By: AnnaMarie Mock, CFP®
"The key is in not spending time, but in investing it." —Stephen R. Covey, Author
We only have 24 hours daily to do all life's necessities like work, sleep, and personal care. According to a 2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) survey, an average day has about 5 hours of leisure time. I'm unsure what the BLS counts towards 'leisure,' but I think it may be overstated. Nonetheless, the takeaway is our time is limited.
I was fortunate enough to participate in HIGHLAND's four-week sabbatical program, designed to unplug from work completely. Wow – four weeks of uninterrupted 'ME' time.
I did what any type-A person would do and outlined every moment to maximize my time off. As I wrote down my itinerary for day 22, hour 3, I realized I was mapping out how I would spend my time rather than looking for activities I was passionate about that would be meaningful to me. I remembered my 5 hours of leisure a day would now jump to 24 hours.
I paused and reflected inwardly on life's precious commodity, time. As Michael Altshuler said, "The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." It's encouraging to think I can take advantage of what life gives me as long as I know the journey and the destination. This ideology is undoubtedly reminiscent of the financial planning process.
Think about booking a trip – To create your itinerary, you must know the location, airports, time frame, and dollar amount. Without that information, the trip wouldn't happen; the same applies to your financial life.
So, I scrapped my original plan and started again while being mindful of what I wanted to gain from my time off. This type of clarity can be very freeing, whether for a short period, balancing every day with work and life, or entering retirement. Pausing and reflecting can ground you and shift your perspective to do what truly matters most.
After compiling my thoughts, I decided to invest some time off to travel. My husband, Dorian, and I have always loved being on adventures, taking in different historical sites, cuisines, and cultures. We decided to explore new places and return to one of my favorite ancient cities, Rome. From our drive to Rome from Barcelona, I practiced my newfound appreciation for time by intentionally losing track of it!
I was present without distractions while we drove through picturesque seaside towns of the French Rivera, browsed the gardens of the Pitti Palace, ate gelato next to the Arno River, and sipped on wine watching the sunset next to the Colosseum. It was a memorable trip, not just because of my wonderful travel partner or the places we went to but because I purposefully used my time to add value.
Some of the highlights from our trip:
Dining at any tapas restaurant in Barcelona – seriously.
Riding bikes from the center of historic Antibes to the Cap d'Antibes hiking trail.
Walking the streets of Florence during the early morning free from crowds.
Roaming the Vatican. It is as awe-inspiring as I've been told.
Wandering the Park of the Aqueducts in the Ancient Appian Way.
How can you start making better time investments? Many people lose momentum and make ad hoc decisions without considering the impact on their life. To start, you must understand your values and aspirations. This will help formulate your personal and professional goals and inspire you to use your time to make your goals a reality. This is the beginning stages of your life and financial plan – a blueprint guiding your decisions over time.
"Time = life; therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life." - Alan Lakein
Thank you! I want to thank all of you, my clients, for your tremendous support during my sabbatical. You are all incredible, and I appreciate you very much.
I also want to thank the HIGHLAND team for their coverage and support during my time away. Our tagline, What We Do Matters, is how we live our lives and applies to our work with our clients and our support for the team.
AnnaMarie Mock is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Partner at HIGHLAND Financial Advisors, LLC, a Fee-Only financial planning firm that offers comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, employer retirement planning, and investment management. AnnaMarie graduated from Montclair State University with a degree in finance and management and successfully passed the CFP® national exam in 2016. She has been working at Highland Financial Advisors since 2013 as a fee-only, fiduciary Wealth Advisor and is a member of NAPFA.