Time: The Asset That Is My Life

I have long believed that time is the only asset a human being can truly call their own.

We may possess money, property, knowledge and many other things. Their value in our lives depends on the time we have to use them, experience them or share them. When our time ends, our relationship with these possessions ends too.

Some of us receive more time; some receive less—as much as fate allows. None of us knows the extent of our allocation. Yet one thing is certain: my time is finite, even though its remaining quantity is unknown to me.

This understanding took a clearer shape in my mind after I watched the film In Time. It had a lasting and positive philosophical effect on me. It made me reflect on the relationship between time and life, and on how casually I could spend something so precious.

I knew that time was an asset. Living with that awareness every day has proved more difficult.

Over a period, I had fallen into the habit of wasting my time. Distractions, postponements and days without a settled rhythm allowed hours to pass without conscious direction. I had interests, responsibilities and intentions. But intention alone did not ensure that I gave them the time they deserved.

I could remain occupied throughout a month and still discover that something important had received no attention.

My studies were one such example. I had enrolled, committed myself and understood their importance. Yet a month passed without my putting in the necessary study hours. Other activities filled the available space.

That recognition required an honest response from me.

The time had come to put a process into my life—to regain control over how I spend my time.

I decided to begin accounting for my hours.

At first glance, this may appear mechanical. Allocating hours to learning, professional work, exercise, personal care, relationships and the many projects that matter to me may seem an excessive way to organise a life.

At this stage of my journey, however, I feel the need for precisely this degree of awareness. I want to repossess my life by taking responsibility for my time.

My projects are continuing journeys. They will grow, change and often remain works in progress. Each needs a place in my life. An important idea may need only an hour this month. A professional commitment may require twenty-five. My studies need regular attention. My health requires daily care.

Small, deliberate inputs can accumulate into meaningful progress.

I also want to recognise the value of sleep, rest and unstructured time. A good night’s sleep is a worthwhile use of life. So is a walk, a conversation, quiet reflection or simply enjoying the day. My accounting must make room for these experiences.

The question I want to ask is: Did I spend my time consciously, in a way that reflects what matters to me?

I have therefore left some hours flexible. Life needs room to unfold. At the end of the month, I would like to understand where those hours went, without inventing achievements or condemning myself for every departure from a plan.

This record will help me see my life more clearly. It will show where my stated priorities received attention, where they were neglected and where my plans need adjustment.

I cannot recover the hours already spent. I can learn from them.

As A Student of Life, this is another lesson I must practise: recognising the value of something is only the beginning. My daily choices must gradually reflect that understanding.

My remaining time is the life still available to me. I wish to spend it with care.

A SOL — A Student of Life

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