What 168 Hours Taught Me About Success

James Smith, Executive Director

My 20's were very transformative years. College, military, marriage, children, finding my footing with my faith, first few jobs. I went to a lot of trainings, read a lot of books, and had a lot of mentors! Everything was new so I wanted it all!!!

One time I was struggling...big time! And the struggle was over time. And one of my mentors told me something that stopped me in my tracks:

You have the same 168 hours each week as Leonardo da Vinci.

That one statement changed the way I think about time. Not because I suddenly became more productive overnight—but because it removed every excuse. We don’t all have the same resources. We don’t all have the same opportunities. But we do all have the same 168 hours.

And what we do with those hours determines everything.

Time Is the Ultimate Equalizer

It’s easy to look at successful people and assume they have something we don’t—talent, connections, luck. But at the most basic level, they’re working with the same amount of time we are.

168 hours.

That’s it. The difference isn’t in the time. It’s in the choices.

How we spend our time shapes:

• our businesses

• our leadership

• our relationships

• our health

• our spiritual lives

• our future

Time doesn’t just pass. It accumulates. And over weeks, months, and years, those small daily decisions compound into something much bigger.

Where It Gets Real

If I’m honest, I don’t always get this right. There are nights I can lose an hour scrolling my phone. There are days I stay busy doing “things” that feel productive but don’t actually move anything forward. And sometimes, it’s not even wasted time—it’s just misaligned time. Because this isn’t just about work.

It’s about everything.

You can spend 40, 50, 60 hours building a business……but if you neglect your marriage, your kids, your friendships, or your faith, that imbalance will eventually catch up to you.

Success isn’t one-dimensional. It’s holistic. And your 168 hours have to reflect that.

The Drift Is Real

The danger isn’t usually that we make one bad decision. It’s that we drift.

We drift into:

• distraction

• comfort

• routine

• autopilot

We tell ourselves: “I’ll focus on that next week.” “I just need to get through this busy season.” “I don’t have time right now.”

But those weeks stack up. And before long, we look up and realize we haven’t grown, we haven’t invested in the people who matter most, and we haven’t moved as far forward as we thought. Drift is subtle. But it’s powerful.

Intentional Living Changes Everything

The flip side is just as powerful. When you become intentional with your time, everything starts to shift. You don’t need a complete overhaul. You need awareness.

What if you:

• carved out 30 minutes a day to grow? (adds up to 4 1/2 forty hour work weeks in a year)

• protected time for your spouse or your kids?

• scheduled time to think instead of just react?

• made one meaningful connection each week?

Those aren’t massive changes. But over 168 hours… and then another 168… and another…they add up in a big way.

The Chamber Connection

This is one of the reasons I believe so strongly in being connected to a community like the Chamber. Because growth doesn’t happen in isolation.

When you surround yourself with people who are:

• building

• learning

• connecting

• improving

…it naturally pulls you forward.

You get ideas. You get encouragement. You get accountability. You get opportunities you wouldn’t have found on your own.

Your environment influences how you spend your time. And how you spend your time shapes your outcomes.

The 168-Hour Challenge

So here’s a simple challenge this week:

Take 10 minutes and look at your 168 hours.

Not in theory—honestly.

Where is your time going?

• What’s helping you grow?

• What’s helping your relationships?

• What’s moving your business forward?

• What’s just filling space?

Then make one adjustment.

Not ten. Just one.

Because success doesn’t come from one big decision. It comes from consistently choosing better with the time you already have.

Final Thought

You don’t need more time.

You need more intention.

168 hours is enough. It always has been.

The question is: What are you going to do with yours?