I was riding the New York City train yesterday and noticed an ad for a service like TaskRabbit that simply read, “Time is Money.”
But it’s not. This is one of the biggest money myths in the world and it is holding a lot of people back.
Time Isn’t Money
Money and time are not equal. Time is energy. Money is something. A person’s quality of life is determined by this factor. Both are human inventions that have a lot of meaning. It’s important to consider the implications of what we create and how it shapes our understanding of the world. They have power over us. We have the power to make our own decisions.
This thing that moves each day is time. We can’t control time, but it’s still a powerful force in our lives. It is a word that we use to measure our lives and the world around us. Time should not be taken for granted. It’s a benchmark.
The energy that pulls us all forward is called time. It is up to us to make the most of the time we have. Tracking it on a sundial is a process designed by humans. Humans have been using various tools to track time for centuries, and the accuracy of these tools has only improved over time.
As I’ve written before, money is infinite but time is not. You can always go out and get a part-time job or start a side hustle, but you’ll never be able to get back to this moment or this day. The value of time is diminished by equating the two. There is no substitute for time.
And it also undermines the importance of passive investing, of building passive income streams, which I believe really is the primary goal of personal finance.
Investing and Passive Income Disrupt the Money/Time Relationship
We all know that if you invest, whether it’s in real estate, stocks, bonds, businesses, or whatever else a person can invest in, the goal of investing is for your money to make money.
To make money without having to trade any of your time frees up your time to ultimately do things that are more important to your happiness.
Just as with most personal finance strategies, the best investing strategy is by no means rocket science. It’s simple:
- Make as much money as you can
- Keep your expenses low
- Invest the difference
- The more you invest and the more frequently you invest, the faster your money will compound and make you more money
- You can earn money in your sleep. There are lots of investment opportunities that can be made with passive income. You are no longer trading time for money. You can pursue your dreams now that you have the freedom.
We end up believing that time is money in our culture. Relationships and experiences can be lost due to this mindset.
If we use our time to do things that bring us greater happiness, we would lead happier lives. The focus on money and material success leads to an unfulfilling lifestyle which detracts from the joy and happiness that life can offer. We end up wasting our time if we manage our wealth poorly. We can either manage our wealth wisely so that we can enjoy financial freedom, or we can take a less disciplined approach and put ourselves in a position of vulnerability later on.
More Money Isn’t Always Better Than Time
Many people making good money are stressed out. Having more money doesn’t mean you have less stress. They either don’t like the work or they feel like they’ve worked so hard for their careers that now that they’ve made it to the top, they have to try to stay there and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Many people who have achieved success in their careers feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, but they can also experience feelings of anxiety or pressure to maintain their success.
I met Dan last year. He told an interesting story about how he traveled around the country on his motorbike. Dan has more money than he will ever need, but he keeps working while lamenting that “I wish I had more time to spend with my boys.” He went on:
“NOW THAT I’M MAKING SO MUCH MONEY, WHY WOULD I WANT TO STOP?”
He could spend more time with his kids if he stepped off the treadmill. He knows that family should be his priority, but he’s been too caught up in the rat race to make a change. He has all the money he could ever want, and his time is a finite resource. It is important for him to use his time wisely.
Still, I’ve met many people over the past several years who say the exact same thing to me: “I wish I had more time with my kids.” They don’t accept it when I tell them they can move to a smaller house or outside of town and get rid of their two cars, or just take a part-time job, or just a reasonable full-time job. I explain that having a balanced lifestyle would create more financial stability and freedom.
Instead, my suggestions are almost always followed up with, “Well we don’t have enough money.” Even though they are making money, they don’t have time. They are struggling to make ends meet and need a solution.
I would like people to value their time more. Time should not be taken for granted.
I don’t understand it. Can you explain it in a different way to me? Many people make huge trade-offs for money when they sleep.
Many people who could easily make a couple of shifts in their lives in order to have a life they would probably enjoy a lot more would have to take a pay cut. They are hesitant to do so because of the financial risks.
No one wants to take a pay cut. Sometimes taking a pay cut is the best option for one’s financial situation. The permanent opportunity cost of the finite resource is time. We must make the most of our time, no matter what challenges we face in life, even if it means sacrificing other things for the sake of making the most out of it.
Give Yourself Permission to Do Nothing, Not Chase Money
When you need to rest and reset, time is not money. Taking time for yourself is important for maintaining your mental and physical health, so make sure you take breaks when needed. I used to fill my time trying to make money, but in retrospect I should have prioritized time for myself. Taking time for myself helps me to be more productive and successful, as it helps me to take care of my mental and physical health.
By “time for myself,” The process of checking in with my health and well-being is what I mean. It can involve both physical and mental health assessments, which helps me to identify any potential issues before they become serious. We all move so fast. We often forget to appreciate the present moment. It can be hard to make time for yourself. Setting aside time for yourself on a regular basis is important.
It is very difficult to stop and reset during a single weekend or a few weeks of vacation each year. Taking time for yourself away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life is important for giving your body and mind a chance to recuperate. It’s officially been a year since I left the corporate world and started my corporate detox.
I have learned that it takes an immense amount of time to de-stress after being in an intense environment. Taking the time to prioritize self-care and relaxation is an important step in the process of de-stressing. It truly has taken me almost an entire year to recover from burnout.
It takes a long time to slow down when you go 120 miles an hour. Some people can. It takes a lot of hard work to become an expert. I didn’t find that 10 or 20 minutes of meditation a day would give me the rest I needed. Taking time out for myself and committing to a regular meditation practice was the best way for me to stay rested and relaxed. It doesn’t reset me. I didn’t know how to move forward.
I always felt stressed out. I knew I had to do something to reduce the stress in my life. My mind was not settled. I couldn’t get comfortable in the bed.
I went on a nice weekend trip to Michigan. The trip was enjoyable and I can’t wait to go back. I was hoping it would provide the space and time I needed to decompress and come back fresh on a Either Monday or Tuesday. I don’t know which day I’ll get the job done, but it will be either Monday or Tuesday. My mind wasn’t able to stop, but that rarely happened. I couldn’t move forward because I was constantly worrying and ruminating on the same thoughts.
Change the More Money Mindset
We are probably going to be stressed if we are in a stressed environment. It’s important to take time for ourselves and create a space that is free from stress where we can relax. When you are around people who are stressed, you feel stressed yourself. You can’t control how other people act, but you can control how you respond to them.
It has taken me a year to really understand the methods of unraveling and giving myself time and space to exist and be open to a world that is truly a privilege. It has been a rewarding experience to take the time to appreciate all that I have.
If I only took three months off during my corporate period, I might not have achieved this space and time. It’s clear that taking time off to focus on my personal and professional goals has paid off. Is that enough for me?
I don’t think it would have happened. It would have been different if I had made a different decision. It takes months and months to relax and calm those stress reactions because our minds move so fast. To get back to a place of peace and tranquility, it is important to slow down and be aware in the moment.
We are living in a world of burnout and it is pushing our minds and bodies to the max. In order to maintain our health and wellbeing, we need to take time for ourselves and prioritize self-care. Seeking financial independence by trading your time for cash over and over adds to your stress. It is possible to alleviate some of the stress associated with burnout by having a plan for generating passive income.
Passion is Money
I want to find ways to help people manage money and form a relationship with money that will allow them more time and space in their life. I believe that a secure financial future is something that everyone should be able to work towards and achieve, regardless of their current circumstances.
What do you do with the time and space? It is possible to use it to do whatever you want; focus on yourself, your personal goals, or just relax and enjoy the peace. Good question! I am in the process of discovering that for myself.
I am experiencing new things. I wouldn’t have been able to cultivate the things I’m currently experiencing and the amount of peace I’ve created in the high-pressure world I previously lived in as I created more time and space in my life. I am thankful for the journey that led to where I am today.
How to make money and use that asset to live a life you love is a challenge. Understanding how to make the most of your money is the key to success.
Maybe it means moving from full-time to part-time work, or finding a less stressed job, those are things I never did and never considered. I’m excited to explore all of the possibilities now that I know I have the power to make changes in my life.
I was on all the time. I was never able to take a break from work. I admire people who have balance in their lives. I have always struggled with that. I want to find a way to overcome it.
Time is Not Money: Final Thoughts
I think it’s a good idea to stop thinking about time as if it’s money, because that undermines the power of both time and money to make more money for you. Time and money are valuable resources to help you reach your goals and should be treated as such. Building wealth can be done through passive income, investing, or any other form. No matter what stage of life you are in, it is important to take the necessary steps to build wealth.
When you say time is money, you are quantifying time. This is a statement that holds true for almost everyone, no matter their profession or lifestyle. Both concepts are on equal footing. Both concepts should be given equal consideration.
We know that time is finite. Let’s make the most of it. You can not get it back. It’s gone forever when something is lost. You can always try to make more money if you lose money. You can’t make up for lost time if you spend it in a bad way. A side hustle is a part-time job. You can do anything to get that money back. Don’t wait until it’s too late to take action, the sooner you start, the better your chances of recovering what is lost are. You are not going to get the moment back.
We should stop talking about time as money. They are both very different things. It’s important to understand the difference between them. Let’s focus on both and use them to our advantage. Rather than choosing one over the other, we should look for opportunities to combine them.
