“These hours are all you’ve got. There is nothing in your life that is more valuable than your time, the moments you have left. You cannot put too much awareness and intention into the way you invest those moments.” – Your Money Or Your Life, by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin.
I’ve been busy the last few weeks – busy adjusting to our school-year routine, writing, and over the last few days, sifting through off-season clothes to do our twice-yearly wardrobe transition. And honestly, by the time I flop into bed at night these days, I’m too tired to do much reading. But tonight I was weeding out our bookshelves (funny how getting organized in one area of my life always makes me want to organize other stuff too) and I came across Your Money Or Your Life, a classic self-help that’s a sort of hybrid of personal finance, psychology, and time management. The book was initially published in the early 1990’s, and I read it at least seven or eight years ago, loved it, and then put it on a shelf and never looked at it again.
Tonight I was drawn to the book again, for some reason, and decided to pick it up and flip through the pages. I was struck by the way the ideas presented in the book have become much more mainstream over time, and also, how many of those messages I internalized all those years ago and how they shaped the way I came to view my finances, work, family life and time. Sure, the book is a bit intense in places (While I agree that time is my most valuable possession, I’m not sure I want to be counting down my remaining ‘life hours’) and my version is pretty dated, but it’s a great read and one I’ll be diving back into this week. The book – and the quote above – seemed particularly fitting for this month, as we focus on “time”.
Speaking of time – and how I’ve been spending mine – I’ve got a ton of new writing up around the web, and as always I’d love it if you want to check it out!
- 5 Reasons I Love My Small Kitchen – in the spirit of appreciating what I have, here’s what I’ve learned to love about our small galley kitchen.
- Clara’s princess dress-up closet – there’s a $150 Old Navy gift card giveaway attached to this one, plus some really adorable pictures of my lil girl!
- On “Brat Bans” – my take on the whole “should kids go to adult venues” debate, at Babble. The comments on this one are…interesting!
- 4 Kids, One Bedroom – organization inspiration for lots of kids sharing one space.
Hope you like them! And please share your thoughts on the quote I’ve shared above, Your Money or Your Life, or any other wise words you’ve read lately.
http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/have-a-little-faith-video/
Sorry, I hit submit too soon on my first comment. I wanted to say that I read this blog post this morning called, “Have a Little Faith,” and it resonated not only for me as a mom, but also inspired that little girl in me that desperately wants to follow her dream, but is too often scared of failure and pain. I am so glad to share it in this inspirational space created by you! http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/have-a-little-faith-video/
I loved that – thanks for sharing!
I love Your Money or your Life, too. They just released an updated edition and I think that nowadays with people taking on such enormous amounts of debt the philosophy of that book is more needed than ever.
LOVED your 4 Kids, 1 Room article. You did the legwork for all of us struggling with a lack of space for all our kiddies!
Hey Meagan !
Again i have found you admirable,i really appreciate your thoughts always.I do agree with you that time is the most valuable treasure ever.If you don’t have time,that means,you don’t have life.Relations,money,social life,personal life everything needs time.I have read one book before 3 months and i am highly impressed by that.The name of the book is “Millionaires Fast Lane” and the author is M.J. D’Macro.If you love to read books then try this one also.Thank you for sharing your valuable and considerable thoughts with us.
Good Luck and God Bless!
With Regards!
Samuel Joshua
So funny, but this book just arrived in my mailbox yesterday. Beefing up on my personal finance knowledge and this was recommended by JD Roth of Get Rich Slowly. I can’t wait to read more of your thoughts on it.
The time vs. money issue is an important one. Saving money takes time, so I recommend that people find a method that also makes them happy. For me, couponing doesn’t satisfy me in the long-term, so I spend more energy on home cooking, doing housework with my kids, and volunteering at my public school.
Here is another thought from Steve Jobs, in his famous speech to Stanford graduates, Do What You Love:
“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
Hi Meagan,
I also agree that we need to be mindful of our time… but only to the point that we need to get certain basic needs and tasks accomplished. For example; each day I write out what exactly I want to accomplish and once I get those tasks done, I’m free to just live and not worry about time. Time can be a huge stress factor and if we focus too much on it in the wrong way it can actually kill the joy in our lives.
It’s all about perspective. I haven’t read that book yet. I should really check it out.
All the best,
Eren