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Time Is Money: The Poisonous Mindset (Ep. 255)

Last Updated March 18, 2019

We’ve all heard it already: time is money.

It’s a useful metaphor for reminding us about the importance of efficiency and the opportunity cost involved in all non-money-making activities. But lately, something’s been happening to it.

It’s becoming more real.

Leaving the poetic confines of metaphor, the world of remote work, self-employment, and the gig economy seem to be leaving us more and more confused about when we’re not supposed to be working.

Why? We could always be making more money. We’re never really off the clock, so every moment we spend not making money or improving our ability to make money is a lost opportunity that will haunt us forever.

This mindset isn’t all bad, but there’s reason to believe we might be taking it too far. After all, isn’t money just supposed to be a tool to enhance how we spend our time? At some point, time becomes more important than money again, right?

In theory, the answer is yes. The trick is putting this theory into practice. Which I’m sure I’ll do … right after I answer some emails.

Things mentioned in this episode:

This week’s episode is sponsored by:

  • Brilliant: Accelerate your learning in math, science, and computer science. Start learning for free at Brilliant.org/CollegeInfoGeek — and if you’re one of the first 83 people to use this link, you’ll also get 20% off your subscription.
  • Hover: Your personal brand is important, and it starts with your domain name. Get 10% off your first domain name purchase by going to Hover.com/cig.

Other things we mentioned in this episode:

Want more cool stuff? You can find all sorts of great tools at my Resources page.

Timestamps:

  • 0:01:12 – Benefits of this mindset and outsourcing tasks
  • 0:10:29 – Overworking and feeling insecure by thinking time is money
  • 0:21:28 – Sponsor: Hover (Buying a domain name)
  • 0:24:18 – Sponsor: Brilliant (Learning problem-solving skills)
  • 0:25:51 – Balancing your free time and your work
  • 0:37:35 – Starting to value your time more
  • 0:43:19 – Embracing time off, eliminating distractions and outsourcing
  • 0:50:23 – Conclusion

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Time Is Money: The Poisonous Mindset