Why do we so often optimize for money over time. We almost always do it, but why?
I know I’m guilty of it.
Time Is Finite, Money Isn’t
This really doesn’t make sense because time is finite. Whether we like it or not, our time on this planet is going to end someday. We are all going to die at some point.
There’s no getting around it. Now, we may be able to delay our death by living a healthy lifestyle, catching disease early, having great medical treatment, etc. We won’t be able to stop it, though, as much as we might try.
Yet with this inevitably, we still make decisions prioritizing money over time. Doing things like working until 9:00 at night while the kids have long since played their soccer game and gone to bed, or staying in a line of work simply for what we perceive to be a more secure future.
The Realization
What we need to realize, though, is that there is no “forever” with money. Yes, I firmly believe we need to create the best future possible for ourselves and our family. I also know that the future isn’t endless because it eventually ends for all of us.
That “forever home” or “lifetime financial plan” will end.
This post is not to say you shouldn’t invest or plan for the future. All of those things are essential and can’t be ignored.
If you have just one takeaway from this post, I want it to be to make time your driving force in any decision you make. If you’re already investing 20% or more of your income and have a chance to do something amazing, do it.
Or if you want your kids to experience something before they grow out of that interest, do it.
Stretching to reach a 37% savings rate versus 34% at the expense of missing an experience with your family or friends seems remarkably shortsighted and not something I want to do.
