TIme

Credibility

If we believe in a cause, we invest our resources in its work. A banking institution might be credible due to the federal and state regulations it adheres to, the accreditation it receives from banking regulators, and the FDIC insurance that protects our deposited funds. A social sector enterprise might obtain credibility for the standards and practices it follows, the integrity of the board and staff members, and its history of service.

What attributes must be embedded in a cause before you feel motivated to make an investment of time, talent, treasure, or touch? What is the tipping point for you to risk your social capital on behalf of a cause? Would credibility be one of the factors?

What makes us willing to

Enduring Value

What is the value of a painting purchased directly from an artist? Does it appreciate or depreciate over time? Does a thousand dollars spent, divided over time, mean 10 years from the date of purchase, the painting is worth $100 per year? Does the painting’s value increase to us if the artist’s portfolio expands and the market rewards them with a higher sales price on future works? Does the price matter once purchased? Do we recall the purchase price after time recedes? If the art piece represents a significant moment or place, how does our perception change? What if the artist’s personal conduct deviates from what we thought was a shared belief?

Assigning value to customized pieces is challenging. How much is our time worth? Or our creativity? Or our presence? How might we calibrate enduring value versus real-time market value?

Time vs. Energy Management

What if we thought of planning as a calculation of energy management? What if we deprioritized the role of time in our planning efforts? What if we were more honest about where to focus our energy instead of what schedule we might reverse-engineer on a calendar?

We might assume the forest fire can be extinguished in 24 hours, but external factors may change the reality; a significant weather event, the inability to secure needed resources, or a more pressing fire closer to a town changes the energy we invest in fighting the current fire. There is a scenario where the first winter snowstorm ultimately extinguishes the fire. The ‘let nature take care of it’ option usually does not appear on the first draft of our timeline.