December 28, 2022
The Wall Street Journal recently published an article where Associate Professor of Marketing, Anat Keinan, discusses the importance of seeing time as an investment.
According to research, people who think about their time over a longer horizon tend to be happier and more satisfied with their lives. In contrast to investing money, investing time pays off both in the present as well as in the future, and having a time-investing mind-set means being proactive. Engaging in meaningful work, deepening social connections, and exercising have been found to be some of the most rewarding ways to spend your time. Following winter break, Professor Keinan surveyed college students to find out if they wished they had spent more time working and studying, or traveling and enjoying themselves. According to the survey, those who were asked about their latest winter break regretted not doing more productive activities. In contrast, those who were asked about their winter break a year earlier were more likely to regret not doing more meaningful and fun activities. Keinan elaborated on the guilt that often stops people from doing things their future selves would appreciate, explaining “it’s not idle time, it’s actually a great investment in your future memories.”
