It’s limited. You are losing it. Nothing will bring you back this moment. And there is a difference between spending time and investing time. When you are spending time, you are not trying to improve the value of your time in the future. It’s similar to spending money. Time is money. And it’s a one-way street. It only flows out. You can’t get the time back, but you have a chance to increase the value of your time in the future.
When you invest in something, you expect a return on that investment. Investing time means you are spending it to receive some return in the future. How many of us do that?
Make a list of how you spend your day. If you find that you are using over 80-90 percent of your time on things that won’t give you any returns, you need to start thinking. You see, time is a limited commodity. For someone who is rich, time is more important than money. They have money, but they don’t have time. For someone who isn’t as rich or fortunate about money, time is not so much valuable. The rich spend money to save time. The poor and middle-class people spend their time to save money. It’s how you think about time that defines how rich you are.
Time and money are important parts of our lives. Take one out of the equation and you will end up not enjoying the other. The following are some examples.
- Are you spending time in relationships that have no future? Are the people you spend your time with improving your future? Is your best friend supporting your goals or is he busy distracting you from what you should be doing?
- Are you working at a job that pays the bills or if you are working at a job that helps you create a successful career? For example, a job that is going to keep you in the same place after 5 years of hard work is not the kind of job you should be in. You are giving your hard-earned time but your price remains the same even after 5 years. This is something worth worrying about.
- Are you busy talking about people behind their back or spending time with people who are always complaining? Why don’t you spend time with people who appreciate you as you are and help you meet breakthrough progress in your life and work.
No matter where you are, start practicing the breathing exercise every single day. It will make you mindful of yourself and your time. Breathing will help you explore the person that you truly are and cherish your personality. It will guide you to invest your time instead of spending it.
This is the simplest time-management trick for maximum productivity. Be your best self. Practice breathing exercises and learn to listen regularly with consistency. Let it guide you and help you take action. Let it help you spend time on doing things that matter. Invest your time. Look at the next five to ten years in advance.