Redefining Value: Why Time and Money Don’t Tell the Whole Story

As a society we tend to have quite a narrow view on the relationship between time, money and value. This is something I’ve definitely had to work through for myself, and if I’m honest, it still pops up from time to time. The occasional thought will creep in when I try to relate the worth of something in terms of the amount of time or money invested.

And of course this is understandable. After all, we’re taught from such a young age to see the equation in simple terms: one hour of time spent equals one unit of return, one hour of work equals one unit of pay. But in reality, value doesn’t always live neatly inside the hours we clock.

Take today, for example. I went to the beach in the middle of what most people would consider “typical work hours.” I was feeling a little stuck on the direction I want to take a couple of projects I’m working on, and in the past, I never would have let myself step away like that. I would have believed that an hour at the beach meant I was taking an hour away from my work. But the truth is, the return on that investment was huge. That one hour gave me energy, clarity and inspiration that carried through the rest of my day. Time in nature never takes from me, it gives me back far more than I ever spend.

As another example, I was speaking to someone this week who was unsure about investing in a course they were drawn to. On the surface, it might look like you’re just paying for a few hours of lessons. But the real value doesn’t come from the time you spend in the lesson, the value comes in the ripple effect. The connections you make, the growth, the skills you learn, the sense of joy, purpose, excitement, satisfaction and fulfilment that expand far beyond the time or money commitment.

And really, the same could be said for anything you choose to spend money on. It is never a black and white relationship between time, money and value. The few hours you spend exercising or doing a yoga or meditation practice each week doesn’t give you value just for the time you are physically present. These practices give you immeasurable value in terms of your overall physical, emotional, mental and social wellbeing. The benefit doesn’t stop when the session ends.

And I see the same with the work I do. A Human Design reading or hypnotherapy session isn’t just about the hour we spend together. The value is in what unfolds afterwards and how our time together ripples out and influences the way you feel, the way you move through the world, the way you relate with others, the clarity with which you make decisions, the confidence you carry. That is where the value lies.

And I had my own experience of this just last week when I booked an energy healing session that was probably at the higher end of what I would usually spend. But the value I got from this session was immeasurable. And yes, the 90 minutes I spent there was of course lovely, but the value didn’t just come from this. The value has continued to ripple out well beyond that. I felt like stagnant energy shifted and a week later, I still feel lighter, more purposeful and more connected to myself. Not only this but I had insights come through that I’ve since gone deeper into exploring and I know that this experience will continue to shape the way I move forward.

And funnily enough my biggest initiation in learning this came when I started my own business. For years I’ve worked as a midwife on an hourly rate and the story of “time in equals return” was so deeply ingrained. Letting go of that conditioning has been a journey, which in many ways is still unfolding.

But what I’ve come to realise is that the true worth of anything, is not measured in the minutes it takes or the amount of money invested, it’s measured in the impact it creates and the way it ripples through your life.

So today, I want to offer you a gentle invitation: when you think about how you spend your time or money, don’t just ask “How long will this take?” or “What does it cost?”

Ask instead: “How will this impact me? What might it give me back? How might it ripple out into the rest of my life?”

Because that’s the thing with value, it’s rarely confined to the time spent in the room or the moment you hand over the money. The best investments are the ones that unfold, expand and continue to give long after.