The Luxury of Time

It’s no secret that I believe luxury is about experiences, not things.

Don’t get me wrong—I love fabulous things like the next person! But my research for my upcoming book Exceptional Experiences (releasing October 14, but available for ​pre-order​ now!) confirms that luxury can be very personal.

One of my wealthiest, most generous friends recently told me, “Luxury is unnecessary.” I was initially surprised by this direct response (to something I think is very necessary!), but when I dug deeper, he shared that he values things that save him time—VIP queues at airports, fast lanes on freeways. We eventually agreed that time is his luxury. Time—something once spent, you never get back—may be your client’s luxury too.

Time often gets blamed with phrases like:

• “I’m just killing time.” (What did time ever do to you?)
• “I don’t have time.” (Which feels like “I don’t have time for you.”)
• “I ran out of time.” (Perhaps more like “I invested my time differently.”)
• “Today was a long day.” (Maybe “I achieved all I could today.”)

Remember: We all get 1,440 minutes per day and we all choose to invest these minutes differently. It’s also no secret that I love a good system.

We can’t manage time, but we can manage our attention.

When I speak with leaders and their teams they often want to know how to pay attention to the most important details so they can get more done. When looking for that answer, they often focus on results rather than on relationships.

Yet I believe that systems direct attention. That’s why my answer is we need to create systems of attention to become as efficient in creating connections as you are at creating experiences. By focusing on what systems need to be created, it not only answers their questions but helps them focus more, get more done, focus on what matters and be more efficient. Systems create freedom.

The common refrain “What you focus on grows” implies that your thoughts attract experiences into your life. But I think it goes a little deeper than that. In my book Attention Pays,I shared that INTENTION makes ATTENTION valuable. How you intend to invest your attention will bring the results you deserve.

When I catch myself mindlessly scrolling Instagram reels or obsessing over a conversation, I ask myself: “Does this get me closer to my goals?” If not, I remember I’m worth more than that distraction.

YOU deserve luxury—the luxury of time.

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