The Research Behind Time Wealth
Harvard Business School studies reveal: valuing time over money leads to greater happiness and life satisfaction.
The Harvard Research
Research from Harvard Business School professor Ashley Whillans and colleagues, involving nearly 100,000 participants, consistently shows that people who prioritize time over money report greater happiness, more fulfilling relationships, and higher life satisfaction.
Valuing Time Over Money Is Associated with Greater Happiness
2016Six studies with 4,690 participants found that people who prioritize time over money report significantly greater happiness and life satisfaction.
Valuing Time Over Money Predicts Happiness After Major Life Transitions
2019A longitudinal study of 1,232 graduating university students found that those who valued time over money were happier one year after graduation.
Time, Money, and Happiness
2016Research shows that using money to "buy back time" through outsourcing tasks leads to greater happiness.
The 1000-Minute Rule
Real estate mogul Ryan Serhant—star of Bravo's Million Dollar Listing New York, Netflix's Owning Manhattan, and CEO of SERHANT. brokerage—developed the “1000-Minute Rule” that became the subject of a Harvard Business School case study taught by Professor Ashley Whillans.
“Every day you wake up with a fresh 1,000 minutes in your bank of time. You are the CEO of that bank, and it is totally up to you how to put those minutes to use.”— Ryan Serhant, Big Money Energy
The Math
The Mindset Shift
When you treat your time like money, you protect it differently. If someone ruins $15 of your money, you don't throw away the remaining $985. Similarly, if a frustrating call wastes 5 minutes, you don't let it ruin the other 995 minutes of your day.
Why It Works
The 1000-Minute Rule leverages several well-documented psychological principles.
Loss Aversion
We feel losses more acutely than gains. Seeing time as money makes its loss feel more tangible.
Concrete vs. Abstract
Money feels more real than time. The dollar metaphor makes abstract time concrete and actionable.
Present Bias
A visual countdown creates urgency and mindfulness about the present moment.
Intentionality
Awareness precedes change. You can't protect what you don't see.
Further Reading
Books
- Time Smart by Ashley WhillansHow to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life
- Big Money Energy by Ryan SerhantHow to Rule at Work, Dominate at Life, and Make Millions
- Sell It Like Serhant by Ryan SerhantHow to Sell More, Earn More, and Become the Ultimate Sales Machine
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