Time Investment
Statement: “I don’t have time for that.”
Translation: “I choose not to invest time in that.”
The outcome of this decision is a tradeoff and, depending upon the importance of the matter, could represent an opportunity lost.
Time is finite and not recyclable; when used up for one thing, it will never be available for another.
In our 24/7/365 world, we are confronted with greater demands for our attention than time available to satisfy them all. Rather than thinking of the selection process as Time Management, about which plenty has been said and written, I find it useful instead to view it as Time Investment. The reality is that we cannot manage time; we can only decide how to use it and therefore viewing it as an investment increases perceived value as we spend it.
The endless list of tasks to perform, some of them perceived as Urgent by us or others, will quickly consume all waking hours if allowed to expand unchecked. They will cannibalize your calendar and leave no space for the Important activities in which you could otherwise invest. If that becomes the stated reason you “don’t have time for that”, future value has been sacrificed for shallow consumption.
Realization that we cannot do or have it all is an important first step in gaining control over where you choose to invest your time. Identifying your most Important priorities is the next one; this analysis should include both Personal and Professional Investments of time; a crucial aspect of this assessment is projecting and appreciating the long-term value of making such investments.
Being clear about how much time and effort you will invest regularly in the Important should find its way into appropriate time blocks on your calendar and be vigorously protected. Long-term value can never appreciate above the principal amount of your incremental investments.
Making thoughtful decisions to invest time wisely is to Maximize the Moment!
