Every trader conducts a personal audit of their trading activities as the year concludes. Yet, there’s an overlooked aspect we often neglect… What worth do we assign to our time? It’s clear that time can’t be “stored”—it simply flows. It’s believed that we’re born with an abundance of time, facing a lifetime ahead, but this wealth is unmeasurable and the duration of one’s life remains unknown.
Nevertheless, this wealth is assured, as time can be allocated to anything our free will permits. Our decisions pave our path, leading us to embrace certain routes and abandon others. Consequently, we invest more time in our deepest passions. These could be driven by efficiency, financial gain, professional commitments, or a sense of obligation. Interestingly, time often serves as a medium of exchange.
Continuous Time Trade by Traders
This notion is particularly relevant to traders. A trader trades a portion of his present time for future freedom. What does this imply? Allocating funds in financial markets to increase wealth, thereby securing more time to live life aligned with personal aspirations and objectives. To elaborate on this concept:
Time and money are undeniably our most vital assets for investment and profit generation. Yet, it’s money that’s truly esteemed as an investment medium because it functions as a system of payment, exchange, and benchmark, offering tangible returns.
Conversely, when we invest time, its yield isn’t as readily quantifiable, occasionally resulting in monetary gain, such as exchanging labor for wages. Other times, the exchange is intangible, like pursuing knowledge through education.
Despite their similarities—both being manageable, expendable, savable, and finite—the stark contrast lies in the fact that only money can be regenerated. Lost money can be recuperated over time, but lost time is irretrievable, even with financial means.
Subconsciously, we prize money over time, except as we age: the elderly cherish time more, recognizing its scarcity. Time is freely accessible and at our disposal. It’s also the fairest resource available to everyone. The challenge lies in its management.
Diverse Applications of Time and Money
The identical sum of money and time will yield different outcomes for various individuals, regardless of their common origin. While it’s straightforward to claim that time is our primary resource to safeguard, we must acknowledge the pivotal role of money in shaping our future. Fulfilling unique experiences or desires necessitates considerable financial outlay and time investment to relish them.
The necessities of life and our era dictate the course of events:
money well-spent is economical, whereas time well-spent is rare and often unconsciously utilized
It presents an intriguing quandary.
The concept of time predates monetary creation and is frequently linked to productivity. Benjamin Franklin famously stated, “time is money,” suggesting that time devoted to earning money is well-utilized. Conversely, time spent elsewhere equates to financial loss. This perspective holds true within its context; outside of it, well-utilized time yields not just monetary gains but also a plethora of benefits surpassing financial value.
Both time and money are expended regardless of their use. Time is spent as it passes. If money is kept idle, inflation will gradually diminish its worth. This is a fundamental concept in finance: although the nominal amount of money stays the same, its value changes over time.
Time Must Be Invested
In the investment world, results are achieved after dedicating significant time. The paradox is that to make money, I must invest my time, and if I have money, I gain more control over my time. However, the rewards of both are not proportional. Having a lot of money does not mean having a lot of time.
Time is indifferent to the amount of money. Those who have accumulated a significant amount of money have invested much time in it and will also need considerable time to manage it.
It’s evident that happiness varies for everyone, but those with less money and more time for themselves and their families might be happier. A study by Social Psychological and Personality Science shows that 64% of respondents prefer money for free time, although the results differ when asked about happiness. It concludes that the amount of money accumulated does not equate to proportional happiness.
Beyond a certain monetary threshold, earning more does not proportionally increase happiness. Therefore, it is often said that wealth does not equate to happiness. Experts place this limit at 60,000 euros per year. One might wonder how to reach this amount, which requires an important reflection.
Investing Time to Gain Time
A trader invests time because more money enhances the ability to use time. However, how does one use this invested time? A trader must excel at managing the time dedicated to this profession. Although trading demands significant time and dedication, it should not be launched into a grueling 10-hour session that yields little benefit.
Some may argue that it depends on earnings, which is partially true. If making money destroys my psycho-physical balance, then such work is pointless. Trading is often equated with freedom, but this is a fine line between good and bad.
If freedom means spending money on useless luxury items or sitting in front of a computer for long hours, leading to regret and isolation, happiness will remain elusive. However, if it means having quality time with loved ones or enriching experiences, then everything changes.
Trading As Personal Growth
forex broker rebate – Trading can be seen as a progressive journey: a path where we grow step by step, first as individuals and then as traders. It’s a continuous exchange of time and money aimed at enhancing the quality of available time and self-awareness.
Life is unique, and we never know when it will end. Therefore, we must be responsible to ourselves throughout this journey. Negative emotions, lack of goals, and inability to respond to challenges must be avoided.
Time is our most precious asset. Unfortunately, we rarely evaluate it consciously as it inevitably diminishes. The future will always replace the past, which can never be recovered. Therefore, managing time effectively is crucial: if you want to achieve something, the first step is to realize its importance.
