Personal synopsis: Everyone is increasingly strapped for time with their careers and getting ahead in life. Currently, people focus on money and accomplishments, but do not gain the expected satisfaction from them. This experience of feeling "time-poor" causes stress, depression, health problems, and decreased productivity. All in all, the articles makes the point that "research consistently shows that the happiest people user their money to buy time." Many times people know of tasks they would want to offload, but do not pay to do so. Excessive value is places on salary while flexible scheduling is undervalued.
Key Points
Why we should value time over money:
- Time yields happiness
- Time is social
- A focus on time builds more-rewarding careers
Why people struggle with this concept:
- Behavioral factors and biases that prefer money
- Guilt from spending money to save time
- Organizational factors where money is the prime motivator
How to start
Personal activities:
- Plan future time, reduce spontaneity
- Be more physically active
- Spend more savoring food and eating
- Meet new people and volunteer/help others
- Spend more time experiencing awe
- Take more vacation time
Buying time:
- Outsource chores
* But understand what you specifically want to offload - Do less comparison shopping
- Buy better time
Work activities:
- Buy back commute time (Uber/Transit while leisure or work)
- Ask for more time/extended deadlines
- Learn to say no, but not because of time