Time is the Currency of Life. How will you spend yours?
Over time, people long for success. People often measure success by the gaining material possessions or accumulating wealth. However, this is not a universal truth. Success varies with each individual’s mindset, leading to different personal definitions. Success is measured by an individual’s mindset and everybody will have different definitions.
You may have come across various articles explaining a specific plan to be successful. Examples could be “Your 4 Tips to be Successful” or “The Seven Steps that ______ (any influencer) took to be successful”. The truth is, there is no magic number or blueprint for success. In order to be successful, people have to define what their own definition is and take the steps to achieve it.
A common struggle for people is budgeting. They tend to see budgeting specifically tied to money, but the truth is, it is not necessarily. I personally believe that in order for people to be successful in anything, they must budget.
If you want to lose weight, calories and exercise should be budgeted. If you want to achieve millionaire or decamillionaire status, then you need a financial budget. If you want to watch the entire Star Wars series, then you need to budget your time to do so. If you want to improve your relationship, then you need to budget quality time, date nights, and whatever it is that makes you and your partner click.
I’m writing this, to tell you that there is hope in any situation, but a plan must be in place. The most valuable asset to anybody is time. Nothing is more valuable than time. Time is the currency of life. Time is the only thing that nobody can get more currency of. This goes against the Justin Timberlake movie “In Time”. In that movie, the characters can transfer time to one another. In life, that is simply not possible. Assuming our clocks are still ticking, we can always earn more money, but our time depreciates.
So how can we be successful?
- First – Value your time (and value other’s time).
- Second – Determine what success means to you.
- Third – Make a plan and budget for it.
- Fourth – Focus on your goal and don’t allow any distractions to get in the way.
There will be challenges. Sometimes you will get distracted. Sometimes you will be tired. Sometimes you will not want to continue. Just remember that the end goal of whatever you are trying to achieve is worth more than the small sacrifices you are giving up now.
If you find yourself sacrificing too much, such as family time for a minor financial gain, it’s time to reassess your plan. Ensure your priorities, like family, are not overshadowed by less significant goals. For instance, if I am giving up family time to gain an extra 100 dollars a week, that isn’t worth it to me. I would revisit my plan and goals and make sure I am putting my family above less valuable goals.
Take breaks when you need to and don’t overwhelm yourself. Keep your goals in mind and focus. You will be successful based on your own definition and not some arbitrary metric that somebody else made up for you. You can do all things you set your mind too and just remember that Time is our most valuable asset.
