Comments on: Investing Isn’t Just About Money

By: reulte

reulte — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:56:40 +0000

I don’t watch TV (although I watch mostly educational DVDs) — so I would consider watching an hour of Lost a total waste. However, you enjoy it.

Once you make the decision to sit down with your wife and enjoy it – do so. It’s your choice so make the most of it; Let it lead you into further discussions with friends and your wife who enjoys it as well. Contemplate the intrinsic (i.e. plot) and extrinsic (i.e. cineamatagraphy) factors that make it fun for you.

Conscientiously chosing to watch a show is a lot different from plopping down on the sofa for hours and having no clue what you’ve just seen.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:49:29 +0000

I like to work hard, play hard, and rest hard. I don’t consider time watching TV as wasted, that’s just part of my rest time.

By: Trees Full of Money

Trees Full of Money — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:51:42 +0000

I can relate to the frustration that comes with maintaining a personal finance website. There are good days and bad but I still love it!

By: The Digerati Life

The Digerati Life — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:08:35 +0000

Our most important investments are the ones we make in ourselves. Whatever we contribute to the world is usually a reflection of what it is we’ve absorbed from our surroundings and cultivated along with our natural talents. Potential + effort + investment + talent = value. We all have inherent value, but we increase that value, especially to those around us and those we touch, by making those investments and seeking to reach our potential.

By: tracy ho

tracy ho — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 12:31:54 +0000

Great post ,

Love it

Tracy Ho
wisdomgettingloaded

By: Dividends4Life

Dividends4Life — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 01:12:32 +0000

Great perspective! There is more to life than making money.

> not all investments pay dividends in the form
> of money

Maybe not in your portfolio. ;)

Best Wishes,
D4L

By: Eric

Eric — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 01:09:36 +0000

Trent, The one thing I always struggle with is how much time to invest in things. Since I teach college and have been granted tenure, I could in theory just teach 5 classes and go home, but it’s more fulfilling to me to get involved in other aspects of campus life, teach extra courses, etc.

I think many of my coworkers struggle when there are not set “requirements” as to how much work you have to put in to get results. I know this particular venue isn’t directly applicable, but the balance you’ve struck has definitely been instructive to me when you’ve talked about family plus blog plus work and how you balance them.

By: Jacques

Jacques — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:33:46 +0000

Hi Trent,
I agree with you that one should work towards maximizing their efficiency. But time waisting can provide great returns too… Some of the greatest invention of all time popped during a time-waisting activity.

It also helps to let your mind run free & not focus on something specific sometimes. A bit like how we need sleep to release some of our mind tension at the end of the day. If one just keep on optimizing 24/7 he will suffer a break-down to some point…

So being really focus & optimizing your time & energy investment is great to do – but not at all times,

By: Graham Lutz

Graham Lutz — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:23:00 +0000

Growing my hair out is an investment. I go through this silly phase where my hair is not short and not long and just looks ridiculous.

I think the idea behind feeling “guilty” for watching LOST is that there are other hobbies that are much more productive and/or rewarding.

I’m with ya though, Brian. I work Hard specifically so I can NOT work hard. ha!

By: KS

KS — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:10:59 +0000

I thought exactly what Brian says. Watching an interesting tv show is not a waste of time. I watch PBS mostly because they are so edu and informative plus they don’t show ads which are the actual waste of time imo. We should watch tv to know what’s going on in the world and to get new ideas. Spending time with family is fine but quality tv makes one a concerned and aware citizen.
One more thing is that we should be aware of pop culture. I don’t watch sports but do read the papers to follow my city’s home teams just to make small talk! It may further us in our work situation. Like when people talk about an exciting game/tv episode/video and the one guy is clueless. Trent sometimes you come off obsessive, so lighten up ;-)

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 20:33:49 +0000

Trent, I see your point about working hard for a payoff, and I don’t mean to say you’re wrong. But do you ever just take some time to relax? If you feel guilty about watching one of the best shows on TV once a week for an hour, when do you relax? Do you ever watch sporting events? Like I said I’m not trying to pick apart your reasoning, I’m just curious. One of the reasons I do work hard is so that I CAN sit down on a Sunday with some friends and watch three football games.

By: Trent

Trent — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:43:45 +0000

The question I ask myself is “Do I work hard so that I can do X?” If the answer is no, or it fills me with a sense of guilt or misdirection, then it’s probably a big time waster.

Things that I work hard for include playing with my children, engaging in creative tasks, and reading. For me, television isn’t a very valuable use of my time – not even that Lost hour. Different people have different values, though – I just try to express my own.

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:22:36 +0000

I agree with the others about watching an hour of TV. It’s not a waste of time. Does everything you do in life have to have a monetary value? What if watching TV is a hobby? Isn’t an hour watching Lost the same as an hour reading or an hour playing with your children? If it’s a hobby and you enjoy it, then just enjoy it. Don’t worry about money that you’re “losing” by not doing work.

By: Frugal Dad

Frugal Dad — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:15:40 +0000

Trent, I’ve always justified the hour of Lost, and other seemingly time-wasted efforts as a way to recharge my batteries. In this way there is a slight return in more productivity with future tasks.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:07:51 +0000

Trent, I am worried some of your readers don’t know how to write checks, which might keep them from succeeding if they have to pay off their bills. Could you please post about check-writing?

By: The Innovative Traveler

The Innovative Traveler — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:07:19 +0000

Trent, an hour of LOST is -always- a good investment. :-)

I think sometimes “time wasting” so to speak is necessary. Everyone needs occasional down-time to recharge and clear their minds. It of course can be dangerous, it’s easy to spend the whole afternoon surfing online and taking a nap while a bad movie is on. Personal investment is definitely a hard balance. With financial investment, you can see that investment physically growing. With personal investment, the lines are blurred and at times it can be frustrating not to see the instant gratification of it.

http://www.theinnovativetraveler.com