What’s the value of your time? Hint: It doesn’t have to do with money

As you get ready to start a new day, let me ask you: what’s the value of your time?

Something that may come to mind is “I’m worth $25 an hour”, or maybe more dollars depending on your occupation and experience level. While that’s a valid answer, time goes beyond the value of money.

One thing you can’t buy more of in this world and that is time.

Minimalismmadesimple.com

The relationship between money and time is peculiar. When you have some cash in your hands, you can either spend it or save it. The same thing happens with the way you use your time. However, unlike money, you can’t get back the time you’ve spent.

Therefore, the value of your time is higher than you can imagine. How are you currently managing it?

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There’s a time to flourish: creativity at its best

There’s a time to flourish and a time to be dormant.

A time to play and a time to rest.

A time to socialize and a time for introspection.

A time to be born and a time to die.

A time to plant something and a time to pluck it up.

Creativity is no different. Each step of a process comes with a season, in which times are more active, and others are more contemplative. Contrary to all the ideals of productivity, it’s unrealistic to expect outcomes nonstop.

It is a mistake and a misreading of nature to think that you, a living creature, will be flourishing all the days of your life.

austin kleon

Therefore, it’s crucial to know when to do things.

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Paying attention: where your focus really is

Paying attention is a crucial component to our lives. It’s the most basic form of love.

Nothing in your education has taught you that what you notice is important.

verlyn klinkenborg

It’s a fun exercise to ask ourselves why we like the things that we like. We all have favourite songs, favourite foods, favourite brands and so on, but we seldom think about the story behind each preference.

When we take the time to understand ourselves better, we gain a new level of awareness. We’ll find clearer ways to focus on the activities or life projects that we truly care about.

At the same time, awareness goes beyond observing what we like. It’s also about paying attention to what we pay attention to. We are exposed to so much information from different platforms that it’s difficult to distinguish between the content that makes us escape to a comfortable reality and the content that nurtures our minds.

So the question is, where is our attention?

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How do you spend your time? Some ideas to consider

How do you spend your time?

The answers may vary according to lifestyle, personal philosophies, daily tasks among many more factors.

It requires a lot of effort and patience to track our habits and observe exactly what we do with each hour of the day.

How long will things be the same? Surely, I will be awake, I will sleep, I will be hungry, I will be cold, I will be hot. Is there no end? Do all things go in a circle?

seneca

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Creative seasons: observing your atmosphere to flourish

We all go through creative seasons. Our focus varies depending on our mood, our environment, and yes, even weather.

Creativity, I believe, works in a similar way. There are periods of time in which ideas flow and exciting projects start; however, other periods are slower and more contemplative.

Jess McHugh, author of Americanon, reminds us of something essential for any creative process:

Things happen in their time and place, and we can prepare and make plans, but frost might come anyway.

Jess mchugh

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Seeking a balanced life: you can’t have it all at once

Thoughts on slowing down have led me to consider the meaning of a balanced life.

What does that exactly mean? It looks different to each one of us.

This poem by Kenneth Koch, though, is a game changer at least for me.

What’s true is of these three you may have two and two can pay you dividends but never may have three. These are the strongest verses in my opinion. It’s a hard pill to swallow, and if you think about it, there’s truth in it. You can’t have it all at the same time.

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Eliminating distractions in the next decade

If we are to think in decades to track our growth, we better start eliminating distractions and prioritize the things that matter.

Here’s a few considerations from various sources I’ve come across:

  • Put your family, friends, and partner in the first place. Meaningful relationships are crucial for personal fulfillment.
  • Analyze the content you consume on TV, books, and the Internet. If you constantly find that you’re not learning anything, it’s time to be more selective.
  • Make sure that you’re doing something that makes you happy. There is no time to waste in things that you dislike.
  • Cut negative people out of your life. Protect your own energy.
  • Have clear goals for every day, every year, and of course, every decade. Time runs faster than you think. Make every moment count.
  • Be bold and ask for what you want.
  • Judge less. Focus on your own progress.
  • Play the long term game.

How would you start eliminating distractions from your life?

Thinking in decades to track our growth

Lately, the idea of thinking in decades has been resonating more than ever. More thoughts have triggered after finding this quote:

Days are long, but decades are short.

I haven’t stopped reflecting on this ever since I read it in this article. I’ve been thinking what it means to me, and if this is going to change the way I live my life.

On the other hand, perception of time also enters the equation. Sometimes, days feel too short, and we wish we had more than 24 hours to do all the things we want to do.

In a different scenario, we wished certain days ended faster. Headaches and other issues that pop up make us beg for less hours so that the struggle goes away. Some days are really difficult.

Time is relative, but it’s one of the resources that doesn’t renovate itself. The way we spend our days determine the things we accomplish in decades.

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Compound Knowledge: the key to gaining wisdom

One concept that has been buzzing lately is “compound knowledge.” I’ve been seeing it often in the Orange Book’s timeline on Twitter. Anything this person shares on that channel interests me, and if there’s an idea that’s completely new to me, I do a bit more research.

Compound means “made up or consisting of two or more existing parts or elements.” Therefore, compound knowledge refers to integrating all the elements we’ve collected from the various sources we learn from and using them to upgrade our skills or achieve wisdom, for example.

However, compounding is a process that takes time. Immediate results are out of the equation. The core essence is patience and consistency. Outcomes will show as one continues to gain knowledge year over year.

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