Time is often viewed as a commodity with a dollar amount. Is everything for sale? Perhaps, for the right amount, but what is that amount? More importantly, should it be? Time is a finite resource. We don’t live forever, and there is a lot outside of our control. That makes time a valuable resource. It’s up to us to decide what is the most valuable time. From there, we can optimize.
The Most Valuable Time in Business
The most valuable time is the time spent doing the most important thing. In business, that means the time spent doing the things that generate the most amount of money. It could be sales that generate immediate cash flow, or it could be activities that lead to more cash flow further down the road.
The Most Valuable Time in Life
Is your life a business? Do you decide how to spend your time based on the activities that make the most amount of money? That would be a career-driven life, or survival mode. It’s natural to prioritize making more money when there isn’t enough for survival. We all want to be able to afford food and housing. However, we don’t want to stay in survival mode years later, when the bills are consistently paid with funds remaining.
I’m a big fan of meaningful careers. Also, I’m a firm believer that we should be fairly and appropriately reimbursed for the value we provide. It’s more than that, too. Careers can be a way to fulfill life purpose and serve the world while growing and evolving, all good things. That’s valuable time in my book, but not necessarily the most valuable time.
Let’s get a little self-centered with this one. I highly value my time spent with my family and friends. Alone time is valuable, too. Exercise and healthy food prep time are important to me, too. In reality, there is no single most valuable time.
Thoughts, Feelings, and the Most Valuable Time
The most valuable time shifts with different phases of life. Also, it shifts depending on how my time has been balanced in recent days, weeks, months, and longer. When it has been too long since I have flown to visit family that bumps up on my priority list. Flights are booked and we go. Healthy food prep time isn’t very important when the fridge is full, but once the stock dwindles, I make the time.
Last summer I spent a lot of time working. While it was needed then, it wouldn’t have been ideal to continue that pace long-term. Since that phase I have been more intentional to prioritize exercise and other things. My plans are quite different this summer.
Guilt crept in last summer when I was in my office with the door closed while my kids were on the other side of the door. In this case, the guilt (and my awareness of it) was a good thing. It served a purpose because I was listening. There were signs all over the place that I wasn’t prioritizing my most valuable time. My work cup was overflowing while my family cup, among others, was far too low.
Optimizing the Most Valuable Time
My career is still just as important to me as ever as we shift into summer once again. However, it’s going to be different this time. Instead of closing myself in my office to work I’m planning way ahead. During my last long run I stopped at the library and signed everyone up for the summer reading program. We will go together. They will explore independently. I will take my laptop and work. My team and I are setting up more auto systems in my business to minimize repetitive tasks.
Pro tip: Surround yourself with people who can support you in optimizing the most valuable time. Hire support when it makes sense to do so. This is a way to buy more time.
I bought lap desks for myself and my kids so we can sit on the couch together and work on our own projects. We will take breaks to go to the pool. These are just examples of possibilities to optimize the most valuable time without sacrificing other important time.
All summer my priorities will shift. Spending time with my kids is a big-picture valuable time theme, but sometimes that won’t be my most valuable time. They will benefit from time spent with others or alone time, and so will I. If I am proactive and spend enough time with them then the guilt will not be needed as it was last summer. It will no longer serve a purpose because I will know that I have filled that cup enough. Then I can simply process and release the thoughts that lead to feelings of guilt.
What’s Your Most Valuable Time?
Thoughts and feelings show up for a reason. It’s our job to become aware of them, listen, and determine what needs to be done. What thoughts and feelings ae you experiencing? What is your most valuable time right now? Are you happy with how you’re choosing to spend your time given your current circumstances? This is your opportunity to evaluate. If you are not satisfied with the data from that evaluation, you get to choose how to proceed.
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This blog post is about time (the most valuable time). Here are more blog posts related to the word ‘time’ (but not about the most valuable time) from other sites:
For Such a Time as This by Sharla Hallett
www.sharlahallett.com/for-such-a-time-as-this/
TIME to Pivot to Your Summer Rhythm – Tips for Creating an Intentional & Relaxed Summer by Lisa Crowder https://lisacrowder.substack.com/p/time-to-pivot-to-your-summer-rhythm
Traveling Back in Time: How to Inspire a 90’s Summer in 2024 by Jessica Haberman
https://storytellerfarm.com/traveling-back-in-time
Simple Is Better – When Time Doesn’t Stand Still by Dianne Vielhuber
https://simplewordsoffaith.com/2024/06/01/simple-is-better-when-time-doesnt-stand-still