Why Don’t We Value Being Time-Rich?

Rethinking priorities and self-employment goals

What is being time-rich?

I recently read an article about a new product aimed at people who are “time-poor” — this phrase instantly stood out to me. Being “time-poor” is pretty self explanatory — you’re very busy and are lacking time.

When I hear “rich” and “poor,” I automatically assume it’s related to money, and I can guess you assume the same. But as a self-employed freelancer, I realized I’ve been prioritizing being time-rich for awhile now, without this helpful term.

My experience prioritizing time wealth:

In the two years I’ve been freelancing as a brand marketing consultant, I’ve purposely chosen to take on a workload of under 40 hours per week. This was partly recovery from startup burnout, along with taking the time to not overdo it again, especially as the pandemic continued on, and my relationship with work, time, and space was ever-evolving. I like feeling like I’m not at my maximum working capacity right now. I have extra time to devote to learning and to my own personal writing and projects.

I found myself always trying to justify this choice, mostly to myself, but also preemptively to others — “I could be taking on more work right now and making more money, but I’m choosing not to.” Without meaning to, it always felt defensive, like I was trying to excuse why I wasn’t at my maximum earning potential, like all my time should be monetized.

I would look at peers who I knew were making more money and feel bad, even though I also knew many of those peers have days stacked with back-to-back meetings and catch up on work late at night or on the weekends, while I can choose to prioritize cooking a tasty dinner or taking a Friday afternoon off ‘just because’.

There are plenty of articles out there explaining how the wealthy used to be more idle — the richer you were, the more free time you had; and that now, the wealthier are busier — it seems to be a hamster wheel you can’t get off of. I always look to celebrities who already make millions taking on more sponsorship deals and wonder “why?” (Haley Nahman has a great piece on this).

What if we started valuing and centering being “time-rich”? Would we feel more confident about our choices? Would we have a better framework for deciding if a project is worth taking on or not? Would we be able to stop answering, “How are you?” with “Busy”?

How to prioritize being time-rich:

1. Define “enough.” Have a real understanding of what you need to bring in when it comes to your monthly bills and savings. Make sure you have that covered. Then, you can evaluate any additional projects that come in, on the basis of if it’s interesting, will help you learn or develop new skills, or will open up new opportunities.
2. Understand the opportunity cost. When I get busy, I tend to deprioritize grocery shopping and cooking, and end up ordering lots of takeout. That cost adds up, and if I make time for proper meal planning, I save a lot more (and get a great, offline, hands-on activity).
3. Don’t force yourself. I keep pretty standard hours for myself, but there are days where I’m just way too tired or can’t think my best. If I take a break and do something restorative–take a nap, read a book in the sunshine, walk my dog–and come back to work, I’m way more efficient, and feel better doing it!
4. Take care of your future self. Sometimes it’s hard to turn off my computer and get myself to my 7pm volleyball class, but I try to remember that beyond having fun and making connections with others, the class is good for my physical and mental health, which is the best investment we all can make.
5. Comparison is the thief of joy. Cliche, but true. When you start to compare yourself to others, remind yourself you don’t know everything about them, and think through what you have that others may not, or that maybe you didn’t have in the past.

I’ve been able to work towards being time-rich through Groove’s 50 minute focus sessions. I also get to feel connected to other solopreneurs who share my values of being time-rich and making space for what matters most.

Looking for more Groovy content? Check these out:

1. The Highs and Lows of Remote Work
2. The Future of Work (as we see it)
3. Start getting sh*t done the fun way at ➡️ Groove.ooo