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Nothing is more precious in life than this...

It's finite. It's in short supply. And there's nothing we should be working harder to make the most of than this.

Any idea what I'm talking about?

It's time.

Now, does making the most of your time necessarily mean that you ought to be taking as many vacations as you can possibly squeeze into a year?

Does making the most of your time mean you should be having as many children as you can?

Does making the most of your time mean you should aim to buy the best car and biggest house you can afford?

If anything, such pursuits seem like they'd be an even bigger drain on your time. The question becomes: Do you think investing a lot of your time -- the scarcest commodity you have -- on these things is worth it?

When it comes to travel, we spend a significant amount of time at airports, on flights, and in cabs. What's more, you have to factor all the time spent planning the vacation, including researching key sites and attractions, booking flights and tours, etc.

Many people say without hesitation that they would prefer a big house to a condo. What they fail to consider is all the upkeep they'll be responsible for once they acquire that sizable property -- from mowing the lawn to tending to things that break frequently.

At least with a condo, you're only responsible for interior maintenance since the HOA handles all things exterior. In other words, the smaller the real estate, the less you have to maintain and the more time you save to relax and enjoy hobbies.

Thirdly, many people fail to realize that kids are probably the single biggest drain on a person's time. Between bottlefeeding and diapers and simply watching them, children consume a tremendous amount of their parents' time -- time that could otherwise be spent sleeping, at the movies, or reading.

There's are opportunity costs associated with most every decision we make. When it comes to going on vacations, buying houses, and having kids, the costs can be many. Money is, of course, one of them, but you can always recoup it. No cost is as heavy as time, for it's the only thing we can never get back.

One should always compare the benefits that can be derived from a key decision with the potential costs. If the latter outweigh the former, maybe it's not a decision that will work out in your favor.

I don't know about you, but I value my time immensely, which is why I keep vacations to a minimum and opted for a condo. I'm still on the fence about kids but you can likely guess what's holding me back more than anything else: the prospect of using up so much of my cherished time.

What's your opinion? Sound off in the comments section or on Google +.

For earlier posts, please click here: How to Understand People

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