Of Things That Matter Most
An Allocator of Time
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Across my several ramblings I often talk about this idea that compels me to enjoy investing so much, and why most of writing is a sort of study of investing:
“The art and science of allocating finite resources to create an optimal outcome.”
The reason that line is so broad is because I believe it applies to almost everyone and everything. Everyone is an investor of something because they’re allocating finite things in their lives: money, attention, time, effort, love.
This week has me reflecting on time, particularly 8 years. Also an arbitrary number but its meaningful to me. This week marks my 8th wedding anniversary. I’ve written about my family before, like when we had our 3rd kid, thinking about my life as the “ultimate investment committee,” and the balance between hard work and life satisfaction.
My core takeaway in my life is that the more finite the resource? The better you need to allocate it. I can make and lose money, but time is something I never get enough of. So as an investor of time? My wife, and my family, are the most valuable things in my life.
I have a wife that I truly don’t deserve. Every good thing in my life she’s made possible.
Clayton Christensen, in his book “How Will You Measure Your Life?” tells a story about building a treehouse together with his kids. He had a blast building with them and was so excited for them to have the treehouse.
“But after it was finished, I rarely saw the children in it. The truth was that having the house wasn’t what really motivated them. It was the building of it, and how they felt about their own contribution, that they found satisfying. I had thought the destination was what was important, but it turned out it was the journey.”
So my writing this week is short. First? Because I’m attempting to allocate time more effectively to my family, and enjoy the combination of my wife’s birthday and anniversary this week (easier to not forget if you can pack all your important dates together 😉).
And second? Next week I’m very excited to share a project I’ve been working on for months that brings together a lot of my passions in terms of understanding how great technology companies get built and what we can learn from studying them. Stay tuned!
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