If you are in business or running your own business, have you shopped in person or online at Staples or Office Depot recently?

They have everything there for you to run a successful business. It is amazing! You are able to buy an iPad, ink for your printer, all models, a chair for your desk, a desk and more. One question though about their stocking practices and inventory. The sales people were not able to direct me to the aisle where they sell more time. No one, not even the manager, was able to tell me the price to buy more time and how they would sell it to me.

The most precious commodity we have is time. Once you use it up you cannot replace it. There is nothing new about this information. Some will say, “Well, we are pulled in different directions because of technology these days.” The reality is yes we all are and that is part of this discussion. However, there have always been distractions to pull time away from you. Consider when a television was first introduced into the home of the average person. People would watch their television for hours and hours. Today there are a variety of technological tools which are pulling time away from us.

Let’s address technology first. Even if you and every single person who reads this article passes this article on to one thousand people each, and they pass this article on to another thousand people, it is doubtful it will be read by anyone who cannot turn off their electronic devices and all means of telephone and internet communication for ten days or more. The world will still be spinning. The ocean waves will still be there. You might not enjoy the experience and you may find it to be uncomfortable. The reality is we have created the habits we choose to continue to support and live with.

How do we create more time? If you are ready to create more time here is the exact formula to follow. Don’t take any shortcuts. Just follow the formula. Track your behavior and use of your time with specific information for the next one week, two weeks, three weeks or an entire month, your choice. The tracking is in fifteen minute intervals. What exactly are you doing in those fifteen minutes? At the end of the week add up your totals of how you spent your time. If you selected a month for your tracking, still add up your totals at the end of the week. Once the tracking is completed you will find the gaps and the time wasters which are currently part of your regular schedule.

Want to have three specific steps to free up the time that you need for anything you want to do? Start tracking your time now and come back and see next week’s article.

Mitch Tublin is an advanced certified personal and executive coach who resides in Stamford, CT.