Break free from the time-money trap and live your life
What is time?
Einstein said:
“Time is relative; its only worth depends upon we do as it is passing”
We cannot touch time. We can see and experience it if we look at our watch. But it’s immaterial. Time can pass slowly or fast, depending on what we are doing. Therefore, it is hard to understand how it works.
At school, we learn that 60 seconds is 1 minute, and 1 year has 12 months. We embedded time as a mathematical value in our life.
What we don’t learn is how to use time and as it is passing, it is limited. Our life has limited days.
It’s impossible to get more time, but it’s possible to get more money. So why is it a rule of today’s society to exchange our time for cash? And to even accept low-paying jobs?
It’s good to overthink and rethink the rules of society. Why? If you want to get wealthy, you need to think like a rich person: they don’t exchange their time for money anymore. They let it work for them.
Society’s rules can be limiting. Maybe even on purpose. Because rich people need other people to work in their companies for less money.
“Time is a created thing. To say “I don’t have time” is to say “I don’t want to”.
— Lao Tzu
Your Time Is Worth Much More Than You Are Getting Paid
People are not confident. Do you also think that you are not worth more than what you are getting paid?
This is a negative mindset you established in your life.
Your days in this life are limited. Don’t waste it on some stupid, disrespectful boss with a useless project!
Your time is valuable and you should spend it carefully. Working 8 hours a day for a low-wage job is not worth it.
- Demand more because you deserve it!
- Search for a different job if they are not giving you what you are worth!
And this is not just about the salary, but about respect, a positive work environment, kindness, and a place to grow.
Getting stressed at work and then getting sick because of it will decrease your time left in this life too.
“Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.”
— Miles Davis
You Are Valuable
Not just your time is valuable, but also yourself.
Are you spending your limited days here on Earth like you want to?
If not:
- Rethink your previous decisions which brought you here
- What do you want to change now?
- What decisions can you make to live a better life starting now?
We spend a lot of time and money on things we don’t need because society tells us to. Do you need the latest version of the BMW? Do you need new clothes every few months? No, you don’t. And you pay for those things with your earned money = your time spent at work.
I was thinking about buying a new dress for a wedding I attended. I had enough at home but they are a few years old now.
What if I would have spent 150€ on this dress and my hourly salary is 15€? It means that I worked 10 hours for this dress, which I would wear once a year.
Not worth it.
Instead, I invest in myself and my future by buying an online course that improves my writing (you’re welcome 😉
Before Spending Money: Calculate How Long You Work For It
A good tip to stop you from buying new things is to calculate how long you worked for them. For the dress I wanted to buy, it would have been 10 hours.
Is it worth it?
I told myself no! Because I want to grow my online business and for that, I would need capital too.
It’s like time management: I set my priorities on what I will spend time on, and I’m delegating or deleting the rest. The same principles apply to prioritizing your expenses. You can choose!
Some couples prefer to go to concerts instead of spending it on expensive vacations. Some prefer fancy vacations instead of going out to dinner every week.
Set your own spending priorities and you will not get tempted again.
Live Like the Rich: Let Your Money Work For You
Wealthy people don’t have the rule to work hard in exchange for cash. Instead:
- They know what their hour is worth
- They let money work for them
- They know that time is valuable and they choose their priorities
They don’t find a compromise to exchange their time for money. They are confident in how much they are worth and demand it.
All the income they are generating they are investing in their future, in stocks, or are donating it.
The wealthy people who don’t want attention (which are the ones who are actually staying wealthy) are not spending it on a new Lamborghini to impress the neighbor.
No! They set their priorities of spending their money and days, and then live by them.
Expenses will be:
- Personal fitness trainer
- Nutrition coach
- Wellness vacations
- Trips with the family
They know that life is short. They are investing in themselves to live longer and to achieve more.
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”
— Michael Altshuler
Conclusion
Time is limited, money is not. Exchanging your time for a low-wage job is not the way you want to live your life.
Improve your self-confidence and your value! Demand a raise or move on!
But be aware to not just choose a job based on a salary. Being stressed or having an unkind boss is bad for your health and this can cost you more life than you are spending at work.
Take care of yourself!
Remind yourself how much time you have left. If your parents are 70 years old you gonna have around 10 Christmases left with them. Don’t miss out on them because of making money!
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