The Tribune

By MICHELLE MILLER

Considering the obsession many have with money, you may be surprised to learn that money is not your greatest asset. Yet most people spend a great deal of their time chasing money. Still, for many money remains an elusive commodity.

The question to ponder today is if time is in fact your greatest asset, are you sincerely taking care of your time? Do you treat your time with even a modicum of respect?

Truth be told, the answer for most people is a resounding ‘no’. Most are simply unaware of the value of their time. Thus, they squander it frivolously.

What is even more critical is that time and money are almost inseparable. In a sense, money travels where time is invested.

If you were to take a peek at the foundation of the working world, you will see that it speaks to this time/money formula.

People trade in a set amount of their time doing a job for a set amount of money, called a pay cheque. This means that your time has a price tag, whether you acknowledge it or not. The responsibility is yours to determine what your time is worth and the degree to which you are making productive use of your time.

This is not about managing time. Nobody can manage time. The one thing about time that all of us come to learn is that it goes on and on and on ad infinitum.

Time is bigger than human kind. It goes on whether you use it or not. For this reason, you cannot manage time. What you can manage however, is your use of time.

We ought to be very deliberate and intentional regarding our use of time. We can choose to use it or choose to lose it.

Time doesn’t care what you do with it. What it will do, however, is reveal what you have done or have been doing with it. Time, as they say, will tell. It tells the world exactly what you have been doing with it; it exposes the truth of how well you’ve used or misused it.

Those who use their time to overindulge in alcohol use, for example, soon become alcoholics. Individuals who overindulge in eating and poor diets, in time become overweight. Whereas, those who put time into healthy diet and exercise become physically fit.

This is also the case with money and resources. Those who are more responsible with their resources of time and money, in time, acquire more resources. It’s all a matter of time.

Living an empowered life is not a cake walk. It is a process of unravelling who you are and paying attention to the way you manage your resource of time.

I find it ironic that so many people are quick to want to manage their money, but don’t pay any attention to the way they waste their time. I suppose people fail to realise that time really is money. You can use your time to make more money; you can use your money to make more out of your time

There is no place where this shameless waste of time is more evident than in the use of social media platforms.

Many are addicted to their phones or tablets. The amount of time wasted sending pictures and audio clips up and down the internet highway are just, as Mama would say, ‘a crying shame’. People are so disrespectful not only of their time but also of yours. As such, they take it upon themselves to send you anything they get their hands on. This habit of forwarded photos, some of which are totally inappropriate, has become an intrusive addiction for many. The people who send these e-mails are today’s self-appointed newscasters and reporters. They casually spend the bulk of their day wasting time sending, texting, posting and forwarding information.

What is even more tragic is that most of what so many are quick to circulate has no real use value. In a sense, it amounts to mere noise pollution, in which both the sender and the receiver becomes infected; opening and forwarding the same useless info on and on.

Since time is your greatest asset, what would you do with it if every minute of your time cost you $50? This means that five minutes of your time would cost $250.

How differently would you spend your time? Would you pay more attention and be more respectful of it?

Leader to leader, your time is a gift. Be responsible and respectful not only of your time, but also that of other’s.

Wisely invest your time being productive. Limit any frivolous use of social media platforms. These platforms are design to improve your opportunity to grow and expand your market share. There is no point in chasing money if you don’t respect your time. It has been my experience that money more readily shows up and even stays with you if your time is valued and respected.

When you place high value on your time, you are better prepared to live and empowered life. Yes, you definitely can do it.

What do you think? Please send your comments to coaching242@yahoo.com or 429-6770.

• Michelle M Miller is a certified life coach, communication and leadership expert. Visit www.talktomichellemiller.com or call 1-888-620-7894; mail can be sent to PO Box CB-13060.