“Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can’t make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you’ll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time..”
-Rick Warren
It’s the close of 2018 and I’ve been reflecting on growth for the year. A characteristic I’ve honed in on that I’ll carry into the future is that I now very much value the time I spend with myself. I don’t get bored because I feel I always have things to learn to become a better version of me. I can read a book, research a topic, write, go for a run, cook… all of it happily by myself!
Of course, I also enjoy time with family and friends. But in my 20s and even my 30s, I wasn’t nearly as comfortable being alone.
I remember getting bored easily when I was younger. When I lived in New York and wasn’t spending 80 hours a week in my accounting and finance job, I would look for ways to pass time in the company of others. Too much time by myself and I’d start to get depressed. Looking back, my inner dialogue wasn’t a happy or kind one. I didn’t enjoy being alone. I didn’t love myself.
Our time is our most valuable asset
I’m in my mid-40s now, and over the last few years I’ve realized that our time is the biggest asset and gift we have to give, and that’s true even when we give it to ourselves. I’ve gotten pickier about to whom I give my time.
Since my kids were little, my husband and I have been conscious of who they were friends with, knowing that peers have an influence on how children and adolescents think and behave. It’s become more apparent to me over the last few years how this perspective carries over into adult life.
Are you spending time with people who are positive, uplifting and interested in growth? Do people in your circle bring out the best in you and push you to be better?
Assess Your Environment
Do an analysis. Look at the people you spend the most time with. Observe who they spend their time with. This accounting is important. Are these people you admire and/or respect? We have to make hard decisions on a regular basis about which relationships we continue to invest.
I read somewhere that it’s a combination of these two things: Who we know and what we do which will influence more than any other factor, who we will become. Because what you do puts you around people, and the people you’re around effects what you do.
Think of your habits and what you consume. Think about the people in your life: do they inspire you?
Most people are a direct reflection of those around them. The quality of your life and the quality of your work is determined by the standards you have for yourself and the standards of those around you.
Guard Your Time
If you genuinely want to become better, surround yourself with people who will hold you to a higher standard than you currently hold yourself. These are people who have a sincere interest in your life and what you stand for, who will help you become the best version of yourself.
2019 is a new year. Take inventory of the people in your life. Our time is our most valuable asset. Guard it closely as I will in 2019 and forward!
