The simple graphic below illustrates the idea of making thoughtful choices with how we use our own time and money.
Prioritize Time and Money
“Prioritize time and money” is a concept to organize one’s thinking in terms of their own goals, such as responding in a sensible way to the world we live in - paradigm shift. Prioritizing time and money is a core aspect of paradigm shift. Here’s what it means. The term helps the user to consider their own consumer culture lifestyle - what they buy, how they use their time, etc and then consider how they could use that time and money for moving towards their goals such as paradigm shift.
Reducing eco footprints is really a very tangible goal. It translates into less consumption of stuff and energy. Ride a bike instead of drive a car. Prioritize a healthy diet so go vegetarian instead of burgers, fries and soft drinks. One could volunteer at the school garden on Saturday instead of 9 holes of golf. Of course, one could shift their priorities at a pace that works for one’s own needs.
To prioritize our own time and money is a powerful tool for one’s own Be The Change adventure. Sharing that experience with others can be a real life and persuasive story to share as an advocate of paradigm shift. Setting up a paradigm shift mutual support group could add to that story for others to learn from.
Prioritizing our time and money is the point of entry to paradigm shift, be the change and how to pay for a preferred future. Prioritizing time and money means making the conscious choice to greatly reduce spending time and money on actions that don't fit paradigm shift and a sustainable future.
To prioritize time and money is one’s own unique adventure to be the change on behalf of paradigm shift.
Prioritizing our time and money is a huge part of how we pay for paradigm shift. First, when we avoid unhealthy or non sustainable products and services, we can apply that money instead to paradigm shift. Second, recall the term “external costs.” When we avoid the unhealthy products, we avoid the costs of repairing the damage those unhealthy products cause when we use them.
Avoiding junk food, smoking, building more suburbia and a raft of other common behaviors means we avoid the cost of repairing the damage those actions are responsible for, there is a double benefit - first we don't buy the item and then, we are less likely to spend even more money to repair the damage.
Avoiding external costs can amount to thousands of dollars saved for individuals to many hundreds of billions for society as a whole, every year. Hundreds of hours of personal time and trillions of hours nationwide could go to building and a preferred future with others when they also prioritize their own time and money.
Choosing priorities can happen at all scales, particularly for millions of people in the middle class with discretionary income. Large scale, buying a bigger home simply to have a bigger home. Just don’t do it. Small scale such as un needed new clothes, home furnishings, entertainment, fancy vacation and much more. Just don’t do it. Pass up the Buy Now, Pay Later option.
Medium scale, reconsider the kitchen remodel or car upgrade. Instead of the new granite countertops, appliances and fancy gadgets on wheels, that money, 25 - 100K? Vanity purchases can be invested instead in an edible landscape, rain water system, home insulation, solar tech, grass to garden, a bike, a permaculture course or financial support to a group doing important work in the community. Perhaps all of the above.
For people of all income ranges, forming mutual assistance networks can lead to car, tool, garden and maybe even home shares. People can save a lot of time and money, build community and reduce their eco footprints, all at the same time. In the examples of paradigm shift section, every initiative is the result of thoughtful application of time and money.
Imagine, if neighbors prioritized time and modest money, they could take down fences, create micro suburban eco villages and engage in all kinds of creative projects in common cause. Being the change can quickly lead to engagement with others.
The Primer describes what this can look like, we will have a look at block planning and several examples of residential and neighborly mutual assistance and cooperation projects where people share a lot of amenities in ways that benefit each other, the nearby neighborhood and beyond.
Examples of what paradigm shift can look like in real life are one of the most important educational resources we have to share with the wider world. They are powerful stories and most of the Primer describes powerful real life stories and how to put those stories out to the wider world.
Fotos below illustrate prioritizing time and money. The first image explains the double benefit. When we don't buy unhealthy products, we can use that money in positive ways. And then, we have the double benefit. Next image uses my own experience transforming my suburban property. The cost of just about all the positive changes on my property would be similar to buying a mid sized new car. Prioritizing time and money is a companion to downsizing. Kailash Eco Village is a great example of complex prioritizing time and money.
