So the alarm rattled my brain this morning at 5am, and I laid there wrestling with my mind over whether I wanted to get up and start my day or not… I was a year older today and had several things running through my mind.
Then I remembered a chat I had had with my wife Kelly not too long ago…
Dream Or Reality?
“…I was visualizing myself walking quickly and silently past my boys’ bedroom on my way to the front door. The morning heat was kicking on in the house and the cool, fresh air hit my face as I reached down for the large sack on my outside front step… A huge smile stretched across my face.
I opened the sack and thumbed through it. It was all there. My daily allowance of $10,000!
The stipulations on the enclosed note said that over the next 100 days I would be receiving a sack like this each day, but the money not spent or utilized by the end of the day would disappear, never to be seen again. And depending on how I did, I might be granted an extension on this offer…
Excitement rushed through my veins as I made my plans for this day and the days to come… Not wanting to miss out on any opportunity to get out there and do good for my family and the world with these precious resources…”
Did you know that this happens every day at my house? Although it’s not literally $10,000 sitting there on my porch, I do have around 18 hours of wake time or 1,080 minutes or 64,800 seconds in each day to take action with. That’s $9.26 per minute or $.15 per second (if I did my math right in this analogy).
We can either choose to “spend” that time with positive thoughts and empowering actions or not to. It ultimately comes down to the BIG QUESTION… “How do I “spend” my time?”
One thing is for sure, we are not ever able to retrieve the time that has passed… much like the money that is spent or squandered. The ‘Parable of the Talents’ (Matthew 25:14-30) in the Bible is one great source for this understanding, too.
We all have precious resources to be good stewards of, whether it be money, time, talent or even just life…
So much time is being spent by people worrying or being angry at the world… That won’t fix anything. If anything, it will only perpetuate these beliefs and attempt to drag everyone down around them.
Let’s Ask Ourselves Some Tough Questions
How is your time spent? Is it vested in your eternity? Is it vested in the long-term well-being of your family or your wellness for a better quality of life? Don’t let your thoughts or beliefs hold you captive. Make a change now to look at life through a new lens. Embrace each day as a new blessing and be a blessing to others around you.
You know what will happen don’t you? You’ll become more happy and content… a content ness that brings peace to you and those around you. By living in each ‘moment’ and being ‘present’ you become more true to you and open to what life has to give back to you as well.
Looking back at our analogy… if after 100 days I maximized the resources I was given (i.e. $10,000 daily allowance) I could have invested a total of $1 million dollars… What kind of long-lasting affect might I have on those around me? Especially if I now have $1 million dollars invested in numerous ways?
Well, can you see how the same holds true with the way we ‘spend’ our time? Of course! And based on our actions we might even be entrusted with more in the long run, too!
Ultimately our decisions are based on a couple of simple things. We use discipline to accomplish our goals and to avoid pain and to use our time well. Or there can be the motivation of regret which brings pain based on not using our time well or making poor choices. What motivates you? Self-discipline or Regret?
Here is a video with a great message. Take a moment to sit back and soak it up…
I’d like to close with a couple things.
First, I’ve listed below some inspiring blog posts of some of my Tribe which address how they spend their time and share insights to what brings purpose and passion to their lives.
Jon Alfredsson: “The Purpose of Life”
Michael Feil: “Surprise Wedding: Yes, You Read That Right!”
Ken Pickard: “Man Day — Father And Son Time”
Eric Goldstein: “I’m Running A Marathon… Why I’m Doing This??”
Nick Logan: “New Year Inspiration For 2010″
And finally, I’m going to share a short video on how I aim to budget my time and organize and prioritize my week.
Here are also a few of my own blog posts where I visit the things I hold dear or that bring purpose and passion to my life.
Just For Today
Thoughts To A New Entrepreneur
Speaking Louder Than Words: “Be A Force Of Nature!”
Reaching His Full Potential… Inspiration For Us All!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little thought which has POWERFUL, LONG REACHING, PARADIGM SHIFTING IDEAS…
How do you stay focused and grounded in your daily actions? Please share below and if you think others would benefit from this little dialogue, I always appreciate your ReTweet.
As I turn one year older today. It’s my prayer and wish that you find a New Empowerment in ALL THAT YOU DO and that your Dreams Come True.
Here’s to you!
Kary Rogney
Google Buzz
34 Comments and Pings on I Was Given A Million Dollars… This Is How It’s Changed My Life
Hey Kary,
I dream and pray about
this same principle on a daily
basis. It is not all about making
a million dollars to me, but how
many people that I can help out
along the way onto the million.
I believe over the next 90 days of
my life there will be a huge transformation
because i have laid a solid foundation that I
believe will create and enrich the lives of myself
and many.
Donny Gamble´s last blog ..3 Simple Social Media Holiday Tips
Great post Kary!
It’s so important to schedule your
days, as you showed it the video. It
helps us to create balance in our lives,
making sure we are focusing in all arenas.
Most people never take the time to look at
how they are spending their time. Thanks
for the reminder to pay attention to this:)
Keep sharing that VALUE brotha man!
Eric Goldstein´s last blog ..Centerpointe Review: Learn To Meditate Like A Zen Monk
Hey Kary! First and foremost, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
It’s my baby cousins third birthday today as well and my family has gone to his party.
Time is so precious and it’s so easily taken for granted. My current thought process: Should I be doing this? And how can I outsource this?
I’ve just picked up the four hour work week again as nothing makes more paradigm shifts than the book of Tim Ferris in my opinion.
Well done on your schedule and planning. I am working on my mind maps right now, but definitely need to break things down to the way you’ve done.
Rock on buddy!
George Fourie´s last blog ..[Video] Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays To YOU!
Hi Kary,
Happy B-day my friend! I can personally resonate with many of the points you make in this post. First and foremost is that positive thoughts and empowering actions are a conscious choice!
The way in which we “spend” time is truly an investment in ourselves and those around us. Self-discipline is also another important component in the equation of manifesting our goals.
Thanks for the share!
~Fredric
Fredric Schwartz´s last blog ..Entrepreneurial Mindset: Becoming a Jedi Marketer
Kary!
What is up my friend!? I have had a super busy day, and I almost let your birthday slip by me… Hope it’s great man!
Tremendous post today as usual buddy! One of the coolest parts that i saw in the video is how you try to spend most of your time “building relationships”
By staying true to this, you are in a select group of marketers. More and more people are letting “relationship marketing” fall by the wayside.
Glad to see there are still some “good ole boys” out there that know what it takes to really make things happen!
I use to be in a completely different niche market, and pretty much opperated the EXACT same way that you do. I contribute that and that alone to the reason that I was able to “fire” 3 of my bosses at 3 different jobs, and create my own future.
Congrats on all of your success and thanks for everything you do to contribute!
Justin Glover
Justin Glover´s last blog ..My Special Christmas Gift To You
Happy birthday, Kary! Great blog! I was impressed with your analogy, examples, and advice. Thanks also for the blog back up instructions.
Oren Pardes´s last blog ..Signals Intelligence?
Hey Kary!
What a great reminder about the value of our time and how we should treat it accordingly. Your story about receiving $10,000 a day really helps to put it in perspective.
I can definitely relate with your struggle to make sure you are balancing your time between building your business and spending quality time with your family. It is sometimes difficult to let your goals go, especially when you are on a roll. Thank you for sharing your schedule with us. I love how you have the color coding for your office hours and couple time.
I hope you enjoyed your birthday!
Melissa
Melissa Wright´s last blog ..What is the most important thing you can do in Social Media?
Hi Kary, Happy Birthday!
Thanks for the reminder that each day
is precious and cannot be lived again.
It is easy to assume when you work from home
that you can make your own hours, but if those
hours are wasted, you might be better off in a
day job.
Theresa Moss´s last blog ..Quick Marketing Tip – Time Limited Bonuses
Kary, you are right on with this!
As a home based entrepreneur, it’s easy to be “busy but not productive”. While it’s good to be flexible for whatever may need to come up, I think having a very detailed daily schedule is one of the most important things for being effective and balanced.
And I wish I’d known when we chatted yesterday that it was your birthday….happy birthday! I hope it was fabulous, and thanks for taking time out of your day to help me out!
Beth Allen´s last blog ..With Social Media Comes Social Responsibility
Kary, Happy Birthday.
You are so right and that is my biggest problem. Scheduling my time and sticking with it. And like Beth said, being productive. Sometimes I think I am so busy but I haven’t really accomplished anything. I really need to set up a schedule like you have shown. That will be a big help. Thanks again Kary.
Donna Brogan´s last blog ..The Reason For The Season
Kary,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Always nice to meet another “child of December”. (we rock it!)
These were great thoughts today. Thanks for sharing your schedule with us and showing how you balance your time. I would most def be interested in hearing more about how you spend the time in the office and accomplish so much in that “dedicated time”.
As an entrepreneur, I always find time management to be key in balancing the demands of my business with my personal and family commitments. The value you share here is outstanding. Look forward to more!
Kary,
Thanks for sharing this post and by the way, Happy Birthday. We find ourselves living in a very fast paced and hectic world. So many things are screaming for our time and yet so many things distract us from what’s important and meaningful in our lives. It’s easy to get lost on the internet and social sites for hours on end and never really get anything done. I find that this can happen to me, especially when I’m discovering something new.
You have given me a reminder that it’s time to take an hour, set it aside and focus on the important things in my life and prioritize them. There’s been a lot that has happened in the last month and a half. It’s time to bring all things back into balance again. Living a balanced life every day leads to balance and harmony in daily life. Thanks for the lesson and the reminder.
Kary,
Great post on organizing your time. It’s amazing how precious time really is and I love how you set your priorities.
We can get so carried away on being busy and thinking we’re productive. By implementing a few basic boundary principals we can get organized and be effective at the same time.
Thanks for sharing a glimpse of your day.
Ken Pickard
The Network Dad
Ken Pickard´s last blog ..6 Reasons Why You Need a Blogging Alliance
Hi Kary,
Thanks for sharing; It is especially timely as we set new goals for the New Year. I just recently made up a schedule to help keep me focused on my projects, family time, and training. Your post is a great reminder and encouragement for each of us to take the time to plan our schedule and activities. Once it is written down it seems to already free up our minds and allow for more creativity and productivity.
Thanks again for sharing the value!
I love this post. I’ve figured out once I do have complete financial freedom, I’m going to continue to coach and train. I get more rewards empowering others with what I’ve learned. When I see coaching clients connect with each other and share the ideas that we’ve talked about it really gets my juices goin…
Thanks for the post Kary
Nick Logan´s last blog ..Promote Yourself Here
Kary,
Great post about managing your time and understanding what’s the most important in life. Sometimes we need to step back from our work and just focus on why we are working in the first place! As we go into this new year i just want to encourage you all to set some time for your family and loved ones. We can always work but we can’t always spend time with family.
You’re right Kary…Time management is the key!
Michael Feil´s last blog ..Get Noticed By using Gravatars!
This is powerful information and helps put in my mind a blueprint for living each day. It is more common for most people to drift in whatever direction the virtual wind blows.
The value in your words here tell me to prioritize life and design with purpose something that works for me.
For me this is a definite re-read
Robin Lynn Brooks´s last blog ..Expressing Yourself
Kary this is such an awesome reminder for the New Year!
So many people live their lives in quiet suffering filled with regret, time that can never be had over again. Each and every day is an absolute blessing and we have choice in every moment as to how we spend our time.
You’ve got me thinking about not only how I spend my time but who with…
I’m mapping out a vision of exactly the kind of people I want to spend my time with and it feels very powerful just setting the intention.
Happy New Year and thanks for such a powerful nudge!
Michaelé
Michaele Harrington´s last blog ..Social Media, Are You Ready For The Future?
I appreciate you for giving such a creative site. Your blog happens to be not just knowledgeable but also bvery imaginative too. We find very few professionals who can write not so easy articles that creatively. A lot of people keep looking for knowledge regarding something like this. I Myself have gone through many blogs to find knowledge regarding this.We look forward to the next posts !!
Great to make a schedule because it is so easy to get distracted. I believe it is important to set aside a schedule of business activities as well. I feel if I don’t set time aside for social media, self growth, prospecting, for example, I get distracted and end up wasting more time in the end. This also helps you relax when it is time to spend with the family and they also understand when you need to work. Great Advice!
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Emmie
Kary this is a Fantastic post. I have been thinking about how I should prioritize my day and you just gave me great ideas on how to do that.
Thanks again!
Hi Kary! Very thought-provoking and a wonderful awareness of how we spend our time. Luv it and thank you for sharing.
Jennifer Hart´s last blog ..Attraction Marketing – An Optimal Way of Doing Business
It’s great to be reminded… daily… of the gifts we have received. And to be reminded that we are not deserving of them, that is, we have not earned them, they have been GIVEN us. Whether that is the sun, a cool breeze, a great visit from a relative… they all are daily gifts, our daily bread for which we should continually… continually be grateful. When we are, a flood of new and renewed gifts come to us. Thanks for the reminder Kary!
Kary,Thank you for another great post!
There is a past which is gone forever, but there is a future which is still our own. ~ Frederick William Robertson
@Rebecca David, I like that! Thanks for sharing, Rebecca.
You are so welcome! I’m looking forward to the journey with you.
Kary
Hi Kary,
What an awesome article, and a great analogy! That’s so true, we only have so much time in our lives to try and accomplish our goals and dreams, and once that time is gone, it’s gone forever… Here’s to getting down to business and not letting another wasted minute go by!
Jeffrey Ferris
Jeffrey Ferris´s last blog ..How to Use Yahoo Search Marketing to Bring In New Leads
Yes, Jeffrey! Love it! Let’s do some great things together right now!
Let me know if there is anything I can ever do for you, buddy!
All the best,
Kary
Thanks Kary, fantastic inspiring blog, appreciate the challenge about TIME !!! Thanks again Kaye
Lots of stuff with priorities in the right order. Family, health and work. Great share from a doer and giver.
Arlan Murata´s last blog ..Does Network Marketing Work?
Wow – you really opened my eyes in this one. I realized that I have no structure! If, like you say we should have 18 hrs of wake time, I am definitely not getting the best use of my time. Thank you for such insight – you “woke” me up! I am going to get out a calendar right now and start scheduling my day! Thanks Again!
Glyna Humm´s last blog ..Google Buzz – Ready to Sting or Get Stung?
Hi Kary,
Another very inspirational post that also educates and encourages action. Thank you for sharing your life with us. I feel I know who you are – a wonderful guy with pure energy and power to influence prosperous actions.
´s last blog ..The Law of Laws (part 4) 
As always, a lot of food for thought comes out from your articles and calls me to come out of the closet and play! I appreciate you for the mastery to do so.
Thank you,
Venus
Venus
Kary,
This is the first time I’ve visited your blog. I am really impressed with the content of this post and the way that you organized your thoughts and ideas. I intend to share it with my team..as I know no way of saying it better myself.
Peace and Abundance,
Deborah Tutnauer
Thanks Deborah!
I really appreciate your kind words and
for coming by my blog for a peek!
Many blessings,
Kary
[...] Time Issues [...]
This entry was posted on Sunday, December 27th, 2009 at 6:00 am and is filed under Kary Rogney, Personal Growth, Spiritual Growth, Your Mindset. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.