We talk about investments in financial terms – stocks, bonds, real estate – but the truth is, we’re constantly investing something far more precious: our time and energy.

Think about it. You invest in your work, pouring hours into building skills and advancing your career. You invest in education, believing knowledge will open doors. You invest money in things you see as valuable and secure – property, art, business opportunities. Hopefully, these choices pay off both emotionally and financially.

But not every investment works out.

I once invested in an elite name-brand car. I was so proud of it – until it became a lemon. I kept ordering parts, watching it break down again and again. Eventually, I practically gave it away just to end the money pit. Walking away from all those sunk costs was painful, but necessary.

That experience taught me something valuable: knowing when to cut your losses is as important as making smart investments in the first place. And as I’ve grown older, I’ve learned that wisdom applies to more than just money. Sometimes we need to divest from commitments, possessions, or even relationships that had their season but no longer serve our journey. Learning to let go with grace is its own form of wisdom. It creates space for what truly deserves our attention now.

Other investments have worked better. My home and housing choices have grown in value and provided stability. But beyond the financial realm, I’ve learned to ask deeper questions:

What am I investing my energy in today?

Are my relationships getting the attention they deserve?

Am I putting time into my health, my growth, my peace of mind?

Am I present for the moments that matter most?

Because unlike money, time is non-renewable. Once spent, it’s gone forever. And the older I get, the more viscerally I understand this truth. There’s an urgency that comes with age, but also a clarity about what truly matters. We stop wasting time on things that don’t align with who we are and also becoming.

What’s worth investing in changes across a lifetime. Early on, it might be career and accumulation. Mid-life brings focus on family and security. But in this next chapter, many of us find ourselves drawn to different returns: meaningful conversations, presence with loved ones, experiences over possessions, purpose over profit, legacy over acquisition.

This shift often includes reinventing ourselves professionally. I wrote a book – The Next Act – because I had life experiences I wanted to share with the world, especially people 50 to 70+ years navigating career change, professional reinvention, and finding work that matters. That was an investment too: investing my time and knowledge to help others make this stage of life their most purposeful yet.

The best investments, I’ve discovered, often can’t be measured on a balance sheet.

Time spent mentoring someone younger.

Wisdom shared over coffee.

Laughter with old friends.

Quiet mornings watching the sunrise.

The courage to pursue work aligned with your values, even if it means starting over. These may not build wealth, but they build something far more enduring – a life well-lived.

So here’s the real question:

What are you investing your time, energy, and money in today? And more importantly – is it giving you the returns that truly matter? Because at the end of our days, it’s not our portfolios we’ll remember. It’s how we loved, how we grew, what we contributed, and what we left behind.

Thanks – Michael (he, him)

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This matters also – Talk about You.

#2075