Randy's Tenets of Time

The tenets of my Way are based on time. Time is my most precious possession; it is the most precious thing I can give another person (I know, you'd rather have money). And the closer I get to the grave, the more precious Time becomes. I have a finite, but unknown, amount to proportion as I see fit, and hence, my tenets of time.

Give LOTS of time to my children (zombie activities like watching TV do NOT count).
Give time to myself. In 1991, I decided to give myself one week every year to spend as I please without considering the wishes or desires of others. Two percent of my time is not too much to give to myself. To date, I have usually chosen an annual hunting trip with my son (double word score for tenet #1 and #2).
Give time to my family. They don't live next door so phone calls and emails DO count.
Give time to my friends. Time is an absolute necessity to maintain friendships. I don't have too many friends but I value the ones I do have.
Give time to my animals. If I don't have 15 minutes a day to throw a tennis ball, then I don't have time for a dog. It would be wrong to keep one. Fish are exempt.
Give myself MORE time. How can I do that? There is no sure way, but some actions increase the odds of a long life. Eat healthy foods. I don't LIKE rabbit food, but I eat it. Exercise. If I enjoy it (hockey, hiking ...), score on tenet #2 as well. Minimize risk. I don't like wearing a helmet while mountain biking, but I ALWAYS do. I LOVE motorcycling, but I don't ride. Attitude. Positive people live longer, happier lives.
The quality of time is as important as the quantity. Life is give and take. Hungover? Lose a day. Plus 3 years for eating rice cakes and tofu for 40 years? Lose 5 years. If I spend everyday inside to minimize risk, I have not maximized life, ergo, I lose one life.
Work to live not live to work. I don't happen to be financially independent (much different than independently wealthy), but I refuse to ever again be a slave to my job. It's risky to make the acquisition of wealth to achieve early financial independence a tenet. You may not live long enough to enjoy the time you've paid for.

But, ... 100,000 hours is WAY too much time to spend on something I hate. Hence, I must enjoy my career in order to maximize life. The career change I am undergoing will not advance my financial independence, but it will improve the quality of my life. And finally, if you unplug my machine, I'll haunt you until the end of time.