Makuti Lounge: Busting the myths: Time is not money

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Busting the myths: Time is not money

Is time really money? Don't believe the lie that time is money. The truth is time is far more important than money. Time is life and please take that literally.

It is possible to waste money and we've all been somewhat guilty of that. But that can be replenished. Just like a hammer or a kitchen knife, money is a tool that can be replaced. What you can't do is waste life because all of us get one chance at it. The crudeness of time is that once it's spent it is gone.

Time is in fact ruthless. It has no grace and extremely unforgiving. It always keeps ticking forward never stopping, slowing or waiting. It is always appears short, inelastic & independent of most anything else. Unlike money it doesn't grow interest, can't be invested & it's fixed. The best you can do with time is to improve on its quality.

Then there's the other truth. You are guaranteed to have time to do everything you are supposed to do while you have it. (Ecclesiastes 3:1- “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”)

If that’s true then how do some underachieve when it comes to living life?

A while back my neighbor’s dog was in an accident and the end result was that its leg had to be amputated. Having watched that dog, I’ve concluded that it might as well have four legs. It is just as energetic and alert as the days it had four legs.

In fact, we humans are the only creatures that don’t live up to our full potential. A huge part is because of a gift that the good Lord gave us: A conscious will

Some simple rules I have adopted over the years

Pay to save time – Since time is that valuable, pay for someone to do certain tasks for you so you can focus on the things that matter in your life. As the years go by you should be having more of these tasks done by others because you are running out of time.
Incorporate technology to save time- Figure out how to use technology to allow you to save time.
Don’t multitask on critical moments – There are times in life when you should only do one thing and one thing only. I make sure that dates with my wife or kids that I do nothing else.
Make and document key moments – proactively look to create memories and document. This takes on a new meaning if you have kids. Memories don’t just happen, they are planned and thought out.
Take time to reflect – Take ample time to be alone and reflect on what’s going on in your life. This should include both positive and negative events and how you intend to grow as a person.