All of us waste time, more than we realize.
Time is finite, irreplaceable and a limited resource which highlights its preciousness.
Unlike money or other possessions that are tangible and can be earned or replaced, once a moment is gone, it can never be retrieved.
The inherent intangibleness of time makes it difficult to comprehend.
The way we allocate our time impacts every area of our lives, including professional and personal success and growth, relationships, and overall well-being and happiness. However, we all get caught up in the “busyness” of life; work, preparing meals, dishes, laundry, shopping, home maintenance, appointments, family time, fitness, work events, school events. This list is endless and repetitive.
We tell ourselves that we don’t have time for certain things. When in reality, we do have time, we just haven’t made it a priority yet.
In the UBS study I referenced in “The Cache,” women cited time (78%) as a reason why they defer to their spouse to take responsibility for long-term financial decisions of investing and financial / estate planning.
My husband knew before we got married that my cooking and laundry skills were lacking. I made the worst scrambled eggs, singed my hair leaning over his parents’ gas stove and turned his very favorite white shirt, pink.
Find what you are good at and don’t mind doing even if it goes against cultural norms.
Driving, even in traffic, is something I don’t mind if it isn’t every day. When we lived in Virginia, we took my parents to Washington DC and in the midst of fighting traffic, they made a backseat comment that shouldn’t my husband be driving. To which I replied, that it is like 200% better that I drive and he navigate since it predated Google Maps and Garmin navigation.
Share responsibilities and again, this may go against cultural norms because it just works better.
My husband is actually a far better cook than I am and would have dinner ready when I was working late. By finding my own recipes and dishes to make, my cooking vastly improved since he couldn’t compare the dish to his.
Learn new skills but in your own way, not by comparing yourself to others. He still does his own laundry and for good reason.
We found what we like to do or don’t mind doing and several cross the line and challenge cultural notions. The parents involved now just think it’s normal because someday the roles will reverse when one can no longer do what they use to.
What most people want when it really comes down to it, is more time. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. It’s unclear who said this, but time is the only currency we can never earn back, so we need to spend it wisely.
Some of the biggest time wasters we all do, that suck precious time away from us.
Endlessly Scrolling and Phone Checking
• Social media
• Constantly checking texts and email
• Constant interruptions from app notifications or 24/7 news updates
• Aimlessly web surfing or channel surfing
Prioritizing the Wrong Things
• Too many things, clutter so you end up searching for things you can’t find
• Hobbies you don’t enjoy
• Putting off important tasks, failing to create a schedule, a to do list and getting caught up in less important activities
• Saying “Yes” too many times – if you are investing time into something that isn’t positively benefitting you or someone you treasure in some manner, there is no return on that investment.
The Illusion of Control
• Spending excessive time and energy trying to fix other people’s problems or enabling their bad habits
• Striving for unattainable perfection, trying to achieve an impossible standard
• Spending excessive time on grooming or other routines that don’t contribute to your actual well-being
• Dwelling on past mistakes, worrying about things outside of your control and overthinking situations.
• Caring so much what other people think of you when in reality they almost never do.
• Indecisiveness & lack of action: spending too much time deliberating over decisions without taking action
Most men (9/10) want their spouse to be involved in strategic financial planning, decision-making and investing but women still are lagging. The benefits of collaborating are significant. Time reallocation is a first step, knowledge and interest will follow.
“Time is what we want most but what we use worst.” — William Penn
“One must work with time and not against it. “— Ursula K. Le Guin
Understanding The True Value Of Time | by Rick Matsokotere | Medium