It’s easy for me to think about my hours in terms of dollars. I currently charge an hourly rate, so it’s natural to think about my time as money.
At first, it was just a business-minded strategy. When I am working, if I can minimize time between clients, then less of my potential earning time is wasted. I hated driving far away to see clients because it felt like I had willingly lowered my hourly rate.
As much “business sense” as this makes, I started thinking this way about a lot of things. Was it worth it for me to DIY something? Not if the number of hours required multiplied by my hourly rate exceeded purchasing it. Was it worth it for me to offer a favor to someone for free? Obviously not, because I charge an hourly rate, so the favor would be worth $xxx. Instead of doing something for free, I told myself, I could be making money instead.
My hourly rate was starting to take over my understanding of the value of my time. My hours began to become too precious for much else– and as idle time ticked away, it felt as though my savings were falling into deficit. I was taking the idea of opportunity cost way too seriously.
Here’s the problem with thinking about my time on an hourly-wage basis: I forget that what happens during that time can be priceless.
[Tweet “The problem with equating time with money: I forget that what happens during that time is precious. via @daisylinshih “]
My time spent making something with my own hands is valuable– not just for the end product, but for the creativity and learning that goes into it.
My time spent helping someone for free is also valuable– not just to that person, but to me as I use my professional skills to the mere benefit of another person.
My time spent rejuvenating my mind, laughing with my husband, or listening to music is not wasted time– if I allow it to, it could meet the needs of my tired body and spirit.
In other words, I can spend my time in ways that money could never buy.
It all comes down to intentionality
Give anyone $50.00, and they’ll have exactly that– $50.00. But give anyone a free hour, and there are a million things that hour might mean for them.
Money is money, and it can be spent well or squandered. But time is what we live in, and what we really own. How we spend our time depends on whether we have committed to living by our priorities.
I’ve committed to thinking about my time less as business capital and more as a space in which I can be intentional. This is because I believe there is much to be valued in life that money cannot buy.
Money cannot buy me good friendships; I will have to use my time intentionally and lovingly.
Money cannot buy me insight; I will have to give myself time to think and pray over my experiences.
Money cannot buy me compassion; I will have to stretch myself by giving time to causes that matter.
Money cannot buy me maturity; I will have to choose humility and learn lessons from my mistakes.
Money cannot buy me creativity; I will have to use my hands to make, build, and write.
Money cannot buy me courage; I will have to practice it in all my endeavors, whether I am being paid or not.
Money is neither my god nor my ultimate goal
Jesus himself said it: “You cannot serve God and money.”
The truth is, you cannot devote yourself to more than one of anything— because that one thing shapes the way you see everything else. I can attest to this, because I was beginning to see my time through the lens of my business, and it was draining each moment of its immense value and potential.
Regardless of how hard I work, I don’t have to believe that every hour I have on earth is a money-making opportunity.Â
Instead, I can believe that every hour has the potential for eternal difference to be made; lives to be changed; bonds to be broken; hearts to be made whole.
I would rather commit myself to that, instead of measuring each minute of my life by an hourly wage.
Are you tempted to equate your time with money?
[Tweet “Why I no longer equate my time to dollars: it’s worth so much more than that. via @daisylinshih”]
Oh, and it’s my birthday! I’m 25 today. Read on about my gift to you.
To thank you for being a reader and follower of this blog, which turned one year old last month, I want to offer my own gift in gratitude. I wish I could give every reader a gift, because my time on this blog has been sweetened by your presence and enhanced by your engagement. Thank you.
As a birthday gift, I would like to offer you $25 to Noonday Collection. I met several women who work for Noonday while we were volunteering at Casa Victoria in Ecuador. Noonday partners with artisans all around the world to bring beautiful, sustainable jewelry to clients in the US and beyond. Artisans who partner with Noonday often have amazing stories of survival and redemption, and of course they create gorgeous pieces like I have seen nowhere else!
I selected Noonday because I believe in their mission to not only bring resources to impoverished areas, but to support local entrepreneurs and creatives who are fighting for a place in the international marketplace. Plus, I believe that jewelry is a great way to spice up a small wardrobe, which of course I’m all about!
**If you’re not interested in jewelry and you win this giveaway, I will donate $25 to a non-profit of your choice!**
*This giveaway is not in collaboration with Noonday Collection.
I am clearly catching up on all your posts today! First I think it’s so cool our birthdays are in September! Such a good month! 🙂 And second, this is such an amazing approach to money making and time. So truthful and insightful. I loved what you said about money not being able to buy any of those things…creativity, courage, insight, friendships, compassion. Yes, so true. Lately in my life, there has been a lot of discussion around money in various contexts, and it’s so good to get perspective on it. It’s a balance between being practical and providing for yourself but also knowing that money is not an end goal. Money without a purpose or goal is essentially worthless and can be destructive. Thanks for the inspiration to make me fight for time, energy and intentionality for what is most important in life!
Thank you, friend!! I really appreciate you reading along and sharing your thoughts here.
Thank you so so much Laura!! Your point about the to-do list is so good– all of us have endless lists, so we just have to be intentional about what we allow to command our daily lives. The decision to be present can be difficult but so worth it.
Thank you Elise!! 🙂
Thank you so much, Catherine!
It’s a great decision to outsource work that isn’t as enjoyable… the time we get in return to pursue what we love is precious!
And I agree about cooking and baking at home; something I love as well!
Thank you Betsy. Being able to really enjoy your tasks is admirable, I’m still working on that! 😉 And I do thrive on small chunks of spontaneity– I find that I get to meet my real needs in those moments!
Thank you so much Kat!! You are so sweet, I had a good day even for a Monday! 😉
Exactly! Time is more valuable and everyone has the same amount of it. Thank you, Carly! xx
Thanks friend! 🙂
Thank you so much Jules! I am so excited for your new business and blog. I’ve definitely needed to remind myself that my time does not have to translate into dollars, but the learning experience, and the chance to be creative, are rewards in themselves.
Oh I love your mom’s quote and that is exactly how I think! So many money-making jobs are meaningless… or even harmful to the world. When I think of my time as an opportunity to make a difference, the dollar amount slips away into insignificance.
Thank you so much, friend! 🙂 And I am so with you on laughing, resting, and investing/loving on others. Best use of time in my opinion!
That’s so exciting Joanne!
That is fabulous, Nina! I’m excited to see where this next year takes you!
Yes! Spending that face-to-face time is a blessing!
Thank you so much, friend! 🙂
Yes! I was raised to think that too. I think in some scenarios, money can buy us more minutes. But minutes don’t have to translate into dollars, sometimes they can mean something much more than dollars. Thank you so much for reading! I’ve loved seeing motherhood through your eyes!
You are so right, Sarah! Our true priorities are revealed by our real-life choices, and I am so excited for you that you’re living by your priorities right now. And thank you! 🙂
Thank you so much, Brittany! It was a good day– even for a Monday! 😉
I can totally see what you mean about Dan’s job. There’s always the option to be working, so we in fact do have to choose *not* to work, and to choose something else. I’m so glad that the two of you can make that choice together. It’s a challenge!
Thanks Adriana! Yes, we love watching movies in our house too!
Thank you for reading, Tayrina! 🙂 Time with my family is precious too.
Exactly. Thank you for reading, Alyssa! Purpose over paycheck– everyday.
Thank you Marcella! That means a lot to me, and I LOVE their jewelry!
Thank you so much Sarah!!
I agree! My husband and I can also choose to work all the time, so we set aside time for meals and chatting over coffee.
Thank you Mica, you are so sweet! Yes, money definitely can distort our vision of almost everything.
Thank you so much Jennifer! You are so kind. Thanks for entering too! 🙂
Happy 25th Birthday! How wonderful of you to give us a present on your birthday!
You have quite a good point. Bravo for cherishing yourself, and your time more than mere money.
Happy, happy birthday my friend! I think your blog post for the day is really a testimony to your character and how much I appreciate you in the blog world. Thank you for sharing this, especially on your birthday! For me, quality time is putting people first and veering away from my never-ending to-do list. Yes, things need to get done, but being present with those around me takes precedence.
Happy birthday, Daisy!!!
I think it’s two fold. For instance, my husband gladly resources out for the coding portion of his jobs. He could do it (and has) but he would much rather spend his time on the thing he loves the most (designing and marketing) while providing work for other people.
Even though cooking and baking from scratch does take me slightly longer it brings me joy and I wouldn’t want to cut that corner.
Happy Birthday!!!
So well said, Daisy. Although time is one of the most important things that we have in life, it is easy to forget and let our days waste away right before our eyes. For me, using my time well means to simply enjoy most of the tasks that I have each day. To be scheduled but also allow some margin for spontaneity and fun.
Love this post! I fall into this trap way too often. And, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! If your day is even half as wonderful as you are, I know it will be great. 🙂
xoxo
Kat
As you said, money is not worth the same as time. Our time is and always will be more valuable. Have a wonderful birthday Daisy! xxx
A very happy birthday to you! And well said, time to me is priceless!
Beautifully said! I need to remind myself of this as I am starting a
business and blog on the side which I truly care about, and making goodies
and figuring out how to price them, while keeping my day job (for now).
Thanks for your honesty. Hope your birthday is fantastic, Daisy! 🙂
Yes, yes, yes. Money…really is not worth the value we tend to put on it. Time is so much more valuable–and many things we invest our time into are really of little financial value. My grandpa recently asked what my salary is these days (that’s the sort of person he is, he asks the awkward questions)…and I didn’t want to tell him, because, I felt a little embarrassed by my income as a college educated person. My Mom encourage me with the words–“When what you’re doing is worth doing even when you don’t get a cent…then you know it’s exactly what you need to do.” And that’s how I feel about my daily life, and I’m so grateful for that.
I loved this post! It is so true, thinking of our time as money totally can skew our view of the world. It impacts the people we spend time with and the things we do. It is such a good reminder to remember that time is a gift and a joy! We need to use it to laugh, to rest, to invest, to love, and to focus on the things that really matter. Happy Birthday sweet friend!!
Birthdays are wonderful, I love it when mine rolls around, we just celebrated my precious first born’s 30th
This was so good to read as I have started freelancing!
Looking my husband or kiddos in the eye and spending quality time with them.
HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY Daisy! I hope you are having a lovely day my friend 🙂 I adored this post too, it’s something I find myself slipping into the mindset of as well. This is a great reminder to me!
So so hard to think away from this. ): I, along with many others, were raised to think the old “Time is money,” phrase. I couldn’t agree with you more that there can’t possibly be a price on time. It’s so precious and having a daughter really opened my eyes to just how precious it is. I’m happy to say I no longer think that way. Time is more so about having it, and it being there for me to enjoy, to be thankful for. (:
http://www.accordingtokiki.net
Spending my time is all about priorities. As a stay at home mom to two toddlers, family has to come first, and so does my marriage! There are a lot of things I want to say YES to right now, but I’m not in the right season. So I just embrace what I’ve got going right now, and choose very wisely what “extra” time I have to spend 😉 Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Happy birthday to you, friend! I hope your day is full of joy!!
Thanks for this post — I so needed it today. Though I don’t think about my time as money in a super concrete way, I am definitely much more stingy with my time than I am with my money. It’s hard to find the balance between listening to my body/taking care of myself and being generous with my time and intangible resources. This post is really pushing my thinking about my attitude. This is definitely a huge struggle for Dan, since as a real estate agent, he’s not salaried. It’s constantly tempting to work more than he needs to, because when he takes time off it literally costs us money. Sometimes we both need to stop thinking about it in terms of opportunity cost and just say “This is important. We’re doing this together instead of working and we’re ignoring the ‘cost.'”
I definitely prefer to just hang out and watch movies than waste money on memories. Happy birthday!
Great post! We must look at things in different way! Congrats on your birthday and thanks for hosting!! – My quality time is with my family. Blessings
Loved this! Such a good reminder to live with purpose, not a paycheck in mind.
Beautiful post as always! Wishing you a happy happy happy birthday 🙂 I like what you said about good friendships; so true and what beautiful jewellery too 😀
Happy Birthday Daisy!
Sarah
Midwest Darling
I can definitely empathize with you on this! It’s hard when you’re freelancing to separate work time from “life” time. My husband has the same issue, especially when he’s working from home, but he’s had to learn to intentionally end his work day or he’d be on the computer until bedtime. We have to be very particular about how we carve out time for us, mostly by setting hours and making solid plans: dinnertime, movie or show before bed, etc.
Happy birthday! You’re much wiser and more knowledgeable than I was at 25, I assure you! 🙂
I think it’s important to see our time as precious – but only as time. When you start thinking of monetary values to it I agree it can get stressful and distort the way we view things.
Away From The Blue
Aww, I can’t believe you are only turning 25! You’re so wise 🙂
I love this post and wholeheartedly agree. I still believe in considering the values of our time, but value is about more than money.
I’ve entered your comp – fingers crossed + happy birthday!