What is a Day Worth to You?

Every day of your life is a gift. We've heard that many times, and many of us try to live by that philosophy of gratitude and abundance. But to get the full measure of what that means, we also have to keep in mind that every one of those gifts has the same value.

Whether I'm spending time with my sons, or relaxing and doing nothing, I want to be in the moment. Whether I'm scuba diving on vacation or holding a meeting in the office, I want to give it my full attention and get the most from the day.

It's all life, all of it is important, and that's why I say that true success comes from having 365 days of equal value. This is one of the most important in things in life to get right, because no matter how successful you are, you can't write a check for yesterday.

It's precisely because we spend so much time at work, that it is such a tragedy to give that time a lesser value. Whenever I hear someone say, “Thank God it's Friday,” I feel badly for them, because it means they only truly feel alive for a small portion of their week – and their lives.

If work feels like something you need to escape from, something is very wrong and you need to fix it. Each day at work should feel engaging and rewarding – without completely consuming your life. You should be able to surprise your spouse on your anniversary with a spontaneous day off together, if that's what would make that day perfect. That's what success is: 365 days of equal value.

So how do you make that happen? It comes back to optimizing the value of your time. Everyone has an economic reality. Everyone needs to spend his or her time and money within the right context.

You can't be afraid to put a dollar value on what a day in the practice should be worth in terms of revenue – and implementing whatever it takes to achieve those economic goals – because that's what gives you the flexibility to do what you need to do inside and outside the practice. It might take a little more time and effort at first, but the reward in the end is the ultimate flexibility: The ability to live life on your terms – every single day.