Know Your Strengths And Use Them

If there were a single thought we could most benefit from by reminding ourselves daily, I’d like to suggest the following. Time is your most important resource.

From the moment we’re born, the clock starts ticking. You can find ways to get more of almost everything in life, except time. Maybe that will change someday in the future. But for now, that makes time your most important resource in my opinion.

Time Is Finite. It’s Less Than Finite; It’s Declining

Considering the above, I think it’s worth being as conscious as we can of what we’re willing to trade for our time.

There’s a popular quote attributed to the Dalai Lama. The story goes that he was asked what surprised him most about humanity and said:

“Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

How Do You Manage Your Time?

When I have the nerve to seriously evaluate my life, it’s a sobering realization. I’m forced to admit to myself that I’ve spent too many days on auto-pilot, waiting to get through the day at work. How many times have I hoped work will finish soon so I can go home — getting through chores and responsibilities so I can zone out and relax in some form. Then I go to bed and start it all over again. What’s the point of that? If I’m not taking advantage of the time I have here, I’m practically asking for my life to be over.

You Have One Life, Be Conscious Of How You Live It

I’ve seen myself get worried, anxious, angry and afraid of the most pointless things. I’ve entertained fears that were never close to real and I’ve let other people having bad days inject their negativity into mine, as if I had no say in the matter. But we always have a say. Don’t give away your power so quickly. It’s not always easy to control our emotions, but one of the most beneficial things I can do for my life is make the effort not to let some random thought or another person’s personal life lead me to a place of negativity. Time is your most important resource, and it’s ticking away every moment. Don’t spend yours controlled by the drama vomit of others. Stop worrying about what could be, and take action based off of what actually IS your reality.

What Role Does Time Play In My Finances?

First off, great question. Make sure to ask more of those and as often as possible (questions I mean). Questions will lead you to a better life.

Secondly, time is your most important resource right? So use it. The sooner you start learning about money and taking control of your finances, the sooner you eliminate the fear and enslavement so many are forced to deal with through bad financial situations. I’m not saying you need to be rich to be happy. But being aware of things sure does help. I have no idea what lifestyle you desire, some days I’m figuring that out for myself. I’m sure whatever it is we want will probably change over the years, and hopefully we’ll be ready to change with it when it does.

What I do believe is that financial stress can go a long way in messing with your time. How many hours a week do you spend at a job? How many years will you spend paying off student loans or credit card debt? And you’re crazy if you think I’m not going to mention investing and compound interest. Check out the next blog post for more on the benefits of compound interest. Compound interest is time and money at it’s finest. Basically the longer you wait to take action, the more you miss out on growing your money.

If we can teach ourselves and our kids to learn the benefits of strong financial habits early on, we can help eliminate some of the pressures that steal our time.

A Call To Action…

Finally, I’ve started this website to be a community. We’re all growing. Let’s grow together. It takes time to blossom but the more we share with each other the better our chances of achieving our goals. If you have some thoughts, don’t hesitate to reach out or leave a comment below.