You might be amazed at how many people never make the connection between valuing yourself and the value of your time. It’s actually true. There is a direct correlation between self worth and how you value your time. Some of us, I believe, are literally born with a high sense of self worth, or it’s ingrained in us during our earliest of childhood years. Others of us, not so much. Whatever, the case might be, self worth (not narcissism) can and should be developed. As we grow in our self worth we can also learn how to value our time.
What is Self Worth, Really?
I’m glad you asked. Some dictionaries and many people define self worth as a synonym for self esteem. However, the two are not exactly the same. The subtle difference is very important as you grow in the self awareness and all things self development. I believe that self worth, is not really understood by most of us. As a result, most people don’t really value their time as much as they think that do. DEEP! I know. Self esteem, the concept that we are most familiar with, has more to do about you esteeming yourself for what you have accomplished or your material possessions. In other words, self esteem is actually based on that which is OUTSIDE of yourself. Self worth, on the other hand, is more about the INTERNAL value that one possesses. It’s usually unshakeable and considered odd by those who observe your life. Self worth comes from DEEP inside of us. It manifests as an innate ability to believe in oneself. Some see it as confidence, but in reality it is so much more.
Dr. Christina Hibbert explains this difference:
“Self-esteem is what we think and feel and believe about ourselves. Self-worth is recognizing ‘I am greater than all of those things.’ It is a deep knowing that I am of value, that I am lovable, necessary to this life, and of incomprehensible worth.”
As we continue to grow in the knowledge and deep belief of who were are our intrinsic worth, we can then begin to place a higher value of that worth (once again, I’m not suggesting narcissism….which as we know is a twisted unhealthy sense of self) we can place the appropriate boundaries around ourselves and our time.
We can also avoid wasting our time and focus more on making a difference in our daily lives and those around us.
Now that we understand how valuable you are, let’s look at a few practical ways that you can value your time a bit more:
* Think about the task at hand before starting it.
* Try not to handle too many things at once.
* Finish a project; don’t leave it hanging.
* Try not to double up on needless paperwork; keep it simple.
* Do not try to do everything yourself; delegate, delegate and then delegate so more.
* Try to focus on the task at hand; avoid interruptions.
* When someone is talking to you; practice listening fully without thinking of other matters.
* When running errands, bundle similar tasks
* Schedule appointments either in the early morning or after lunch to avoid waiting.
* Ensure your home is clutter free; spending time looking for something is wasteful.
* Put your clothes out at night for the next morning.
*Create your to do lists the night before
*Schedule recurring events, like exercise, so you don’t waste time thinking about it.
* Ensure your car has plenty of gas at all times.
Time is a valuable resource; one in which we either have too much of or not enough. There are hundreds of insightful words surrounding the word time, and yet we never think about them until it’s too late. When we are young, time is endless. As we get older, we hunger for more.
Do you by any chance remember the Rod Serling’s episode on The Twilight Zone that taught a memorable lesson about the value of your time? The story involved a banker teller who loved to read; but his wife hated him doing so. Every day for lunch he would go down to the bank vault, step inside, and read his book. One day the earth was decimated by a bomb. Protected by the vault, he was the only survivor. He walked for miles until he eventually came across the New York Public Library. Ecstatically, he piled all of the books according to each year it would take him to read them all. Seeing one book under a cracked step, he reached down to grab it, and his bifocals fell off. In his attempt to pick them up, he stepped on and smashed them. Horrified by his opportunity turned misadventure, his final words were: “All I wanted was time,” as he cried.
To sum it up, remember this: You are worthy! Work on understanding and cultivating a deep sense of self worth. And then this, Because you are highly worthy, your time here on this planet is extremely valuable, guard it and use it wisely to make a difference!
There is a popular saying that says: “Time is Money.
I’d like to suggest that Time is much more than that.
Be well + prosper,
Elaine