What can we do to value our time more?
Some of us may have heard someone say, “There’s not enough hours in the day.” Some may be in agreement with the person that said that, and others would rebuke that idea simply because that could mean longer hours and more stress. Sometimes time can feel like it’s going against us. After work most end up spending time on activities that drain whatever energy they had left and then only have the energy to eat sleep and repeat the process the next day. Then there are others who get off of work and decide to Netflix and chill because they have the time to do so.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day, its how we spend that 24 hours that is important. During the pandemic there’s been some conversations about valuing time more. Time is not something that we want to be wasting especially since we can’t earn the lost time back. What can we do to value our time more? Here are 10 ways we can do that.
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1. Take not knowing when our last day on earth is seriously.
All of us want to live a long life and be able to meet our kids and grandkids and spend time with family. However, we don’t know when our last day on earth will be. I’m not saying to wake up every day with anxiety that it could possibly be your last. What I am saying is that we should at least take life and pursuing our dreams and goals seriously so that if we were to pass, we would have left a positive impact on our family and those close to us.
2. Family issues outside the main household aren’t ours to fix.
We can sometimes fall victim to being the family doctor, financier, school advisor, counsellor, etc. Due to our love for family, we try our best to help fix any and every problem that comes up, even if it has nothing to do with us. Some of these things can include solving family feuds, providing counsel on various topics, even taking care of family members financially. This includes helping with behavioral and emotional issues as well. We invest time into trying to help the family member that really needs to seek professional help. If someone is lashing out at you and has anger issues, it’s not our job to help fix them but encourage them to seek the help they need. One thing that I’m sure we’ve learned as adults is people have to want to change in order to change effectively. If not, then your time and efforts to help are in vain.
3. We can’t pass down that office space…unless we own it.
There’s nothing wrong with working a 9-5 job. However, we can not pass down the office space we work in unless we own it. Generating a plan to create wealth or pass something down to our children is vital. In the Black community, I’m sure that we have seen the wealth gap statistics. History has played a major role in that, but we can create a plan to build wealth and pass down equity. Not passing down anything to the next generation is part of the reason why the wealth gap is what it is.
4. Free Time = Growth Time
What do we do with our free time? Do we binge watch shows? Go to the mall to shop? Go hang out with friends? When we find free time, spending it on things that can help us grow can help us value that time more. When are we watching TV, are we watching things that will help us improve? When we go to the mall and purchase something is it something that can help us grow? When we hang out with friends, are we just talking about sports, a Netflix series and “opin-news?” Or are we talking about how we can get better and grow? Free time is a great time to invest in our growth.
5. Work on our mental health
Our minds are one of the most valued treasures in this world. Taking care of it is vital. Working on our mental health can save us time from going back and forth to the doctor. Working on our mental health help us to move forward from things that have affected us in the past. There is nothing wrong with seeking help through therapy. In the black community sometimes counseling and therapy can be seen as unnecessary and looked down on, but there is nothing wrong with therapy or counseling. Do what is best for you and your family.
6. Take care of our bodies
Eating healthy and working out can reduce the number of times we need to go to the doctor. We all know that excess junk food is not good for us. The same thing can be said about heavy drinking. Incorporating fruits and vegetables in our diet can help our bodies to get some of the essential nutrients it needs to function properly. Also exercising is also a great way to take care of our bodies. We don’t all have to be body builders but being in shape is not only great for just our bodies, but our minds as well.
7. Be more honest with our friends
Some of us have a friend that makes excuses as to why they haven’t worked on certain areas of their life. Some of these areas can include bettering finances, working on credit, working to salvage a relationship with their loved ones, or even starting a side hustle or business. We have to make sure that we are honest with our friends and that we all hold ourselves and each other accountable. Keeping each other accountable is a way we can help build each other up. So, the next time your friend complains about not having enough time to do “xyz” knowing they haven’t put in the time they should, just send them a gentle reminder that they could be using their time more wisely.
8. TV doesn’t pay us to watch it but watching things on TV to improve our wellbeing pays us in knowledge.
I remember early last year when I used to watch TV for so long that the episodes, I watched earlier in the day would begin to repeat. There’s nothing wrong with watch a little TV here and there to take a mental break, but to watch TV for hours watching other people living their dreams while we aren’t isn’t a comfortable feeling not to mention a waste of valuable time. While certain shows can give us a better perspective on life, or teach us a new skill, we need to remember to invest time in ourselves and striving towards the dreams and goals we have.
9. Have money work for us
One of the biggest myths is the harder you work the more you will be compensated. I believed this for some time, then I entered the workforce and reality hit me…hard. I quickly realized that even though I worked hard, I was not necessarily seeing my salary match my work ethic. I also realized that most people who were wealthy don’t “work” for their money, they have their money work for them. Now this isn’t as easy as it sounds, however, if we were to keep our expenses low and make wise investments, we can see our money grow. If you don’t know what compound interest is, I think it’s a good time to learn.
10. Don’t be afraid to ask for more money or a promotion.
If you’ve been working for years and haven’t gotten a raise, don’t feel afraid to ask for one. If you have had great evaluations and you are seen as an “asset” to your job, a great way to be compensated is by a raise or promotion. Some jobs will know that you are good at what you do and will try to keep you in the same position to keep their expenses low. Our time and energy are valuable, and we shouldn’t allow our jobs to overwork and underpay us.
Thank you for reading my post “What can we do to value our time more?”. Time is valuable and we have to make sure that we are not wasting it on things that don’t add value. Are there any other things that we can add to the list? Have you struggled with using your time wisely? If so, what have you done to get better? Please feel free to comment below. Also, if this post can help someone, feel free to share and if you are new to Millennial Oaks please subscribe 😊!