I’m sure you’ve heard the term "time is money" before. There is this common belief that in order to be successful, you have to sacrifice your lifestyle for hours and hours of grueling work. So many put in the time and effort to be successful in their work or home business and just wind up stressed, frustrated, and feeling powerless.

Take me for example! Hans and I used to both work around the clock trying to reach these lofty financial goals and attain "success." Part of the reason comes from what I witnessed growing up. My parents never worked – they collected from the government and blew it all on stupid things. They bought drugs and alcohol, and always provided for their children last. I knew I didn’t want THAT lifestyle. I wanted to work for it all and I wasn’t taking any handouts.

So here I had two businesses and I was working 16 to 18 hours a day. Meanwhile, someone else was raising my kids. Meanwhile, I was on the verge of a second divorce. Meanwhile, I was running my body into the ground. I literally ended up giving myself a heart attack and a nervous breakdown at 25. Was that a lifestyle worth living? A lifestyle worth the 16-18 hour work day? Heck no! So let me share with you how I adjusted my career to fit my ideal lifestyle (Note: not how to fit your lifestyle around your work. Unless that is what you want from life).

First of all, this is a new year. It is a time for planning new financial and lifestyle goals, and above all, applying a new mindset to your life. So please leave your old mindset behind. If you are falling for the stereotype that entrepreneurs or high-paid business workers have to sacrifice their relationships, health, and fun just to gain success, I’m here to tell you it is a lie. Success is measured by results, not by the hours you work.

Did you catch that? All the hours you work in a week mean nothing if you don’t have the results! The only hours that are worth your time, were the ones that actually gave you the numbers! It doesn’t mean that more hours necessarily mean more money.

How, Dani? How do I get the lifestyle I want and still have an outrageously successful career? The most important thing to realize is that every single person on this earth, from the highest paid man on earth to the bum on the street, we all have 24 hours in a day. How you USE those 24 hours are vitally important. We’ve only got one life and you choose to do with it what you will.

That being said, I want you to look at your typical day and write down how you usually spend it. Where does each hour go? How many hours a day are you doing something that helps you achieve the life of your dreams? How many hours do you spend watching tv? How many hours do you spend looking at e-mails? What you focus on, you will get good at.

If you are focusing on tasks that get you results, and trimming out the ones that aren’t helping you, you’ll get MORE results. And I don’t just mean in your career.Not all results are equated with money. The result could be quality relationships. The law of focus applies to every area of your life and will help you become more efficient.

My advice to you would be to start keeping track of your time. For the next week track everything you do and write it down as well as how much time you spent on it. Were you fully focused on that one task or were there interruptions? Write that down! When I first did this, I realized I was wasting 80 hours a week.

The easiest way to decrease your stress, to decrease your work hours is, to one, be more efficient and, two, to focus only on the tasks that are getting you somewhere.

So where is your focus for 2013? Leave your comments and goals below and tell me, what will you do in 2013 that will bring you the most results? How will your work habits change this year? What are your priorities for 2013?

In great faith,