Classic “Money Rules” Applied to TIME

FIRE is not a single point in time. It’s a lifestyle. If you follow a basic set of money rules it will lead to a financially successful life.

The same thing can be said about TIME. To me, 5am is not a single point in time, or a number on a clock face. It’s a lifestyle. Similar to FIRE, following a simple set of time rules will lead to a satisfying and life well spent.

I’ve written before about how the Pay Yourself First rule is similar to getting up early each day. (I pay the first few hours of every day to ME, not others – more here). It doesn’t matter if it’s 5am, 6am or 7… Paying yourself first each morning ensures you never lose out on personal time.

So this got me thinking…. What other classic money rules can we apply to TIME?

 

Applying “Money Rules” to TIME

 

Money Rule:	Equivalent TIME Rule:
Track your spending	Track your time
Create a budget → follow it!	Create a to-do or goal list → follow it!
Always max out your 401k	Always max out your vacation time
Don’t buy shit you don’t need	Don’t waste time on dumb stuff
Donate to charity / Tithe	Volunteer and give time to others
Diversify, diversify, diversify!	Always try new experiences!
Invest early, invest often	Don’t wait. Do stuff while you’re young
You can’t predict a market crash, it could be tomorrow.	You can’t predict when you’re gonna die, it could be tomorrow!

 

Tracking Your Time:

Just like your finances… Create a nerdy spreadsheet and track what you do each hour of the day. Start by gathering a full month of data, and tally up the results. If you’ve never done this before, I promise you the results will be sobering!

Next, compare all of your hours spent with your priorities in life.

How much time do you spend driving each week? How much time do you spend watching TV and movies? What about time spent browsing social media?

Is there a way you can cut down on the activities that don’t add real value to your life? Perhaps you can re-allocate chunks of useless hours to more meaningful activities.

 

Always Max Out Your P.T.O. and Vacation Benefits

Have you ever heard someone bragging about being a workaholic and how they never take any vacation time? To me, they sound just as dumb as a person who says they don’t invest in their company’s 401(k) plan.

Employers put benefits in place so that you can use them! They want you to (and are paying you to) invest in personal experiences, invest in your family, invest in travel, and invest in your own happiness outside of work. PTO is time you can’t get back. Use it!

When you’re on your deathbed, will you be bragging about how hard you worked and how you never took a vacation?… Nope – it’ll likely be the opposite. The #2 regret of dying people is: “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard “.

 

You Need a Budget = You Need a To-Do List:

Experts say there are about 60,000 thoughts that go in/out of our heads every single day.

If we write 1 of them down, it sends a tiny alert ⚠️ up to our brain that says “this 1 thought is more important than the other 59,999!”.

To-do lists and written goals are more likely to be achieved than invisible thoughts. It’s not a made up saying, it’s a fact. Just like budgets that are created and reviewed constantly are more likely to lead to financial success.

 

Consumer Mentality and Procrastination:

Most people spend money on things they don’t really need. Fancy stuff might give them instant gratification, but more often than not it burdens them in the long run.

Same with wasting time. Most impulse activities may feel good immediately, but aren’t counting towards meaningful results and memories in life. Everyone does it. We all “waste” time in one way or another.

Procrastination is kind of like impulse spending. Too much social media or TV is like impulse spending. Feels great when we do it… but it only delays our greatness in other meaningful areas of life.

 

Diversify = Variety is the Spice of Life!

Try anything and everything you can. Say yes to as many new experiences and opportunities that open up to you. Live life to the fullest!

 

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

 

Volunteer Once in a While:

Growing up, my parents taught me to give 10% of my income to charity. While the amount I give has varied from year to year, I’ve never stopped donating and sharing my wealth.

But until earlier this year, I never volunteered or donated my time. It was always easier to just give money away. So, this summer I signed up for a local Meals on Wheels organization in Los Angeles. I only volunteer 1 day a week, and it’s been an interesting experience. I wrote a few stories here if you’re interested.

Volunteering has made me happier, more appreciative of what I have in life, and I get to witness the immediate effect it has on fellow humans.

 

Protect and Respect for Other People’s Time:

Would you steal $10 out of someone’s wallet if they weren’t watching? Of course you wouldn’t. Because thieving is selfish and you wouldn’t want someone to steal money from you.

What about stealing time? It’s only fair to respect other people’s time as much as you protect and respect your own. Some ancient cultures believe that “time is life”. When you disrespect or waste someone’s time, you are essentially stealing some of their life.

 

“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.”
– Ben Franklin

 

Rules Are More Like Guidelines:

Nobody is a perfect investor, just as nobody is a perfect time manager. As I wrote this post I reflected and realize I violate most of these time and money rules – frequently! I guess all I can do is keep learning from my past mistakes and always try my best going forward.

What time management rules do you follow? Please share them with me!