Create Account / Log In

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.

Time management critical to excel Economic Times, India - 19 hours ago If you examine the matter closely, time and timing is everything. If you want tell somebody something that in your opinion is critical, it is better to say ...

Bible Wesleyan Church hosts time management seminar Tri County Leader, TX - Sep 4, 2008 The Bible Wesleyan Church at 104 Hagan Rd. in Whitehouse will be the location for a time management seminar by Rick Grubbs. Since 1984 Rick Grubbs has been ...

Part-Time Management Accountant Third Sector (registration), UK - Sep 4, 2008 As our name suggests, the Leadership Centre for Local Government has the mission of creating thriving and prosperous communities – and you’ll play a very ...

FriendFeed is not killing blogging [Time Management 101] The Inquisitr, Australia - Sep 3, 2008 The real issue identified here is one of time management. How do you best divide your time across various platforms in an age where there is so much going ...

Termi8r's Week and Thoughts About Time Management PokerStrategy.com, UK - Sep 3, 2008 Nevertheless, he made some important steps, such as having a time management, to become a better poker player. by Termi8r This week has been a rather quiet ...

Time-Management Tips for Mobile Professionals PC World - Aug 27, 2008 As a topic, time management is about as exciting as watching flies buzz around a no-pest strip. But would you be interested in learning about time ...

Team well-versed in time management Boston Globe, United States - Aug 24, 2008 By Christopher L. Gasper FOXBOROUGH - The schedule makers did the Patriots no favors this preseason, giving them three games in an 11-day span. ...

No clowning around with time management Calgary Herald,  Canada - Aug 25, 2008 Many students resist when they first hear their parents tell them to "get a job." But it doesn't take long for them to value working as a way to gain ...

Learning time management a must for Hawks Gazette Online, IA - Aug 27, 2008 Time management is the key for these student-athletes. Between the books and football, there's little time for anything else. It's easy to slip up, ...

Time Management Tips: 5 Tips For Making Time Work Better For You 3x24 - Your Newspaper and News Magazine, Germany - Aug 26, 2008 by Wendy Hearn In today’s hectic world it is easy to lose track of things if you do not have some kind of time management strategy in place. ...