there is a clear distinction between what constitutes an accident and what is an incident. Basically an incident is something that could have been an accident but by some stroke of luck wasn’t. Pilots are always encouraged to submit incident reports to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
The reason being that when you share knowledge and experiences with other pilots they can learn and hopefully prevent something similar happening again. Where possible it is better to be able to learn from other people’s mistakes rather than your own.
When you or your team make mistakes, do you encourage people to share their experience in a way that others can learn and prevent it happening again? Or do people try and hide them because they know they will get into trouble or be embarrassed.
Building this culture of open communication is essential for any successful team recruitment strategy.
How Can One Minute of Review Transform Your Results?
After every flight as a pilot I used to fill in various forms of paperwork as well as my logbook. Most of what we did was required by law, however it also gave me time to review my flight, what went well and what could I have done better.
Often after a flight the crew and other pilots would talk about what had happened that morning and share experiences. It wasn’t a formal procedure like if there had been an incident or accident but more of talking about what we loved to do.
After every job, project or meeting take a minute and review what you did well and what you could have done better, you will be surprised at what you learn. This simple practice aligns with research from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing that businesses with regular review processes show higher productivity and profitability.
Three Ways You Can Use Those Precious Minutes
Here are three ways you can use those precious minutes:
- Stop for a minute and break the chain – Recognise when negative events are starting to pile up and interrupt the sequence before it becomes a disaster
- Stop for a minute and share – Create a culture where mistakes become learning opportunities for the entire team
- Stop for a minute and review – After every important task, spend 60 seconds identifying what worked and what could improve
Frequently Asked Questions
How can one minute really make a difference to my business?
One minute of focused thinking allows you to process multiple thoughts and make important decisions. When you consistently take these minute-long pauses throughout your day, you prevent small problems from becoming major disasters and identify improvements that compound over time.
What should I do when I notice a chain of bad events starting?
Stop immediately, take a breath, and assess the situation. Don’t try to continue from where you left off – go back to the beginning and start fresh. This might mean restarting a conversation with a client or double-checking your work from the beginning.
How do I encourage my team to share their mistakes without fear?
Create a blame-free environment where mistakes are treated as learning opportunities. Focus on what can be improved rather than who was at fault. Regular team meetings where experiences are shared openly help build this culture.
What’s the best way to review my work in just one minute?
Ask yourself two simple questions: What went well? What could I do better next time? Write down one specific thing from each answer. This creates a learning habit that improves your performance over time.
How often should I be taking these one-minute breaks?
Aim for at least three one-minute breaks throughout your workday – after completing important tasks, when you feel stressed or overwhelmed, and at the end of your workday to review overall performance.
Do you have a minute? Yes, you do! We all do. Set time aside just a few minutes throughout your day. Use these minutes to break the chain, to share and to review. Encourage others to do the same and you will be amazed at how your business and your life will improve. If you’d like to explore how these simple strategies can transform your business results, I’d love to help you develop a personalised approach that works for your specific situation.