A few weeks ago on Facebook I posted a startling realization about myself. I am time poor.

I am fully employed, finishing my masters degree, partaking in an internship to finish said masters degree, growing a blog which has spawned 2 businesses, studying to become certified in financial education, maintaining a household, and attempting to have a decent social life in NYC . Yeah just reading that is tiring huh?

So yes, I am time poor.

In the pursuit of changing the world and ensuring my financial freedom while doing it I have compromised my most valuable asset.

Time.

There are moments when I stand still and disconnect, but it takes a lot of talking to myself to switch my train of thought from what I should and could be doing to just being still.

I find that being busy or time poor is more so of an issue for Gen Y’ers like me. I don’t want to blame it all on the internet, but… a lot of it has to do with the internet!  We are competitive and several of us are over achievers. We have been privy to the lives of more millionaires than our parents generation. We have seen everyday folk like Mark Zuckerberg strike big with inventions and businesses and the truth is a lot of us are so committed to the pursuit of wealth, regardless of how it impacts our schedules because “hard work pays off” right?

How did I, a women who believes in working smart and not hard become time poor? Did New York do it to me?

After reading an article by Tyler Ward called Busy Isn’t Respectable Anymore, which is an exceptional read, he made me realize that people, well me at least, take busy as a sign of being important. When it really isn’t. Being busy is a sign or poor management of time, your greatest asset. 

I am attempting to take action. My first step in clearing up my time is saying “no” to project, ideas, or things that were not important to me or key to my growth.  

I’m still trying to figure out what the second step is though.

You can earn your money back. You can climb out of debt and reclaim your financial freedom. But you will never, ever be able to get time back. Once it’s gone it is gone forever.

Are you addicted to being busy or are you “rehabilitated”? What are ways that you have effectively managed your time?