My life changed when I started valuing time over money
The day my decision-making criteria shifted from "money" to "time." The story of how I found my life's bible.
Do you ever feel like, "I want to live with more smiles, but for some reason, every day just wears me down"? You feel like you're trying your best, but when night comes, you feel guilty for no reason. Your days off end with you just sleeping. It was a single Kindle book that changed that version of me. To put it simply, just by changing my decision-making criteria from "money" to "time," my days began to improve quietly, but surely.
I wrote this article for people like you:
You work overtime constantly and spend your days off sleeping as if you've passed out. You want to start a side hustle or study, but you can't get motivated. You join a gym but stop going after a few weeks. You choose your bento at the supermarket based on what's "cheap." At night, you stare at your smartphone and blame yourself for "doing nothing again today."
That was exactly me in the past. If even one of these applies to you, this article is worth reading to the end.
If you don't read this, you'll probably be in the same place three years from now.
I'm going to be blunt. If you keep living with your current decision-making criteria, you'll be almost the same three years from now. No, you might even be a little worse off because your physical stamina will have declined.
Conversely, if you adopt even one of the ideas in this book, you'll be looking at a different landscape in six months. The way you spend your mornings will change, the way you spend your money will change, and the way you interact with people will change. Have you forgotten the feeling of being able to go to sleep thinking, "Today was a good day"? I reclaimed that.
Why am I telling you this?
I am improving my life by changing my mindset and habits so that I can spend every day with a smile. I'm training for a full marathon, writing articles on Note, and living a life where I go on small day trips on the weekends.
To be honest, until a few years ago, I wasn't even conscious of the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day. I would melt away 8 hours a day on online games, get by on half-price supermarket bentos, and spend my days off sinking into bed, only to feel self-loathing when night fell. From the outside, I was just a regular working adult, but inside, I remember feeling depressed every night, wondering, "Is it really okay to keep going like this?"
It was the book I'm about to introduce that quietly changed my inner self.
Why did I write this article?
Since reading this book, every aspect of my life has changed little by little. What I eat, how I spend my time, how I approach my work, and the distance I keep from others. The changes were so natural that before I knew it, I felt like a completely different person from who I used to be.
That is exactly why I want to reach people who, like my past self, are working hard but still feel unfulfilled. That is why I wrote this article. If this becomes the catalyst for you to change even one action starting today, then that alone gives meaning to me writing this.
People I do NOT recommend this book to
I'll be clear from the start. This book will not resonate with people who fall into the following categories:
People who are "perfectly satisfied with how things are now"
People who won't change any of their actions even after reading the book
People who just want to conclude with "that was a nice story" and have no intention of changing themselves
This book is not one you just read and finish.It is a book for reading and rewriting how you spend your day.If you have no intention of changing your actions, it is better not to read it.
Conversely, for those who are serious about wanting to change their current life, even if only a little, or who want to improve the rest of their life with their own hands, this is the ultimate book.
My life's bible, 'Living Life to the Fullest'
The introduction has become long. What I want to introduce is a book I bought on Kindle and reread every day, 'Living Life to the Fullest'.
When I first read it, honestly, my impression was just that it seemed like a self-help book. However, as I reread it a little every day, I felt it gradually soaking into the core of my decision-making. Now, I keep the Kindle app on my smartphone's home screen and make sure to open it during the gaps in my day, such as waiting for a train, in the restroom, or during my lunch break.
The biggest change: My decision-making axis shifted from 'money' to 'time'
After reading this book, what changed decisively for me was mydecision-making axis.
In the past, when I chose something, I decided based on 'whether it was cheap' or 'whether it was a good deal.' Now it is different.I decide based on the question, 'Is this a way of using time that will build up for me a year from now?'
Time is more valuable than money. This idea, which appears repeatedly in the book, works even on the small choices of daily life.
Specifically, what has changed?
I will write honestly about the changes that have occurred in my life.
What I eat
Past | It was a habit to buy a 300-yen bento from the half-price section at the supermarket.
Present | Even if it is a bit expensive, I choose things that make my body happy, such as fresh vegetables, fresh meat, milk, yogurt, and fresh eggs. A passage in the book about 'treating your body as capital' has remained in my head, and I have startedinvesting in my body rather than my wallet.
How I spend my time
Past | 8 hours a day on online games. Before I knew it, my days off would disappear.
Present | I have shifted that time to writing Note articles, reading, and studying English. It is not that I have completely quit games. I just take a breath and ask, 'Is this time that my future self will be happy with, or is ittime that only my current self is happy with?'Just by doing that, the quality of my day has changed.
Attitude toward work
Past | Days spent just mindlessly completing the tasks in front of me.
Present | I decide one thing in the morning about'who I can be useful to today'before I start working. It is like practicing the words in the book, 'live a life that is useful to society with a sincere heart,' while keeping my shoulders relaxed. As a result, both my relationship with clients and my own passion have clearly changed.
How to end the day
Past | Lazing around on days off, and at night, the guilt of having done nothing. Staring at my smartphone in bed, unable to fall asleep.
Present | I write a small to-do list in the morning. A 30-minute jog, writing one Note article, 5 minutes of English study—just a small list like that. Looking back at it at night and seeing the tasks crossed off gives me a sense of accomplishment for having done my best today. I am savoring the phrase from the book, 'The only person to compare yourself to is who you were yesterday,' in this way every day.
Pages that left a particular impression
From the phrases I took notes on while reading, I will share a few that particularly moved me.
Investing in yourself brings enormous returns Whenever I hesitate to buy a book or go to the gym, remembering this sentence makes me feel lighter.
Use your most valuable 2-3 hours in the morning for your most important work This passage was the reason I started waking up early to write articles.
Spend more time with people who give you energy I started looking at the people I associate with not in terms of 'profit and loss,' but in terms of 'energy flow.'
Do it before aiming for perfection I think this is the most effective advice for people who can't start a side hustle.
Judge everything as either an 'investment or a waste' Just by being conscious of this, both how you spend your money and how you spend your time will naturally fall into place.
Maintain your composure even when provoked / Do not criticize others I feel this is the most necessary prescription for the social media age.
If you always think of yourself as a lucky person, you will actually become one I was skeptical, but it is actually starting to happen.
Digital detox when the clock strikes midnight The quality of my sleep has truly changed.
Now is the best time of my life When I recite this sentence, my day strangely falls into place.
These are just a few examples. The book is scattered with many more 'tips you can change from today.'
Why I think this book is effective regardless of age
I feel that this is a book from which anyone, whether in their 20s or 60s, can take something away from their respective positions. The reason is that what is written is not about 'special talent,' but about the 'axis of judgment.'
The axis of judgment is not affected by age. In fact, I think that as you reach the latter half of life, the gap between those who have an axis and those who do not only widens.
If you want to change something right now
One last time, I will write something important.
Reading a book alone won't change your life. However, those who acquire the right perspective will find their daily small choices naturally leading their lives in a better direction. This is something I have truly realized over the past few months.
If you feel even the slightest bit of hesitation about your daily life right now, it is well worth trying for the price of a single lunch.
Once you have read it, please let me know your thoughts. I will continue to read it every single day, so that the person I am a year from now can stand in a place I am even more proud of.
Thank you so much for reading until the end! If you found this article even a little bit helpful or interesting, I would be very happy if you could click the heart mark below.