What is your day worth?

Every day we are given one thousand four hundred forty to spend in any way we see fit. We’re not talking about money, we’re talking about the number of minutes we have in each day. Michael Altshuler said, “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot”. That’s true and time does really seem to fly. Do you notice how children can easily get bored and feel like time is moving slowly but as people get older they talk about how time seems to go faster and faster and they can’t get everything done? Whether you are younger or older, and no matter how slowly or quickly time seems to pass, what’s true is each day is a gift and you can use it or lose it. Here’s a meaningful quote that hangs outside our office door:

This is the beginning of a new day
God has given me this day
To use as I will
I can waste it or I can grow in its light
And be of service to others.
But what I do with this day is important
Because I have exchanged a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever.
I hope I will not regret the price I paid for it!
– Author Unknown

We try to use this saying as a guide for life. As life and business coaches, we often ask people to imagine they are nearing a hundred years old and they are sitting in a rocking chair remembering the past. We then ask if there is anything they wished they would have done. Often people have things they want to put on their “bucket list” before their time runs out.

Now is your opportunity to take a look at your life. Maybe you have hopes and dreams. Possibly you have some passion and purpose that you haven’t fulfilled yet. You have one thousand four hundred forty minutes each day to work on what you really want in life. Living isn’t just about the big accomplishments you can make in a career, it’s also about being satisfied and happy with your life. Success and using time wisely can be about taking time to relax, share with a friend or even just noticing and appreciating the gifts of nature or the smile of a loved one.

We believe Anne Sweeney’s saying, “It’s never too late to become the person you have always wanted to be”. It’s also not too late to do the things you want to do. Using the minutes we have each day, we can make that day, and the future, the way we want it to be. Time “marches on” and does not stop. Thomas Edison said, “Time is really the only capital that any human being has and the only thing he can’t afford to lose”. If you lose money, you have the option of at least trying to get it back through hard work. If you lose time, it’s gone forever. We encourage you to ponder, what is your day worth? Know that if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. We also hope you will live your life so you have no regrets. We wish you a fulfilling life with many happy adventures.

Here’s a challenge: Take time to look at your life and how you are spending you time. What do you want to do less of and what do you want to do more of? What do you most value in your life? How can you live each day as a gift? Let us know your thoughts and what happens in your life as you spend your time wisely.

© Doug & Lynn Nodland 2017
Chanhassen residents Doug and Lynn Nodland are owners of The Balance Center. They can be contacted at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com