Given that most people work over 40 hours a week to create enjoyable homes, families and lifestyles, it's no wonder that many of us feel we never have enough time to enjoy them. Yet assigning a value to how you spend your time and money may not only help you prioritize both, it may even allow you to retire earlier, according to Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin, authors of Your Money or Your Life (Viking Penguin, 2000).
"What do you want? What does it cost? Is it worth the price?" These are some of the questions you must ask yourself each day to fulfill yourself, have more and work less, says Sue Bender, author of Stretching Lessons (HarperCollins, 2001) and the New York Times bestseller Plain and Simple (Harper San Francisco, 1991).
While most of us are programmed to struggle for status, money and material goods, the energy and money we expend on working and buying things often leads to disillusionment, says Bender. "Material things may please us in the short run," she says, but in the long run, "stretching our imaginations, enjoying free time, and realizing and offering our unique gifts make us stretch and give us fulfillment."
"Everything in your life you are maintaining takes some of your energy," says Tim Underwood, owner and publisher of Underwood Books in Nevada City, California. "In midlife it's a good idea to live more purposefully and less wastefully by prioritizing the people, activities and spending habits in your life," he says.
Write them down so you'll remember what really matters, Underwood counsels, and remember that "change must be gradual in order to succeed, because permanence requires foundation. Pay attention to the people and things that feel the most nurturing," he says, "and go in that direction."
Underwood also realized more value from his work and savings by tracking and reviewing all of his expenses, asking himself at the end of the month: Do I really want to be working as hard as I do and spending this much on coffee, gas, entertainment, the children's camp, etc.? He then cut out unnecessary expenses and used the savings to pay off his mortgage faster and thus free himself sooner of the financial obligation.
Along with throwing stuff out, spending less money and cutting down on future commitments, Underwood and his wife started spending more time with their two children and found that "our kids enjoyed being with us more."
