We're all busy, right? Some of us are busy doing the things we expect will move our lives forward. Others are treading water. Regardless, we all perceive ourselves as busy. Old news. We've talked about busy-ness a gazillion times already.
And yet ... what if there was another way to look at it?
As I read this week's chapter of Rich Dad, Poor Dad
(You know Robert Kiyosaki, right? Despite having been ill-prepared by his family of origin for a life of wealth, he nevertheless overcame that barrier by finding a wealth-building mentor to teach him the tricks of the trade. At the ripe old age of 9. Declared himself financially independent -- and retired -- at 47.)
"Arrogant people rarely read or buy tapes. Why should they? They are the center of the universe." (Robert Kiyosaki. Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Now that's good!
It got me thinking about the three major options we have for allocating discretionary time.
By the way, what I mean by discretionary time is those little snippets of every day that are left to your own discretion, after the essentials (work, sleep, meals) are taken care of.
You have them. If you spend an hour doing your hair in the morning when 15 minutes would do, you just allocated 45 minutes of discretionary time to grooming. If you veg in front of the TV for an hour in the evening to rest up from the day, you just allocated that hour to vegging.
It's ok to spend your discretionary time in any way you want, by the way. I'm not suggesting that it's somehow "good" to spend it one way and "bad" to spend it in a different way. Simply calling attention to the fact that at any given moment, we are choosing how to invest our time.
In one of three primary ways:
- Learning: what you do to move your life forward
- Entertainment: what you do to keep from being bored
- Distraction: what you do to avoid a challenge you're intimidated by
Anyway, getting back to Mr. Kiyosaki's comment, he raised it in the context of learning. Kiyosaki advocates investing highly in learning related to whatever subject area you're focused on at the moment. In the case of his book, the focus is wealth-building. But it could as easily be any other area that interests you.
An arrogant person, previously described by Kiyosaki as someone who "thinks that what he doesn't know really isn't important," would therefore have no perceived need to allocate his free time to learning. (By the way, in our holistic health model, this is covered under Attention: Receptivity.) That person would most likely spend a good bit of his or her time in the "entertainment" category.
Hanging out in the "distraction" area, we'd be more likely to find people who lack confidence. They're apathetic, worn out, and discouraged. Tired of trying, at least for the moment. Distracting themselves from the learning that they truly, deep down, know is out there waiting for then.
And, as we explore this further, it's easy to see that discretionary spending follows the same three paths.
Now honestly, I believe that most of us, at one time or another, hang out in each of the three zones. Appropriately so.
So here is the point of this little exercise. If you're seriously not getting the things done in life that you want to, check into it. Just gotta get to the ball game? But can't find time for that e-course on creating the life you desire? Hmmm. Food for thought, isn't it?
For some of us, then, I think the goal of "mid-life" is to shift as much time as possible into the "learning" category -- so we can accomplish our primary goals as quickly as possible! Then we're at a place of true choice. Of course some, I have a sneaking suspicion, enjoy learning enough that they keep inventing new goals to shoot for. :-)
Now I'm really curious. How does your experience match my little theory? Post a comment and let me know!
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Comments (1)
Interestingly enough, the past few evenings I have been re-reading Robert Kiyosaki's book - Rich Dad's Prophecy. Suddenly my interest in real estate investing has been renewed and re-energized.
As he says, I will have to begin with an investment of time, a great deal of learning. But I love a challenge and this wealth-building idea strikes me as right for this time of my life and for the place that I live.
I guess receiving this Healthy Living article just confirmed it for me!
Judith G
Posted by Judit G | March 30, 2007 10:04 AM
Posted on March 30, 2007 10:04