For the last seven years I have given the following essay by John Assaraf to my GAC students so that they can reflect on the value of time and how they use it.
As we head to the end of the year and we think about what we have achieved I think it is useful to read this.
This is our post for the 16th Day of Christmas.
Milton Drepaul
AlphaMax Academy
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| Selina from Nativity Play 2013 |
When I was 21 years-old, a gentleman asked me what I thought the value of an hour was. I honestly did not know how to answer the question. He went on to teach me one of the most valuable lessons I have ever learned.
He suggested that the value of an hour was priceless. This confused me some, so this is what he said to me.“If you invest one hour each day in understanding yourself and your environment better, you will accumulate nine 40-hour weeks over the course of a year!”
Yikes! As you can imagine I was blown away when he put it to me that way.
Nine 40-hour weeks? This seemed impossible until I did the math. 365 days, times one hour each is…yup, nine 40-hour weeks!
He went on to ask me how good I could get at something if I did it all day, every day for just over 2 months. Well, you already know the answer to that.
I thought I could be awesome!
He went on to tell me that over the course of just five years, I would have invested the equivalent of 1,825 hours of focus on whatever I desired to accomplish my life.
Imagine for a minute, how good you can become at anything that you did one hour a day for the next year. How fit could you get? How much more in love would you get and give? How much more money could you earn?
Let me suggest that one hour is a small price to pay in comparison to the payoff. Just one hour a day may be the razor’s edge you need to really get the results you want in your life.
For me, the decision was easy. I have been studying human potential and the mind for over 20 years. Each time I think I’m getting a good handle on it, I am gently reminded of how much there is to observe and learn.
Is getting what you want worth an hour a day? I certainly hope so.
I still manage to set aside my hour to read motivational stories or listen to inspirational people. They are the fuel for my mind and it keeps me learning and yearning for more.
Please adopt an hour a day for yourself! Pick one area of your life that you want to improve and commit the next 90 days to that one thing.
I assure you that the results you achieve will be well worth the decision! And remember…you can’t take out of life more than you put in.
John
