We all have very busy lives, and carving out time can be very challenging. That’s why I think it’s important to make the distinction between spending time vs. investing time. There’s also the value proposition: what, in the long term, is most important to you?

Most people would love to be able to invest $500-$1,000 into a savings account every month, but very few can. We just don't have that much money left after we pay our living expenses. But, if we really wanted to, most of us could invest time instead of dollars to eventually accomplish the same thing.

It's important to recognize the difference between "spending" and "investing". When we invest time or money, we are giving up something now to get something (much) bigger in the future. It's what we call "return on investment". On the other hand, when we spend time and money, there are no future returns. When we spend time watching television, there is no return. When we spend money on a new toy, there is no return. We get what we get, at that moment, and that’s it.

Even if we can't always invest the money we would like to for the future, we probably can invest the time if we really want to. Children will always choose to spend rather than invest because they don't have the sense of the future that adults do.  As adults we realize how quickly time passes and that tomorrow will be here before we know it..

I am not against a certain amount of living for the moment. Like most things in life, we strive to achieve some sort of balance. It's OK to spend some money, but make sure you invest some too. The same with your time: spend some, but make sure you invest some too. Invest in your future because, as you have already realized, it will be here before you know it.