You can always make more money. I know that sounds easier said than done, but it is true.
It is especially true in our modern age of online goods and services. I’ve retired from the corporate world. But I enjoy working on my own business, and I plan to keep doing so for the rest of my days.
However, you cannot create more time.
More time for things that matter.
More time for loved ones.
More time for yourself.
More time — period.
Someone recently asked online, “Why does time seem to pass more quickly as you get older?”
I’ll paraphrase another person’s response:
“It appears to go by more quickly because you have less time between now and your death than looking back at the beginning of your life. You’re living in an increasingly compressed amount of remaining time every day.”
As I grow older, I’ve noticed this. Moments go by in the blink of an eye. Years pass by in a flash. What seems like yesterday was actually 10 or even 20 years ago.
For example, I’m going to be on the eBay campus soon. To me, it seems like I worked there just a few years ago. But I did the math and realized I left that job over 17 years ago!
This phenomenon is making me see how precious my remaining time is. It’s way more precious than money. And that’s changed how I think and behave.
I didn’t grow up with a lot of money, so my first impulse has always been to be cautious about spending. I like to do things myself vs. paying someone else to do them (e.g., repairs around the house). I’ve tried to avoid spending too much money on travel or traveling too often. I haven’t taken vacations when I should.
But now? Now I’m feeling my mortality. Now I’m spending money to see things before it is too late. To visit people before time runs out. To save my own time for more important things (e.g., writing my books, spending time with family, exercising).
I also value my time more than money, so I won’t take gigs if they don’t pay me well enough to be worth the increasingly precious time left in my life. Would I rather visit my children or make a few thousand dollars? Seeing them is more important to me now.
Time is the most finite resource you have.
Don’t waste it on things that don’t matter.
Don’t let other people decide how you should use it.
Fiercely protect your time and apply it to the most important things in your life.
You are the only one who should decide what that means. You can simply tell other people, “No.”
Hi, I’m Larry Cornett, a Personal Coach who can work with you to optimize your career, life, or business. My mission is to help you take complete control of your life so you can become a more “Invincible You.” I currently live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and our Great Dane.