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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

On Mar 6, 2008, at 10:05 AM, Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:

> On an integrated farmstead just try to put your finger on the ‘value  
> of your
> time’.  Any dollar figure on it is an illusion and a mental trap  
> that one
> easily falls into.

We have different perspectives. I've been mulling this over. This is  
unfinished but what I have so far:

What Is Time Worth?

From the perspective of my eighth decade, I find myself being less  
impulsive than I once was, planning more carefully, choosing mostly  
activities that give me maximal satisfaction. I have diminishing time,  
so I value it more.

Even before I retired from working mostly for dollars I found myself  
thinking, “if it’s not fun, don’t do it.” It seems to me that fun is  
the result of focus, feedback and perception. We are in charge of all  
three--and all three involve time.

It is luxurious to contemplate doing nothing that is not fun, but then  
comes trimming toenails, brushing teeth, and cleaning the toilet. The  
slide down from fun to enjoyment to satisfaction to necessity appears  
an irrefutable part of life.

Time has an opportunity cost for anyone with more than one interest. I  
have the disease of too many interests; I am passionate about doing so  
many things—designing, building, gardening, landscaping, reading,  
writing—and have so many plans that entail those passions, that I am  
certain to die before I accomplish half of my goals.

For many people, time has a significant economic value. Hours equal  
shekels. Time may not be money but it has a personal value due to the  
awareness of each day’s finite span and all-too-short human lifespans.

You will have a unique perspective on the value of your time. If you  
are young you may feel it is unlimited. For me it is the most fleeting  
jewel in my kingdom.