More Time or Money? And the winner is?

More Time or Money?

And the winner is?

Tim Connor

Let me ask you a simple question . . . at first glance you might not think it’s that simple but here it is anyway – if you could have more money or more time which would you choose?  You can only have one.

Did your response come quickly or did you ponder it longer considering all of the consequences?

For example if you had more money but no more time – what could the outcomes be?  If you had more time but no more money – again lot’s of options here as well.

But, consider for a moment the larger scale of this question and how it would impact your future if you could choose one or the other.

If your answer was more money and not time.

How much money does it take to be happy, successful and/or contented?  Research over the years has indicated that very few wealthy people are really happy, so it would seem that money doesn’t buy happiness.  Yes, it can buy lots of stuff - some necessary and some just because you have convinced yourself you want it, need it or deserve it.  But, in the end relying on money or even more money won’t give you what you hope it will – contentment, satisfaction or even inner peace.

If this research is true, why do so many people spend so much of their time in life chasing after more money?  Is it ego, insecurity, control or some other emotional driver or attitude?

Security is a wonderful thing unfortunately money doesn’t guarantee it and never will.  You can lose everything in a heartbeat.

Relying on money or more money in my opinion is a senseless goal.  I’m not implying here that we should not work hard, save, invest or spend wisely to ensure that our needs are met.  What I’m saying is that it takes more than money to live a life worth living.

Having said this, if your answer was money, what would you do with it once you have it?  Spend it, invest it, give it away or hide it under the pillow?

If your choice was more money and not time, what would you do first with more money?   

Keep in mind you don’t know how much time you have left here.

If your answer was more time and not money.

We get twenty four hours a day – no more no less, but if your answer was time – the question is why?  Have you put things off during your life?  Do you need more time to see it all, do it all and learn it all?

Keep in mind I didn’t say how much time you will get – that’s just an arbitrary figure.  It could be weeks, months or years but does it really matter if you are wasting the time you have now?

No matter how hard you work or play there will never be enough time to do it all if your priorities or agendas are not in sync with your life goals, plans, dreams or desires.

I would like to have more time to travel, but I know I will never be able to see everything I want to so the questions is – what are the most important places I want to go and things I want to see?

This is the issue when we choose the more time option – what will you do with it?  Just continue to spend the extra time as you have in the past or get more focused and dedicated to doing and seeing what matters to you.

In summary – We all get the time we have – no more no less and none of us know how much time that will be so why do we wait to do some of the things that matter whether it is travel or just time with friends and family.

If more money was your answer ask yourself – how would this change my life, not your circumstances, but your life?

“This time, like all times , is a very good time-if we but know what to do with it.”

Emerson