Time is money.
I listened to a helpful podcast this week. It was about leadership and productivity and goals. The guest, New York Times bestselling author Jon Acuff, said something intriguing and thought-provoking.
Acuff said when it comes to what is most important to us, “time is the only honest metric.”
Time is money. Every day we get a chance to spend our 24 hours like currency. Like the absolute treasure that it is. And Acuff asserts that time spent is the only accurate measurement of your values.
- How do you know if you really care about something? See how much time you give it.
- How do you know if you really want something? See how much time you give it.
- How do you know if something is really important to you? See how much time you give it.
Simple as that.
And also not so simple.
Because I don’t really care about Netflix or Instagram. And yet, I’ll devote hours of attention there if I’m not careful. What’s up with that? What’s up is: I’m actually caring about something else.
I think it is a very helpful (and terrifying) exercise to answer truthfully: Where do I spend my time and…what does that reveal about what I truly value?
- When I scroll my phone mindlessly, I actually reveal a deep value for relaxation and comfort and distraction.
- When I reach for a bag of chips or hit the snooze button, I reveal basically the same thing. Ouch.
However,
- When I garden, I reveal a deep value for beauty and nutrition and creation.
- When I exercise, I reveal a deep value for my health and strength and body.
- When I read, I reveal a deep value for knowledge and wisdom and story.
Where do you spend your time? Your purest currency? Your greatest treasure?
Or, conversely: what do you value most–and is it properly reflected in the amount of time you’re giving to it?
We can say we value our family and friends, that we really want to write a book or start a hobby or a company someday. We can say we want to get in shape or run a marathon, or start getting enough sleep. We can say that we want to feel closer to the Lord or volunteer more. But if we don’t carve out time for those things, do we actually value them?
And also, we can waste hours and hours or years and years on lesser things. What does your use of time reveal about you care about most?
These questions are formidable but important. We all want to live the best life we can, investing in the things that matter most. It’s wise to examine how we’re doing.
Because when it comes to our values, I agree with Jon. “Time is the only honest metric.”
Especially since a few centuries earlier, Jesus said something similar.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
Make the most of today!
