How do you spend your time? Running from thing to thing, place to place, barely getting by with getting things done? The list never-ending and growing longer and longer every day? Everything needed right now? Yeah, me, too!

But it struck me this week when I heard someone say (again!) “Time is money.” Hmmmm. Well, I have to say, when I stop and think about it like that, my time becomes more valuable by the minute. For you see, while I know I can make money, save money, make more money. I can’t make any more time.

Today my friend Sue posted:

“Self cloning equipment, needed immediately. Willing to pay top dollar. “

 Well, unless you know something I don’t, she’ll be waiting a while for that one! So what do we do in the meantime? Right now. Today. Well, I’ve decided to become an Investment Manager. And just as carefully as I’d consider investing in stocks, bonds or (heaven forbid) pork bellies, I’m going to pay VERY careful attention to how I’m investing my time.

In the coming week, I’ll be asking myself:

• Is what I’m doing right now really worth the time I’m spending?
• Is spending my time this way really a good match with my priorities?
• Is there a way I can do this in less time? Or maybe even not do it at all?
• What do I expect the ‘return’ to be on the time I’m investing?

Now, if you think I’m saying the goal of this exercise is to be ‘productive’ every moment… well, you’re right… and wrong. Wrong if you think this is about getting more done faster. But oh-so-right if you recognize that my goal is to live my life more aware of how I’m spending my time, and to make conscious choices in how I spend it, and with whom, doing whatever. Because, when it comes right down to it, I’m not a victim of the clock. How I choose to spend my time is largely up to me.

Life is lived in moments. And when we wander through, let them slip by, even rush past us in a blur without being intentional – or at least recognizing what we’re doing – we might as well be setting fire to a stack of cash.

Now, you’ll have to excuse me; it’s time for dinner and I’m going to really enjoy it!

Try this MTW secret:

For one week, keep track of how you spend your time. Just jot it down in your mobile, in a journal, or on a piece of paper you carry around in your purse. Don’t judge. Just jot. Everything. From work to working out. From FaceBooking to book reading. From visiting to volunteering. Cooking, cleaning, eating, shopping, overseeing homework. You name it. Just jot it down, day by day, starting today. Then we’ll check in next week to see what we do with this valuable research.