How many summers do you have left?
The change of seasons is a welcome reminder that we're not living in a never-ending now. Time marches on, and it waits for no one. As we find ourselves on our way into another Spring, it is a good time to reflect on the shortness of time.
We’re roaring through the roaring twenties. While the days are starting to feel longer, the years are indeed short. When I was a child, growing older felt like an achievement. Each year that passed marked one step closer to adulthood, which for me meant independence and freedom.
Ageing is no longer a future concept
Just being alive means growing older, so yes, we’ve all been ageing since we were born. But at a certain point, the notion of what life will be like in a decade or two starts to feel more real.
Ageing is often surrounded by a negative narrative, but I believe we can use our enhanced wisdom and experience to make choices that enhance our lives.
The real value of money
One of those choices is often between money and time.
We know that money has value, and wasting it seems silly. But we all throw away something far more valuable every day: time. One of the few truly finite resources, the amount of time we get is uncertain, but we know it's limited.
Those who attain monetary wealth realise, sometimes too late, that real wealth is the ability to spend money to buy time. We find meaning in being able to spend time on our terms, doing things we love and that bring us joy.
One of the few benefits of the pandemic is that it forced most of us to spend time very differently from how we used to. It’s given us a valuable opportunity to recalibrate how we view the trade-off between time and money. Time is an abstract concept, difficult to get our heads around. One exercise that brings it to life is to consider how many specific events or seasons you may have left.
How many books will you realistically still be able to read? How many holidays do you have left to enjoy with your children or grandchildren? How many summers do you have to look forward to, ones you are healthy enough to enjoy?
Time enough
Whilst the time we have is limited, there is enough of it to live a meaningful life if we use it wisely and are conscious of how much we have left.
The Roman philosopher Seneca wisely said:
"It is not that we have a short space of time, but that we waste much of it. Life is long enough, and it has been given in sufficiently generous measure to allow the accomplishment of the very greatest things if the whole of it is well invested."
That is why in our conversations I encourage you to think not only about how you will invest your money, but also your time, energy, and talents.
Being intentional with our time is a challenge we can all rise to. It is our job to help you to make a connection between your money and the life you wish to live. It is a responsibility we take seriously and cherish.