Spend vs Invest
HOW WILL YOU
USE YOUR TIME?
“How do you spend your time?”
This shower thought came to me the other day, and I realized the language we use to ask questions like this is so important. We SPEND our time, you guys - at least., that’s how we often approach it from our normal, human nature. Our time is a currency. It’s exchanged for things… building relationships, watching TV, putting hours into work, scrolling social media, workout out, vegging out, reading… how we exchange our time is completely up to us.
So what if we changed the question of spend to invest?
How do you INVEST your time in this life? I think if I approached my time with this mindset, my use of it would totally change. I think it already has started to shift. I don’t want to impulse spend my time on things that aren’t worth it and have spender’s remorse later. I don’t want to simply waste the time I’ve been given (or even the time I’ve earned by taking a risk to create the life and schedule that I now have). I want to intentionally use, give, share, and invest my time into what truly matters far beyond what I can see today.
Investing time wisely today not only makes each individual day more meaningful but also adds to the value of each day to come.
This type of investing will look differently for everyone, and that’s completely okay. You have to figure out (or even simply decide) what your purpose is, and put your time there. Prioritize your life into the top 3-5 areas of life and the season you’re in, and that’s what gets your attention. That’s when time will be invested, not just spent.
In no way am I saying not to take some moments in life to veg out, totally relax, sleep well, take a nap, or totally unplug for a day. There are times when our brains and bodies really need those moments or those days. What I am saying is instead of falling into life patterns that simply spend time, let’s intentionally build lives that invest time.
As we close out this wild year, I hope this thought encourages you even now, even today. No need to wait one more day or week to start making our time count a little more. Every day and each moment is a gift, and the sooner we approach life that way… the sooner we will begin to see the return on our investment.
—> what 3-5 areas of your life are most important long term?
—> how will you invest your time today in a way that supports your priorities?
—> what things/situations currently steal your time that need to be eliminated from your daily routine?
