We all manage money. Some do it well some do it poorly. Most people work and get paid on payday. Some are retired and get a check at the end of the month. In both cases you pay your bills, maybe save, and use the rest for what you desire. You do this knowing more money will come on the next payday.
But, what if it didn’t work that way? What if when you turned 18 you were given a debit card with a set amount of money for the rest of your life. That money is all you get, ever, and if you run out, you cannot get more. Well, in that case you would carefully manage your money. You would use it for necessities and selectively use the remaining for the most important life enhancing things and activities.
Well, that will never happen. The point is silly. Is it? What if I told you that is exactly what is happening with the most important currency you posses. That currency is time.
Every human is born with a life debit card. That card has time on it. Your card has anywhere from 1 minute to 122 years. We do not know how much time is on our debit card but we do know there is a limit. We do know the average life span for a male is 78 years and a female is 81 years. The problem with this debit card full of time is we can’t save it or buy more. It drains automatically from our card 1 second, 1 minute, 1 hour at time. Time ticks off whether we use the time wisely or waste it on activities that are frivolous, or on nothing at all.
“THIS IS YOUR LIFE AND IT IS ENDING ONE MINUTE AT A TIME” - Chuck Palahniuk
I watched a YouTube video by motivational speaker Prince AE. He spoke about an interview with elderly people at the end of their life. They were asked what they regret. They didn’t talk about what they did, they talked about what they wanted to do but never got started. Their debit card ran out before they fulfilled their dreams. They regretted wasting time.
How will you use the time you have left on your debit card? For me, realizing I have fallen into the trap of wasting many of my life’s credits, I have dedicated myself to using what I have left wisely. It starts with a stoic principle, “Own the Morning” Get up early and get going! Do not hit the snooze button. Do not choose the warmth of the covers over the opportunities of the day. If you want to have a productive day, have a productive morning, if you want to have a productive life, have productive days.
Here are 3 more of over 50+ Stoic and practical techniques I have adopted to make best use of my debit card.
Focus on what you can control. If something is important and it is part of my life’s goals, I give it 100%. If it is something out of my control, I give it no thought or action. Marcus Aurelius said “Ask yourself, is this essential?” If it is, do it, If it is not, don’t.
Meditate on your mortality every day. Sounds morbid but it works! Realizing that life is short and not to waste time, is something I must remind myself daily.
Say NO!! Everything you say yes to you
are buying with your life’s credits. If you say no, you are free up time for the essential.
You have just invested about 10 minutes of your life’s credits reading this? What now?
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