This ‘time billionaire’ thread went wildly viral and it’s a fascinating and moving read
Possibly we’re just feeling extra emotional today (more carbs! more coffee! more anything!) but there was something about this thread over on Twitter that hit us right in the gut.
In a (mostly) good way, we hasten to add.
It’s some musings by @SahilBloom on the concept of the ‘time billionaire’ and it’s going to stay with us longer than the few minutes it took us to read
1.
A concept that changed my life.
The Time Billionaire: pic.twitter.com/ij3gKyCiGf
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
2.
The phrase “Time Billionaire” was coined by investor Graham Duncan:
“A billion seconds is slightly over 31 years…when I see, sometimes, 20-year-olds—the thought I had was they probably have two billion seconds left. But they aren’t relating to themselves as time billionaires.”
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
3.
The point: Time is our most precious asset.
When you’re young, you are literally a “time billionaire”—rich with time.
Too many people fail to realize the value of this asset until it is gone.
Treat time as your ultimate currency—it’s all you have and you can never get it back.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
4.
My friend @waitbutwhy has a Life Calendar that breaks down your life into weeks.
Each row represents one year.
I started thinking about this more with the birth of my son in May 2022. He’s almost a year old now.
As the saying goes: “The days are long but the years are short.” pic.twitter.com/N7VZG258Hz
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
5.
It’s scary to look at the data on the short time we get with our children.
It peaks in your 30s and declines sharply thereafter.
Key lessons:
• The “Magic Years” will fly by if you let them.
• Be present in every moment.Slow down and embrace the sweetness. pic.twitter.com/lM8gHq52PJ
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
6.
Time with parents and siblings is no better.
It peaks in childhood and declines after age 20.
Key lessons:
• Time with family is limited.
• Time with parents declines sharply after age 20.We have to prioritize and cherish every moment. pic.twitter.com/X3yt0JXwrU
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
7.
Diminishing time with family and children is replaced by more time alone.
It steadily increases throughout your life.
Key lessons:
• Embrace solitude.
• Flex your boredom muscle.Find joy in the time you have to yourself—there will be a whole lot of it as you get older. pic.twitter.com/SME4KsJ31s
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
8.
To me, being a “time billionaire” isn’t necessarily about having the time, but about the awareness of the precious nature of the time you do have.
It is about embracing the shortness of life and finding joy in ordinary daily moments of beauty.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
9.
Last summer I was on a walk with my newborn and an older man approached me.
He said:
“I remember standing here with my newborn daughter. An old man came up to me and said ‘It goes by fast, cherish it.’ Well, my daughter is 45 now. It goes by fast, cherish it.”
It hit me hard.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
10.
We spend most of our lives playing a game: Everything we do is in anticipation of a future.
When it comes, we just reset to the next one:
• “I can’t wait until I’m 18 so I can [X].”
• “I can’t wait until I’m 25 so I can [Y].”
• “I can’t wait until I’m 45 so I can [Z].”— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
11.
It’s natural, but it’s a dangerous game—one that we will lose…eventually.
We waste a lot of energy on past and future when present is all that’s guaranteed.
Spend it wisely, with those you love, in ways you’ll never regret.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
12.
To be sure, there are no “right” answers here.
No one can tell you WHAT to think about time. I’m just trying to provide insights on HOW to think about time.
All of life’s most important journeys start with asking the right questions.
This is a good place to start.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
13.
The concept of the “time billionaire” changed my life.
I hope it sparks you to think about yours.
Follow me @SahilBloom for more writing like this. RT the first tweet to share it with others. https://t.co/6ETmJnzWdm
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
14.
Sam Harris has this idea that there’s a “last time” for everything—you just never know when it will be.
When I find myself rushing through moments, I think about it:
How many more times will my son want me to pick him up or crawl on me in bed?
Slow down—you’re gonna miss this.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
15.
When you’re 20, you probably have 2 billion seconds left.
At 50, about 1 billion remain.
How will you choose to spend yours?
What are you saying NO to by saying YES?
I’ll cover the time billionaire topic in a newsletter. Join 350,000 others here! https://t.co/32basvHgSr
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
16.
A few days after my son was born, I had him in bed and felt a profound sensation:
For the first time in my life, I had enough.
As ambitious people, we push for more—but really, we need to find our enough.
Never let the quest for more distract you from the beauty of enough. pic.twitter.com/z4UkmaikTM
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
17.
The chart I made to visualize time:
Family time is limited—cherish it.
Friend time is limited—prioritize real ones.
Partner time is significant—never settle.
Children time is precious—be present.
Coworker time is significant—find energy.
Alone time is highest—love yourself. pic.twitter.com/2UzUD6DBW8
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 23, 2023
And also this!
The beautiful image from the first tweet is the work of @pascalcampion.
Just went down the rabbit hole on all of his work, which is remarkable. https://t.co/xXmvhmzhsW pic.twitter.com/grKXfOkdWe
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) April 24, 2023
And here are just a few of the many comments it prompted.
My son turns 9 this year. In the same amount of time he’s been alive, he’ll be 18 and moving out on his own.
Simple math leading to not so simple emotions.
— Blake Burge (@blakeaburge) April 23, 2023
I love this. Gives a whole new perspective.
— Nathan Barry (@nathanbarry) April 23, 2023
Learn to enjoy even the mundane times. Stop looking for the thrill. When you do, you’ll see how rich life is, even when it’s “boring.” The times when you’re just taking your child to school or drinking tea with a loved one or taking a walk will all become, in a way, thrilling.
— John Pa (@itsjohnpa) April 24, 2023
Damn. Such a powerful thread.
— Justin Welsh (@thejustinwelsh) April 23, 2023
This graphic makes me emotional every single time I see it.
— Jon Elder | Amazon FBA | Private Label Consultant (@BlackLabelAdvsr) April 23, 2023
And that’s if we’re lucky. Reality is we don’t know how long we’ll be here.
— Nathalie Rachel Sinyard (@NathalieRach) April 23, 2023
Three ages:
Don’t tell Dad
Let’s ask Dad
I wonder what Dad would say.— Norman Lorrain (@normanlorrain) April 23, 2023
Follow @SahilBloom on Twitter here.
Source Twitter @SahilBloom
