I’ve spent literally hours of my life doing something manually because to automate it cost money. I’ve spent years frustrated by cumbersome hardware and software because I could get it cheaper than that which delights and is intuitive to use.
But I took a stand.
I really value my time these days. In fact, if it came down to an auction, I’d be the highest bidder – no doubt about it. The realisation dawned just over a year ago that I just wasn’t valuing my time high enough.
- Why spend twenty minutes online searching for somewhere to buy an item a pound cheaper? Are you working for £3/hour?
- Why do you put up with substandard products when you use them every day?
- Isn’t it worth investing in something that will lead to you being less frustrated?
My wife’s sick of me saying this by now, but I firmly believe that you should spend your money on the things that you use most often. For me that’s a bed, our shower, my computer, my mobile phone, and so on. You should also spend money on things that inspire and delight you. It all comes down to one of the quotes I shared recently that I aim to live by:
Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. (William Morris)
But more than that. Allocate your time and money on things that are important. It reaps dividends both in terms of productivity and happiness. 🙂
