For as long as I can remember, I’ve thought of time and money as the same thing. In my professional life, more often than not, I related making money to putting in the time. By default, I have always thought of my time=my money.

As I continue to evolve and adjust my thinking, I’m beginning to change my view on the concept. Any chance I had at making an extra buck in the past, I was on it. I never really considered the total investment of time I was giving up for the task. In my line of work, traveling is a common thing. I’d often spend hours and hours on the road getting to and from a particular place. A 2 hour session could end up being an 8 hour day. I often saw the finish line, but didn’t consider the race.

It’s nice to make that money, but what are you giving up in the time you have invested? James Altucher, author/investor/entrepreneur, offers some good insight into the subject. I don’t agree with all of his philosophies, but this one is spot on. Referring to his new book, “The Power of No,” he says, “If you lose $100, you can always get that back. If you waste or lose and hour, a day, a week, you can never get that back. People say time is money, but time is not money.”

The takeaway: Be more selective with your time. No matter where you are at in life, it’s the one thing that expires for each and every one of us. Use the most of what you’ve got. This relates to your personal life as much as your professional life. Sometimes time is worth much more than money, and sometimes, you just gotta say “No.”

– Spaniard