Time and Money: There’s Never Enough

One of my favorite lines from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) is from Grandpa George: “There’s plenty of money out there. They print more and more every day. But that ticket? There are only five of them in the whole world, and that’s all there’s ever going to be! Only a dummy would give this up for something as common as money. Are you a dummy??”

If only money was a common thing! Yet we tend to be just like Grandpa George in rationalizing purchases in the spur of the moment, while not really being sure if that was the right decision five minutes later. There are so many variables to consider. Why wouldn’t we choose the path of least resistance?

Our lives can become incredibly hectic, making it challenging to think critically or research alternative solutions in the moment. It’s so easy to over commit our time and money, creating even more stress and anxiety.

Being more mindful of how our time and money are used each day can bring clarity and greatly improve our ability to make decisions in line with our goals. This journey begins with identifying what matters most to you. Some people find it helpful to keep a journal to capture ideas, dreams and images. Others find a vision board helpful.

Once you have a few ideas to get you started. the next critical step is to track how you use your time and money. Just like a fitness or nutrition tracker, it will only be as good as the information you track. Over time you will begin to notice patterns and habits. Some may be helping you accomplish what you want, while others may be slowing you down.

Only you get to decide where to go from there. You choose what is most important and what changes are needed to get there. Your journey will be a balancing act of exchanging time for money and money for time.