Saturday, January 19, 2019

Good Work and Living: Don't Waste Time or Money

More than anything I hate to waste time or money as I see both as the currency of potential. Using time and money well means meeting the potential results of more positive and promising lives.

This is one reason why President Trump's revolving door of leadership, persistent put-downs, and slick marketing manipulation angers me so--all of these tactics are clearly a waste of time, time that could be spent with intelligent analysis, good collaboration, and worthwhile purpose.

I take time and money seriously. As a busy mom for the past 27 years, I know how precious time is, and as someone who has worked for almost fifty years, I know how precious hard-earned money is. I'm also someone who likes to maximize time and money for life events and pursuits that are meaningful to me. I like to use my time well at work in an effort to reach worthy individual and collective goals. I also like to use my money well to optimize meaningful goals. I hate to waste either time or money.

What can we do to maximize time and money?

First know your goals and values well. Know what means the most to you, and then pursue your truth and values by using time and money well.

When wise use of time and money relates to family life, it means saving up for what matters most--time and money for family togetherness, time and money for individual family member's health, education, and welfare, and time and money for long term goals and dreams.

At work, it means carefully spending time and money for the general welfare for each and every student, a great education for each and every student, and positive efforts for the teaching/learning community today and into the future.

In government, this means carefully prioritizing what's most important with formal and informal facts and figures. Instead of wasting money on self-serving policies and priorities, good government uses money and time with great care so that dollars spent and time used is well directed to the most important priorities and concerns that contribute to a strong, positive government for all citizens.

Obviously it's impossible to never waste time or money. We waste both money and time by lack of knowledge, lack of planning, lack of reflection, lack of good process with regard to goals and priorities, lack of accurate information, and poor decision making. It's impossible to be so perfect that you never waste time or money, but if you're truly invested in doing the best you can, you will be mindful of not wasting time or money in the spheres where you live and work.