Time: Do You Spend it or Invest it?

Time is our greatest and most precious asset. Time is the great equalizer of all us human beings. Why then do we not recognize and treat it with the respect it deserves?

Whether you are rich, poor, healthy, ill, or just humming along in your life somewhere in between, we all have only 24 hours in each and every day to invest wisely. We often spend a great deal of time and energy thinking and worrying about, or working to earn and pursuing more money. However, while we are doing that, sometimes we are missing the greatest gift of all â?" our time to experience our lives. A wise teacher once said to me, â??You can always get more money but you can never buy more time.â?? Good point!

How often do we consciously think about how we invest our time? I consciously use the word invest because the way we choose to spend out time is truly an investment in ourselves and our lives.

Based on my observations over the last several decades on this planet, however, you would never guess the true value of this time commodity by the way people act and speak.

First, letâ??s look at the common ways people dishonor time with their actions. Do any of these choices look familiar?

â?¢ Spending hours in front of the TV.

â?¢ Sacrificing a healthy amount of regular sleep in an attempt to steal more time. (You may be awake for more hours, however being in a fog and loaded up on caffeine does not translate into quality or â??more timeâ??.)

â?¢ Working ineffectively and/or spending so much time at a job that you have in effect handed over your life to someone else.

â?¢ Existing in a state of stressed out or burned out.

â?¢ Spending hours aimlessly surfing the internet.

â?¢ Participating in gossip or the rumor mill.

Now, letâ??s take a look at the language we use when we discuss our precious friend, time. Do any of these comments look familiar?

â?¢ I wish it were Friday already! (usually spoken from a Monday through Thursday point of view)

â?¢ Iâ??m just wasting time; or, this is a waste of time.

â?¢ I have some time to killâ?¦

â?¢ Iâ??ll get to enjoy my time when I retire.

â?¢ Iâ??m just counting the hours until the end of the day, or the days until the weekend, retirement, etc.

So, how often do you wish away your life? How often do you let time simply pass you buy?

While it may sound cliché, the phrase Carpe Diem has a great deal of merit. It means, seize the day. I can still remember my first real experience with this term when Robin Williams challenged his young students in the movie Dead Poetâ??s Society to do just that â?" seize the day. He used it as a call to arms where every student in his class should make each day a day that was truly explored and lived fully.

Where Does My Time Go?

A Challenge for You

Do you know where all your time goes each day? What parts of your life are most important to you? Are those the parts of your life that receive the greatest amount of your time and attention? Or, do you find yourself doing the same things today that you did yesterday simply because that is what you did the day before that?

For the next month, take stock of where your time and your life go. At the end of each day, write down the number of hours spent in each of the main areas of your life. An example of what those main categories might look like could be:

Physical Health & Well-Being
Primary Relationship, Spouse, Significant Other
Friends, Family, Children, Relationships
Career/Work
Finances and Money
Physical Surroundings (home, work, etc.)
Spirituality (connecting with a power greater than yourself)
Fun and Relaxation
Making a Difference in your Community and the World

After the month passes, total up the hours spent in each category and reflect back on how you spent your time. Did â??realityâ?? surprise you? Or, was it what you expected? How does the way you invest your time on a daily basis make you feel? Is it in alignment with your values and what you really want from your life?

Take some time to take stock in how you invest your most precious asset â?" time. Remember, tomorrow is promised to no one. Carpe Diem.

Paula Gregorowicz is a business and life coach, writer, and owner of The Paula G Company. She specializes in helping women and business owners tap into their authenticity so they can design a life they love. Visit her website at http://www.thepaulagcompany.com for more articles, free resources, and to learn more.

---

Avoid 7 Time and Life-Robbing Mistakes and See Your Productivity Soar

41 practical and quick ways to get on top of... Read More

Time Is Everything

Time is wealth;Time is health; Time is power; Time is... Read More

Balancing Your Work, Family and Social Life

Balancing Your Work, Family and Social Life... Read More

How to Put Housework on Autopilot!

My husband and I recently returned from a trip to... Read More

Time: Do You Spend it or Invest it?

Time is our greatest and most precious asset. Time is... Read More

How Can I Get Some Time to Myself?

"I never seem to have any time for myself. What... Read More

Do You Have The Time?

Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number... Read More

7 Ways To Improve Your Life In 7 Days

Choose to be HappyHappiness is a choice. You can choose... Read More

How To Better Handle Your Mail

Letters, magazines, bills, flyers, what to do with them all.... Read More

5 Result-Getting Time Management Tips

How often have you tried to manage your time in... Read More

The Key to High Productivity is Energy Management

One of the issues most often raised by my clients... Read More

How to Double Your Accomplishment Level

Here's a smart system for doubling or tripling your daily... Read More

A Time-Saving Programming Tactic that Doesn?t Work

Let's say that you have a software project that's under... Read More

You Cant Buy Time

Our daily lives are inundated with a crammed to-do list.... Read More

Time is on Your Side ? Manage it Wisely

How do you manage your time? Or is the more... Read More

5 Tips To Get More Out Of Your Work Day

It's easy to waste time on things that seem urgent... Read More

Busy, Busy, Busy

?busy, busy, busy, busy, busy?busy, busy, bus? OK, slap me... Read More

More Precious Than Gold

In this world there is something more precious than gold.... Read More

Controlling Family Chaos - Time Management for the Family

Balancing a family's varying schedules can be near impossible. Soccer,... Read More

Time Management? NO!

Many people want to be coached to manage their time... Read More

The Power of 90 Seconds

You can use the Power of 90 Seconds to transform... Read More

File It: Boost Your Productivity in Only 15 Minutes Per Week

Despite the best of intentions, most of us don't use... Read More

How You Can Double, Triple, or Even Quadruple Your Reading Speed!

Are you drowning in a sea of unread papers? Do... Read More

Increasing Your ROI

All requests are not equal; all customers or clients are... Read More

How Much Is Poor Time Management Costing You?

* If you were paying you to prioritise emails over... Read More

Put Yourself First

Are you too busy to put yourself first? If a... Read More

Because Its Been Years Since Youve Seen a Blank Calendar

If you have ever missed an appointment, forgotten to pick... Read More

Time Management - How To Get More Done In A Day?

Everyday, in life, we are bombarded with 101 tasks that... Read More

A Fatal Mistake that Can Cost You Your Business ? And More

Whether you're a new business owner or if you have... Read More

Where Do Your Priorities Fit?

An expert in time management was speaking to a group... Read More

Mercury Retrograde and Time Management

The concept of Mercury Retrograde is very well known even... Read More

How to Make More Time For Your Life

Do you wish you could work less and play more?... Read More

Time Management For Home Business Owners

As each day passes, and more and more things need... Read More