Putting a Price on Your Time and Family
Even though it might sound selfish and materialistic at first, putting a price on your time and family is a sound investment. It’s important to realize that investments aren’t always monetary in nature.
You can invest in your physical health or your mental state by working out, for example, without having to pay anything. The return on that investment, however, can translate into financial gains, but that’s another matter entirely. That said, we’re looking to make a case here as to why it’s a good idea to put a price on your own time and family.
If you’re willing to spend some time on personal development for a career in IT, MyComputerCareer is at your service. We provide technical training, certification preparation, and job placement support for adult learners looking to enter the Information Technology industry, as well as professionals seeking career advancement. For more information, please feel free to contact us.
Putting a Price on Time
Time is, arguably, the most valuable currency we have. We invest time in everything that we do, hoping to get the most in return. Nevertheless, we don’t always realize the actual value that time has, which is particularly true when we’re younger. We know that our time is finite, yet we subconsciously believe that it’s never going to end.
It’s at moments like these when we tend to procrastinate, basically squandering our time with no real return on investment. This is why it’s a good idea to put a price on time, literally or figuratively. Most financially conscious people will put a value on their time and keep it top-of-mind. Others may even go a step further and look at every purchase based on the time it took to make that money and determine if it’s really worth it.
Regardless, both groups of people realize the actual value that time has and will always aim to invest it wisely. For example, they know that they’ll be much better off if they focus most of their spare time on personal development instead of playing video games or watching TV.
In some cases, time has a clear monetary value, like when we’re at our jobs working, learning a new skill, writing a book, or building a business from scratch. At other times, however, its value is less tangible but still feels like we’re moving things in the right direction. Volunteering, for instance, will not provide us with direct financial gains but can fulfill a greater sense of accomplishment and self-actualization.
Also, volunteering one’s time can still provide certain tangible benefits. Take Denmark, for example, one of the world’s happiest nations. Around 38% of its adult population performs voluntary unpaid work. Not only does this volunteer work contribute 9.6% to the national GDP, but it also has a significant impact on social cohesion, promotion of democracy, and inclusion/integration.
Putting a Price on Family
Even though most of us consider our family priceless, it’s still a good idea to put a price on it, just like we would do with our time. Another way to look at it is to consider how much family time we’re willing to sacrifice for our prosperity and how long we want to wait for that investment to pay off. If a family is not your concern at the moment, you can consider your friends, personal life, and activities.
The point here is to determine the value of time spent with family or friends and the time spent on career development and/or entertainment. Then, strike a balance that’s able to provide a lifestyle consistent with what you want out of life. As such, it’s wise not to fall into the all-too-common trap of wistfully longing for certain financial or lifestyle goals but being unwilling to invest the time to get there.
If you’re willing to spend some time on personal development for a career in IT, MyComputerCareer is at your service. We provide technical training, certification preparation, and job placement support for adult learners looking to enter the Information Technology industry, as well as professionals seeking career advancement. For more information, please feel free to contact us.