Do You Value Time?

I’ve focused quite a bit on the value of time. I don’t really think it is because I’m getting “up there.”  I think it comes more from a sense of clarity I’ve had recently about the important things in life.  Don’t worry, not going to go too deep and philosophical on you.

I don’t care how old you are. Nine or ninety, the sooner you realize that your supply of time in this life is finite, the sooner you will take steps to use it wisely. And I don’t mean just acknowledge it – we all know it – I mean really realize how valuable your time is.

How do you determine wise usage of your time?  Well, that is a completely individual thing so I won’t pretend to tell you what you should be doing. Instead, I will share some things that I do to make the best use of my time. They may make sense. They may seem silly.

People – for me, the greatest value in life lies in the relationships you have. Those relations however, need to be nurtured, strengthened and grown. You do this with you time. Some people will try to substitute money for time, but it never works in relationships… or I guess if it does, that is a sign the relationship isn’t a very good one anyway.

I am blessed in that I have created a lifestyle that allows me to put people ahead of work. I can work around other people’s schedule. This allows me to work when the important people in my life are busy and be available to share time with them when they are free.

Yes, it is unorthodox but if I want to spend the day with my Mom in Victoria, I can schedule my work hours around it so that I am free at least every other week to visit. I do the same thing with friends that are local. I can take off at noon on a Tuesday to spend the day with someone and make up for it by working 8 to midnight to make up for the half day missed.

Myself – Me time is also important to me.  And it should be for you also. Being able to take the time you need to exercise, learn or just have some sanity time plays a major role in overall happiness. Again, my lifestyle (job) allows me to make me time available.

I am a big fan of lifelong learning. I believe that education should continue long after schooling ends. To that end, I read constantly and continue to expand my learning. This is an area where I also can do a lot of multi-tasking.

Ways to squeeze more out of your time

  • Driving – listen to audiobooks or make phone calls (hands free of course)
  • Exercising – audiobooks or go zen by just experiencing a ride or workout
  • Waiting – ebooks, audiobooks, phone calls (if appropriate), meditation
  • Toilet time – magazines
  • Working at desk – stream TV shows, documentaries, sporting events (if you can keep from being distracted)
  • Outsourcing – pay someone to do $1 tasks so you can do $1,000 tasks
  • Breaks – taking breaks can double or triple your production during work time

Those are all good suggestions for how to do more in less time but let me caution against getting too caught up in the frugality of it all. When you are spending time with friends and family, do NOT multitask.  These are the moments you have made possible by condensing time. This is not the time to keep condensing. Be there for those interactions. Pay attention and enjoy your relationships.

What time hacks do you know?

by Chris Doelle

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