Comments on: My Time is Not Money

By: Essential Prose | Zoë Westhof | Are Your Spending Your Time, or Giving It?

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:23:17 +0000

[...] written about our relationships with time before in “My Time is Not Money.” I believe that semantics can really frame our thinking, so it does make a difference if you think [...]

By: Essential Prose | Zoë Westhof | 15 Day Creation Challenge

Essential Prose | Zoë Westhof | 15 Day Creation Challenge — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 10:12:58 +0000

[...] safe and warm. This takes time, but more than that, it requires devotion. As we’ve discussed, time is what you make it. It’s not the quantity of time that brings those eggs to hatch, it’s the [...]

By: Support Your Local Writer « Freedom Writing

Support Your Local Writer « Freedom Writing — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 02:13:54 +0000

[...] My Time is Not Money by Zoe Westof of Essential Prose [...]

By: Trina

Trina — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:58:46 +0000

yes, Zoe, my pun was very much intended in all the ways it can apply. Today I had to create time to catch up on my favourite pastime. Cheers.

By: Zoë

Zoë — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 03:09:33 +0000

@ Nicolas – I think figuring out why you want more time is a strong step toward choosing your time. You’re certainly right that our mortality gives time greater value — I believe that we should actively choose our time in order to really feel the value…to feel fulfilled.

@ Derek – We will always be limited to 24 hours in the day, but I am suggesting that time is subjective. If you choose what you are doing in those 24 hours, if you change your perspective on time, you can create it. It doesn’t mean creating an extra hour, but it means that you are not bound by measuring time in hours and minutes. By redefining how you understand time, you are essentially “creating it.”

@ Mary – Thank you so much . Living in Asia, I’ve learned that certain things we grow up thinking are fundamental “truths” are actually subjective. Whether or not you ultimately subscribe to new perspectives that you learn, I think it’s so important to at least open your mind to understand and accept them.

By: Mary

Mary — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 01:26:00 +0000

Zoe - What an excellent post. Synthesizes and states well an important contrast, and one we Westerners can learn from. I especially like "If nothing is happening, time is not passing, and we are therefore not wasting time." Mary´s last blog post..Web and work

By: Derek

Derek — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:18:03 +0000

I like what you're trying to do here, but I have to disagree. Even if you choose to do something, you aren't creating time. Everyone has 24 hours in a day no matter what. You can create the plan to fill those hours, but you can't have 25 hours. Its just not possible. Derek´s last blog post..The Two Most Important Things For New Bloggers

By: Nicolas

Nicolas — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:08:29 +0000

Hi Zoe,

I find your concept interesting and might also have an answer on why time so often translates in to money.

Since our lifespan is limited and humans are aware of it time has value for us. If we were not aware we have to die one day or we lived eternally we would be much relaxed. I have never heard of animals complaining about lack of time – they just are.

In western societies value is mainly contributed to money and this explains why time is money so often. Other societies do not put that much emphasis on money or also give other values more importance.

Does this fit to your concept?

I have been writing on how to save time in my Time Management Master blog. It is a collection of more than 200 tips. However, one of the most important aspects is to first think for what reason you wan to have more time – and I can think of many reasons not related to money at all.

Nicolas

Nicolas´s last blog post..Ask the readers: How do you save time on Christmas presents?

By: Zoë

Zoë — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:39:52 +0000

@ Grant – “Results appear as a consequence of our actions, regardless of time”…an excellent use of poetic license . I strongly agree with your points — it is all about our perception of time.

By: Zoë

Zoë — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:37:28 +0000

@ the famous nemo – The idea I’m trying to expand here is that time is subjective — it’s what we make of it. Of course it takes time to make money, but how we understand that time, and how we consciously choose it, means that time does not have to equal money.

@ Ken – It sounds funny, but I do completely agree that it’s a great skill to be able to relax without feeling guilty about it

@ Elyse – I think it’s just about making deliberate choices with what you do. Thanks!