We know that we need to invest money today to provide for our future so we don’t spend our lives working just to scrape by. While we may choose to keep working even after we are financially secure, we still are aware that there are other “payoffs” or satisfaction we are getting from that work.

Do you know that your time is your most limited resource, rather than money? We often are so focused on gaining more money that we don’t realize just quite how much time we will trade for more money. This is what we do daily when we go to work; we exchange 8-12 hours of our day (and probably more at times, depending on your occupation) for a certain amount of pay. Sometimes it feels like a great exchange and other days, you wonder if it’s worth it.

We will do a financial budget and goals, but we rarely consider our time our most precious resource. We are not in the habit of mapping out our time ahead of time based around our values and priorities. Sure, we may schedule things on the calendar like a doctor’s appointment or a vacation, but we usually fit in things around what we feel we “have to do” instead of intentionally saying this is what I “will do”. We let our outside circumstances, such as a job, kids, school, errands, etc dictate how the calendar looks and then we fit in brief moments of what we want to do around that. We rarely fill our calendar first with who we want to be as a person- our self-care, date nights, fun& play, rest, or growth. We actually should fill our calendars from within ourselves and our deepest priorities FIRST. For example, when I keep my prayer time with God as a priority first thing every day, my week is infinitely better. I’m not scrambling to fit it in as an afterthought at the end of a busy day.

As you review your priorities, your values, your goals, and your current daily schedule, does it reflect that you are INVESTING your time or just SPENDING your time? Investing time comes with a return that you can measure or moves your forward in a positive way. Spending time may feel good at the time but the return is short lived, or in the end, costs you more than you bargained for. It may spin you in a repetitive cycle.

Spending Time           vs.     Investing Time

Social media                        Reading books

Netflix or TV                         Online course or other class

Networking event                 Learning summit

Online acquaintances          In person relationship with people you love

Negative people                  Positive people

Comparison to others          Creating new things

Watching tv                          Taking a walk or working out

For example, did you know that if you spend 1 hour a day on social media, you will spend 30 hours a month and 360 hours over a year, just on social media scrolling? If you earn $25 hour, that means that you are trading $9,000 for just scrolling through social media! Invest $9,000 over 25 years at a mere 6%, you would have close to $38,000!!! Wow!

Now there is nothing wrong with having down time but if you really think about how, you are spending that amount of time, is that really what you want? Do you get $38,000 worth (or much more) out of social media? In that same time, you could have read 3 books a month or 36 books a year on all kinds of subjects that could have broadened your horizons.

It’s the same when we invest actual time to meet up physically with or call a loved one. The connection, love, sharing of our lives, and being present is almost incalculably important. We know we will be filled up after a great interaction, conversation, or shared adventure.  I guarantee that 3 hours with your favorite people will be a much better investment than 3 hours of scrolling through more posts.

Take some time to journal around this idea of Investing vs Spending your time. As you begin to envision and plan for 2024, what changes will you make to your time? How will you measure your return on investment? How will you be happier or more fulfilled after you make these changes?

As always, I’m here to help. If you’d like to do an abundance energy session specifically around your goals, time, or business, reach out to me! I work with clients in 5 countries around the world and I’d be honored to work with you too. Reach out if you need information, pricing, or scheduling.

Grace and Peace be upon your path always,

Karen