What do I mean by ‘precious time’? It represents time that is exceptionally important, valuable and limited.
Time is a limited resource that we cannot get back.
Do you come out with an excuse to yourself, that you have been unable to fulfil the tasks that you plan each day? Do you know that feeling where you cannot do everything you intend to do, and that could be because other things have taken priority?
I recently wrote a post on Procrastination, which is relevant to time, however invariably we need to go a little bit deeper to find a certain motivator to kick-start a positive change in behaviour.
There may be a solution below to help you think in a more positive way, by taking on board different perspectives of how precious time is, dependent on your circumstances. Give it a try – it only takes a minute of your time to read the following!
Imagine there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with $/£ 86,400.
It carries over no balance from day to day.
Every evening, the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day.
What would you do? Draw out every penny, of course?
Each of us has such a bank. It’s name is TIME.
Each morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds.
Every evening it writes off as lost, whatever of this time you have failed to invest to a good purpose.
It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day.
If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no drawing against “tomorrow.”
You must live in the present on today’s deposits.
Invest it to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success!
The clock is running!! Make the most of today.
To realise the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realise the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realise the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realise the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realise the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who just missed a train.
To realise the value of ONE SECOND, ask someone who just avoided an accident.
To realise the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal at the Olympics.
Cherish every moment that you have! And cherish it more because you shared it with someone special. And remember time waits for no one.
Time should not be wasted, rather used carefully for profound activities or unforgettable moments.
Great post with poignant reminders! Happy New Year Hugs 🤗
Sorry for the late response Cindy. Many thanks for taking the time to comment with so much positivity. Happy New Year to you also.
It’s right on time, Steve!!! You’re so very welcome, my friend. My pleasure and sending you hugs and my best.. Thanks as well!!! xxx
An interesting post Steve. And one I could debate at length!
There is no such thing as time – no past, no future, only the present. We are in eternity now. A belief that underlies much of my haiku poems and one that stems from my own experience and that of my creative muse Richard Jefferies.
The phrase “Time means nothing” reflects the core philosophy of 19th-century English nature writer Richard Jefferies, particularly as expressed in his autobiographical work, The Story of My Heart (1883). He argued that time is a purely artificial human construct.
Here is one of his most loved quotes ….
“I dip my hand in the brook and feel the stream; in an instant the particles of water which first touched me have floated yards down the current, my hand remains there. I take my hand away, and the flow—the time—of the brook does not exist to me. The great clock of the firmament, the sun and the stars, the crescent moon, the earth circling two thousand times, is no more to me than the flow of the brook when my hand is withdrawn; my soul has never been, and never can be, dipped in time. Time has never existed, and never will; it is a purely artificial arrangement. It is eternity now, it always was eternity, and always will be. By no possible means could I get into time if I tried. I am in eternity now and must there remain. Haste not, be at rest, this Now is eternity.”
Richard Jefferies, The Story of My Heart: As Rediscovered by Brooke Williams and Terry Tempest Williams
Indeed Clive, time is an illusion yet without the measurement of time, I fear we would be lost without it.
Richard Jeffries was ahead of his time (pardon the pun!). Cheers
This is a powerful and thought-provoking reflection on time and its true value. The “time bank” analogy is especially striking—it turns an abstract concept into something immediately relatable and urgent. By breaking time down into seconds and pairing it with real human experiences, you gently but effectively remind the reader how precious and irreversible each moment is. The progression from procrastination to purpose feels natural and motivating, encouraging mindful living without sounding preachy. A meaningful piece that invites self-reflection and inspires readers to live more intentionally, starting today.
You summarise what I intended on sharing in my post, however you say it much better than I.
As always I appreciate you taking the time to comment – all the best for 2026 🙂