The other day, while sitting in an airport waiting for a connecting flight, I found myself doing what I suspect most of us do when we have a little extra time on our hands.
I found a comfortable spot, caught up on a few emails, scrolled through some news, and watched a couple of videos. Every so often, I'd glance at the clock or listen for the gate agent to make an announcement I could barely understand.
In essence, I was doing what we often refer to as killing time.
I wasn't necessarily doing anything important. I was simply trying to occupy the space between where I was and where I needed to be next.
As I sat there, I started thinking about how differently I've viewed time throughout my life.
I remember being a kid and feeling bored. There were afternoons when nobody was around to throw a ball with, nothing particularly interesting was happening, and no real plans. I'd wander into the woods behind our house or find something to do in my dad's workshop.
Back then, time seemed endless. The challenge was finding something to fill it.
I also remember sitting in my bedroom in high school, wishing school would hurry up and end so I could get started with my life. It's remarkable how clearly I remember that feeling, almost as if it were yesterday.
Fast-forward several decades, and I can honestly say I rarely experience boredom anymore. Quite the opposite. There's always something that needs my attention, somewhere to go, someone to call, or something I feel I should be accomplishing.
Somewhere along the way, I went from trying to fill my time to trying to find more of it.
When I was first married and beginning my career, my focus was largely on work. I wanted to build something, provide for my family, and afford things that were simply out of reach at the time. When our boys came along, my priorities certainly changed, but work remained a significant part of my life.
Looking back, I traded a tremendous amount of time for money, opportunity, recognition, and sometimes status.
And to be fair, I don't regret all of it. Those sacrifices helped create the foundation that allows me to enjoy the life I have today. Hard work, discipline, and ambition have their rewards.
But there were costs, too. Moments missed, opportunities passed over, and time that I'll never get back.
As my career progressed, my perspective began to shift.
I became more willing to spend money to save time. As our business and team grew, I gained the ability to delegate responsibilities and create some flexibility. I began making decisions based less on what something cost and more on how much time or inconvenience it could save.
Some might consider those choices unnecessary or even a little irresponsible. But increasingly, convenience became something I was willing to pay for.
Early in my career, I was willing to sacrifice time to make money. Today, I'm often willing to spend money to preserve time.
It's an interesting reversal.
And then, just recently, I became a grandfather.
Even writing those words seems a little unbelievable.
Last weekend, I was visiting my son and daughter-in-law and spending time with their first baby. I couldn't help but think about that kid sitting in his bedroom wishing life would hurry up and begin.
How did we get from there to here so quickly?
Perhaps becoming a grandfather has made me more reflective. Or perhaps it's simply another stage of life that changes how we view the things we once took for granted.
Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of working with people at almost every stage of life. Young families, business owners, people approaching retirement, and those well into their later years.
One thing I've observed is that our perspective on time often changes with our circumstances. When we're young and healthy, we tend to assume there's plenty of it ahead. As we grow older, experience health challenges, or lose people we care about, its value becomes much more apparent.
Think about a Saturday morning on the golf course.
For years, finishing a round meant rushing to the parking lot to get to a soccer game, lacrosse game, or another family commitment. Meanwhile, a group of older gentlemen would finish their rounds, head to the patio, and settle in for lunch, a drink, and a couple of hours of conversation.
Same Saturday morning. Completely different priorities.
Perhaps they understood something I was still learning.
In my profession, we spend an enormous amount of time talking about assets. Homes, retirement accounts, investments, businesses, and the wealth people accumulate over a lifetime.
But the more I've thought about it, the more convinced I've become that our most valuable asset isn't something we own. It's the time we have.
Nobody is making any more of it, and once it's gone, we can't get it back.
We can lose money and earn it again. We can miss opportunities and create new ones. But we can't recover yesterday.
I've begun asking myself not just what I need to accomplish, but where I want to invest my time and why.
I want to continue building our business, supporting our team, and making a difference for the people we serve. I want to spend time with people who matter to me, strengthen meaningful relationships, and enjoy the experiences that bring happiness and fulfillment.
And sometimes that means recognizing that not everything deserves the same amount of my attention.
I still believe in working hard, pursuing goals, and making sacrifices. But I'm learning that being busy and living a fulfilling life aren't necessarily the same thing.
Perhaps the goal isn't to make every minute productive. Perhaps it's to make our minutes intentional.
So here's a question I've been asking myself, and one I'd encourage you to consider.
If time truly is your most valuable asset, are you spending it in ways that reflect what matters most to you?
Who deserves more of your time? What deserves less? What have you been putting off that someday you may wish you hadn't?
We spend a lifetime learning how to manage our money, grow our assets, and plan for the future.
Perhaps we should spend a little more of that lifetime learning how to manage the one asset we can never replace.
Our time.
Mark J. Modzeleski, CFS®, CLTC®, AIF®
President, Legacy Wealth Advisors of NY