“Money and time are the heaviest burdens of life, and . . . the unhappiest of all mortals are those who have more of either than they know how to use.”
Money and time are both burdens and resources. In my personal experience, and in working with clients, I find those who struggle with one, usually struggle with both. When I was in the depths of my money dis-ease, I lived in money fog and underearned. I also had no time. I was compulsively busy. From the time I got up until I went to bed, I was scheduled to be doing something. There was no room for spontaneity, no freedom. Much of the time not working was spent on personal growth and recovery. Several times I pushed myself to exhaustion and illness, which forced me to slow down. Oddly when my time was so structured, I had no structure, no plan with my spending.
I work with clients who want financial recovery. They claim it is a priority, but they struggle to keep scheduled meetings with me, and to do the work required between sessions. Some continue to work with me because if they didn’t have a scheduled appointment, they wouldn’t do the work. When they develop the habit of looking at their money – income and spending – on a weekly basis, I know they are moving toward recovery.
I can’t yet imagine what it would be like to have more money than I could use. At my age, I am focused on increasing the financial security for my own future and contributing to my communities. I am better at balancing my time. I have time each week (ok, most weeks) that is not scheduled. This allows me to adjust to my current needs – for work, reflection and growth, rest, and recreation.
Are your time and money in balance?
Is your time or money a burden?
