You need to value your time like currency. I don’t believe we all have the same number of hours in a day. Everyone has different life circumstances and competing demands on their time.
One Harvard research professor, Dr. Ashley Whillans, noted that the majority of Americans feel “time poor“, where they don’t have enough time to complete all responsibilities.
Recently, I was talking to a friend who turned down a job offer, even though the pay was slightly higher. Why? Well, her current role allows for so much flexibility in working hours, that any small pay increase wasn’t worth compromising that flexibility. And what does time allow her to do? She can adjust her schedule around her daughter’s needs for school and homework. She can take a break in the middle of the day to go to the gym.
What is time affluence?
So what exactly is time affluence, anyway? I first learned about this term a couple of summers ago when I took a free course online through Coursera: The Science of Well-Being. Professor Laurie Santos explains that we often pair the term affluence with money or wealth, but time is just as valuable. The reason she discusses this is to open our eyes to whether we should be focusing more on valuing time over money to increase happiness.
I highly recommend taking this course (if you have the time) and learning more about how you can become happier and value your time. With more time, we can spend more time with the people we care about, travel or focus on hobbies, and generally have fun and enjoy life.
How do I view my time?
Personally, it’s hard to always prioritize my time when the stress of bills piles on. So, I think people who have the luxury of choosing time over money all the time are in a different category. While we all have control over our schedules, sometimes survival mode kicks in and you have to do what you have to do to make the money.
I think some of my issues around time and money stem from limiting beliefs. Several months back, I wrote about the debate in my time of whether I should get a full-time job or keep pushing on my blog endeavors, which isn’t an immediate money maker. I REALLY want this to be a successful journey, but sometimes negative thoughts creep in and I doubt myself.
My main focus now is thinking of my time like currency. And currency can buy wants, necessities, and leisure. So I hope I can focus on ways to generate passive income, work from home, and free up as much time as possible to do the things in life that I enjoy! So maybe this is your sign to value your time like currency as well!