The Most Expensive Thing in the World
Time is not your most valuable resource. We like to think it is. But it’s not. Time is a created by-product of what we actually do.
What do I mean by this? We actually have the power to create all the time we want.
How?
Everyone says “Time is money, time is money, time is money.” Take a step further towards the truth.
What creates time?… Your attention.
If attention creates time, attention is money. We have a finite amount of time, and therefore a finite about of attention.
Now ask yourself, what are the other things in your life that drain your attention and keep you from putting your full attention on the things that really matter? You could have all the time you want, an unlimited amount, an ‘all you can eat’ portion of time, but if you are not there, if you’re not focused, in flow, then you won’t get anything done with the time you’ve given yourself.
This is the birth of procrastination where people get into this in-between state of being everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Your attention is going in 13 different directions at once and you can’t keep up. Instead of it being allocated to one thing at a time, it’s spiralled off into oblivion. You're doing a lot of things, but you’re not getting anything done.
"He who is everywhere is nowhere.” - Seneca
Look at the people around you, the ones you look up to, the ones doing better than you, the ones you deem successful. How quiet and clean do they keep their space, internal and external. How well they have things under control. Notice the tranquillity they have compared to other people you don’t look up to.
There is a belief that to do better you have to do more. There is some truth to this. But when it comes to our attention, the less we do, the more attention we get to spend on the things that bring meaning to our lives. The less we can do of the inessential stuff, the more we’re able to do of the essential stuff.
Do Less, Better.
Choosing what not to do is more important than what to do. Stop trying to figure out what needs to be done and see what doesn’t. Process of elimination, narrow it down, and then you will find your answer.
Pay attention to where you’re paying attention. That is true self-awareness.
That’s why it is called paying attention, we are spending our attention and that’s why it’s called a resource. Our most valuable one. The one we need to protect the most. Because attention gives you the ability to see. The more attention you put on one thing, the greater your ability you have to see the problem, the solution, the strategy, the way out and/or the way around.
Attention has become a commodity in the digital age. A scarce commodity with the rise of social media and digital marketing. There isn’t enough attention to go around. And that’s why everyone in the media game is fighting for your attention because that’s what gets the clicks, which gets the views, which gets the buyers. It’s an endless cycle. They win and you lose. You lose your attention, they gained it and monetised it.
Look at your life, look at your relationships, look at your habits and the things taking away your attention.
Handle it, resolve it. It will be hard, but anything hard is always worth it.
Ancient Roman Stoic Philosopher Musonius Rufus said, “If you accomplish something good with hard work, the labour passes quickly, but the good endures; if you do something shameful in pursuit of pleasure, the pleasure passes quickly, but the shame endures”
It will be hard. Get your attention back so you can live the life you want. A life of tranquillity.
Until next time,
Brody
PS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIzWRTCMk0k&ab_channel=Simplifilm
