Letters from a Stoic 1 - On Saving Time

On Saving Time

Seneca describes the problem - we are wasting our most precious resource: time.

pay close heed to the problem, you will find that the largest portion of our life passes while we are doing ill, a goodly share while we are doing nothing, and the whole while we are doing that which is not to the purpose.

Regarding how precious this resource is:

What fools these mortals be! They allow the cheapest and most useless things, which can easily be replaced, to be charged in the reckoning, after they have acquired them; but they never regard themselves as in debt when they have received some of that precious commodity, – time! And yet time is the one loan which even a grateful recipient cannot repay.

What are we to do?  What if most of our lives have already passed?  What do we do now?

I do not regard a man as poor, if the little which remains is enough for him. I advise you, however, to keep what is really yours; and you cannot begin too early.

The answer is, we have enough time, now.  We must seize the day and make the most of the time while we have it.

What else can you do, to ensure you don't waste your time?

What I've learned from others is that planning is supremely important.  Plan your day, set goals and establish systems by which to live your life.  If you are aimless, then the first task at hand is to aim.  Find out what you want in life - what you want to be, where you want to go and live, what do you want to do.  Form a plan to acquire real, usable skills which will enable you to earn a living.  Be sure the skills you learn are sustainable and that they are something others are willing to pay you for.

Acquiring useful skills establishes "a base" for you.  Useful skills get you up and working, earning money and contributing to society.  But don’t stop there. Keep pursuing education and learn to constantly upskill. As you upskill, you buy yourself more time to work on higher value activities. Also, be sure to remember there are two sides to a ledger: one which shows income and one which shows spend. Regarding the side of the ledger dealing with spending, you should know that very little is needed to get you 'up and working' and making a living for yourself.  My proof in this is Henry David Thoreau's Walden. If you have not read this, take some time to read it or find a synopsis on the internet. While we may think life is expensive, we can disprove this notion by streamlining and minimizing our desires. I would contend, any person with a healthy body and brain can make a living if they manage their wants and desires.

Once your base is established, work to grow it and find ways to be more efficient at making a living for yourself and family.  All the while, you should be finding and understanding your unique, core values - what makes you happy and what your unique contribution to society is or will be.

And always, be sure to set aside time, every day, to work on understanding your philosophy and to live it.  Read Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus and other philosophers.  Think about it, talk about it, embody it.