Meaningful Returns

I think about money and people all day long. It is what I do, and what I love, because that intersection is one that’s ripe for change in a very positive direction.

But if your job doesn’t involve thinking about money and people all day long, how much time should you spend thinking about money (Pro Tip: the people part should be the same no matter what your career is)?

Here’s what I suggest: cut back ruthlessly on the time you think about those draining administrative tasks (budgeting, little spending decisions, regular saving, etc.). Do this by automating all of those things and thinking about donuts and budgeting.

Then, start thinking a lot more about how you might use money and time to make the world a better place. Start with your family, but don’t stop there. Think about your family, the families in your neighborhood, the families in the neighborhood on the other side of town, the families in poverty and need–how could your money be a tool to make life fuller for all of them?

Because I don’t know how much time you should spend thinking about money, but maybe that’s the wrong question. Maybe the question should just be, “How do you think about money?”