Welcome to The Quiet Rich—your weekly email to get “rich” in what matters most (like slow mornings, a quiet mind, and a house full of love). Today, you’ll learn the 5 ways to get rich in time.
CONTEXT
How long is 1 million seconds? 12 days.
How long is 1 billion seconds? 31 years.
Wild, right?
If you have over 1 billion seconds to live? Congratulations, you’re a “time billionaire.” (It’s an amazing term that was coined by investor Graham Duncan.)
Here’s the problem.
When we have billions of seconds in our “time accounts,” we spend them frivolously. (Because no one teaches us how to spend them well.)
When we’re young, we’re “rich” in time. At age 20, you have about two billion seconds left. By age 50, one billion seconds remain. By age 80, don’t be the person wondering where all the time went.
5 steps to (actually) make the most of your time wealth:
METHOD
1. Review where your time actually goes
Track your time for a week. (I wrote a LinkedIn post on how to easily do this. No fancy tools are needed.)
You might be surprised. When I did this exercise a few years ago, I realized I was spending 8+ hours per week on “low-return” activities—mindless scrolling, binge-watching shows, doing tasks that I should have hired someone to help with.
Ask yourself: What are the most “expensive” things you spend your free time on? Are those worth that price?
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2. Set your personal "exchange rate"
Not all time is created equal. An hour at the DMV isn’t the same as an hour laughing with your best friend.
What experiences, relationships, or goals are worth trading your finite seconds for?
Here are a few “time-worthy” things from my past week:
- Spending the weekend cooking with my mom
- 2-hour brainstorm sessions for Archimedes
- Reading inspiring books that fundamentally shift how I see the world.
Write down yours. Be specific.
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3. Master the art of “no”
Here’s the truth: You can do anything you want. But you can’t do everything you want.
Every time you say ‘no’ to something, you're making room to say ‘yes’ to something incredible that shows up later. (That’s why I’m calling this month no-vember.)
Start small. This week, decline one commitment that doesn't align with how you want to spend your time. (PSA: Setting boundaries is not selfish. Here are my 3 scripts for an elegant ‘no’.)
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4. Buy back your time
What tasks drain you? It might be laundry, cutting your grass, grocery shopping, managing your calendar.
Can any of those be handled by outsourcing (paying someone else)? Or automating (using tools or technology?)
Trade some of your time now to set up systems that free up countless future hours. (I wrote a newsletter all about how to do this. Many of you said you loved it.)
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5. Schedule the “moments that matter”
Every Sunday, I spend 30 mins blocking out non-negotiable time for the coming week: dinner with loved ones, long book-writing sessions, calls with my grandmother.
Schedule more time with your favorite people. We all know if it’s not on the calendar, it won’t happen. And just look at this chart of how much (or little) time we get to spend with our families over a 90-year lifespan.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
I used to think time management was about productivity hacks. But it's actually about something deeper—understanding what your time is worth to you, and spending it accordingly.
Your time account is finite. Unlike money, you can never earn more time. You can only spend what you have left more intentionally.
So tell me: What's one thing you're going to stop spending time on this week? And what will you do with those reclaimed seconds instead?
Happy Early Thanksgiving to those celebrating in the U.S.
Much love,
Jade
P.S. This was one of my favorite texts I got this week: “Jade! I landed a 5 figure contract as a main stage speaker (thanks to my LinkedIn!)” It was a text from one of my Archimedes members.
We only have a few spots left in our December 1st cohort. Apply now so you’re at the top of my list. It only takes 3 minutes.
Already got accepted? Congrats! Make sure you claim your spot soon. The checkout link closes on Friday, November 28th at 2pm EST.
I can’t WAIT to meet everyone in our Welcome Session next week. This cohort in particular will get a few special surprises from me, Ben Meer, and Colby Kultgen!
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