Make Your Days Count
Financial advisor Ramit Sethi’s specific advice on saving and investing (“use this account,” “save this much each month,” etc.) pushed me to be better with money. However, it’s his more general principle of living what he calls a “rich life” that now sits permanently in the back of my head.
The basic premise? We should be cutting costs on purchases that don’t add anything to our lives, and spending much, much more on the things that really bring us joy. Maybe it’s travel, maybe you just LOVE new shoes, maybe it’s picking up a tab when you’re out with friends, or maybe it’s meaningful contributions to a charity you want to support.
He encourages people to identify the items/experiences that truly make them happy, then put absolute priority on adding more of that to our lives.
What would your life be like if you mercilessly cut out spending on “meh” purchases and intentionally spent freely on what you love?
The parallels here between our finances and our health and fitness are uncanny. We know that we feel better when we get to the gym on a regular basis, eat well, get a good night’s sleep, stretch, get a massage, etc. But there just isn’t enough time in the day to make it all happen, right? Just imagine what would happen if we scrutinized our time and prioritized that which makes us happier and healthier instead of the fluff that so easily fills our precious hours. The difference could actually be life-changing!
What if you had an extra 30 minutes today to work on the area of your health that doesn’t get the attention it deserves? What if you had an extra hour? OR TWO?! And even better, what if this time to work out, stretch, spend time with family, etc. was at the expense of something that’s actually a net negative? (I’m looking at you, social media!) Not only would this impact how you look, feel, and live; it would also have a positive impact on how you are with your loved ones and friends, coworkers, and everyone else you interact with. It’s easier to be good to those around us when we’re firing on all cylinders!
This will look different for everyone based on the structure of our workday and the demands of our lives, but even the busiest of us can likely streamline much of what we do. Take an honest inventory of your days and notice where you spend your time. Do your days even align with your goals? Even if the initial scrutiny feels like a burden, the net win of cutting out dead time from your days and adding more of what makes you feel alive is hard to understate. At the end of the day, it’s you who’ll reap the benefits of your hard work, dedication, and disciplined days.