9’s and 10’s

Two key elements consume much of our daily attention and can either distract or support our well-being and sense of aliveness. Those two elements are money and time.  Isn’t it interesting that we use the word “spend” in reference to both money and time?In the past it seemed like money was the principal concern of most of my clients; now almost universally time seems to have taken the forefront as a major life issue.In many ways money is just stored time. We can use it to get tasks done, to make our lives more efficient, to buy the food it would take us a long time to gather, to purchase cars that allow us to travel long distances quickly, saving time.  With money we can leverage and save our precious time.Time is our most precious asset. Our time here is limited and when it runs out, we are done.  Most of us feel like we have too little.With anything precious such as money and time, how we handle and spend it is critically important.I have a system I call 9’s and 10’s.If I created a scale from 1-10, with one being not valuable and ten being of the utmost value, where on the scale would you put money?  Where would you put time?For me, the game I have been playing is to put money and time at an 8 on the scale of 1-10.  In this game I say that if money or time is valued at an 8, then anything I spend it on has to be worth more than an 8.  So from that perspective I only spend my money and time on 9’s and 10’s.For example, in the case of time, let’s say that someone whose company I didn’t much enjoy invited me to dinner.  Now, I could go for many reasons, because I “should” go or not to hurt their feelings, etc.  However, if I applied my system of 9’s and 10’s, and let’s say that this case came up as a 6 on a scale of 1-10, there might be some compelling reasons to go, yet they’re still not enough.  So I don’t go. This opens  me up to looking for 9’s and 10’s to devote my time to.  If you don’t know what 9’s and 10’s are for you, start making a list, start creating and calling in your 9 and 10 experiences.Did you know you could make time?  You can make time for anything you really want to do, and you do it all the time!  I can always make time to go to the bathroom or to go on a great date or to hold my son.The same goes for money. If you rate money at an 8, then you will only spend it on 9’s and 10’s.  Just try it for the next week and spend your $ only on 9’s and 10’s and see what is truly valuable to you.  I love to surround myself with 9 and 10 possessions, and I hate it when I spend money on something that feels like an 8 or less. What a waste.  It is a simple system for knowing what to buy. If there is any question or debate in your mind, assume it is an 8 and don’t buy it!How would you live your life if everything had to be 9’s and 10’s?  What if all your relationships had to be 9’s and 10’s?  How about your vacations?  Your meals?  Your exercise options?  Where else could you apply 9’s and 10’s?If you used this process and only spent your time and money on 9’s and 10’s, how would that affect your life?