Mine is time. With more and more people vying for bits of it, I have realized that time is a finite resource, and should be cherished. In the last few years, I have noticed a fundamental difference in how I think. I the past I valued money above time. I would rather spend a day putting in a garage door opener rather than paying someone $60 to do it. Now, $60 for a free day sounds like a great trade off.

That’s not to say I just throw money around to save my time. I don’t mind spending an extra hour negotiating a car salesman to save a $1,000 (plus I find it enjoyable). The trade off of how much money saved versus how much time it took must always be made.

There are other in-tangible commodities that the time trade off should be made. Mainly, relationships. It is very important to take time to maintain relationships as they are what will get you through when times are tough. They are also one of the greatest assets. Having a friend that knows a friend goes a long ways in developing a career or a business.

The final time trade off that I am always making is an emotional investment. To keep from burning out and experiencing the time-loss that goes along with it, methods of decompressing must be constituted. Some people use television, others use sports. Whatever method is used, the recreation trade off goes a long way.

Update: As one co-worker pointed out, I am probably not old enough yet, but in time, my most valued commodity will probably change to health.