What Are You Willing To Trade Your Life for?
It’s hard to be held accountable for our time. It’s easily consumed, squandered, and lost. Yet, it receives far less attention than the attention we put on money—few of us carefully budget how we’ll spend our next small windfall of time. We worry about wasting money on a cup of coffee every day, and how that adds up when we should be just as concerned about all those minutes we frittered away that could have been used to make us happier. Very few of us strategize about gaining a large chunk of time in the future, perhaps to devote to a rewarding project or enjoy a family holiday.
No matter what the outcome of our efforts, we all feel increasingly strapped for time, and often the things that we think will make us happy — the accomplishments we work so hard for — don’t. They most certainly do not give us back moments with our families and friends or more hours to ourselves.
Time poverty exists across all economic strata, and its effects are profound. Research shows that those who feel time-poor experience lower levels of happiness and higher levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. They experience less joy. They laugh less. They exercise less and are less healthy. Their productivity at work is diminished. They are more likely to get divorced.
I encourage you to focus on making choices based on time, not money. It’s not easy; our entire world and brains are rigged to make us value money first. It’s possible. Here are some ideas on how:
Be More Active. Personal pursuits like volunteering, socializing, and exercising can transform your life.
Be Deliberate. Each moment is precious, and a sure way to experience it is to learn to be fully present in each moment.
Spend more time experiencing Awe. Awe is a positive emotion we feel when we encounter expansiveness, like a panoramic view across the ocean. In those moments you can breathe in an eternity.
Set healthier Boundaries. Before agreeing to take on additional projects and work, consider the time it will take and how this will impact your life. Instead of saying, ‘yes’, rather take a step back and see if you can learn to say, ‘no
I encourage you to be as deliberate about your time as you are about your money and work. Before spending your next cent, consider whether that purchase will enhance your life.
Before making your next work-related decision, consider the impact it will have on your time with your family, and how much you will enjoy being with them. Remind yourself that it’s not true that there will always be more time later. There won’t!