We live in such a wonderful time of history. We can buy, build, and learn just about anything. That wasn’t always the case. Think about a parallel you in the Bronze Age. A past you that has NEVER seen metal before. If you wanted to create something, you had to do it all yourself. Gathering the resources (usually rocks), building the tools, and researching what works were all on you. Modern life is far less complicated. We no longer need to juggle the countless resources and research needed to survive and thrive. Nowadays we only need to juggle three resources: time, money, and knowledge.

Time is the finite allotment of minutes each of us has on Earth. 

Money is a means of exchange. It allows us to exchange our particular expertise for another expertise without having to directly trade.

Knowledge is the understanding of how something works. 

The key to navigating modern life is in the balance of these three resources. Each one interacts with the other in a constant exchange. Time, with the assistance of money, builds knowledge. Knowledge, combined with time, is used to acquire money. Money is used to buy time-saving shortcuts and fill gaps in knowledge. Achieving goals will require all three in varying amounts. Every task and ambition will require different amounts of each to be successful. The hard part is identifying what is needed to get the job done and adjusting your pools of resources. 

Mistakes are made when we lose sight of one of the resources. We simply can’t power through relying on one of the three. Knowledge relies on physical resources to become useful. Money is easily wasted and is far from infinite. Time ticks away slowly no matter how quickly or easily progress is made. Achieving goals is all in the dance between the three. It is using each of the resources for its intended purpose and exchanging for more of what you lack.

Easier said than done. Learning the resource dance of modern life is knowledge you must earn and requires time. When you hit an obstacle, reflect on your pool of resources. What is your goal? Which resources are needed to move the obstacle? What do you need more of to succeed? Cultivate this resource-oriented approach and you will gain command of your individual resources. Command leads to efficiency (gaining more money and knowledge with less time). Efficiency leads to larger obstacles and more ambitious dreams. Remember, we can buy, build, and learn just about anything, but we need the resources to do it.

Take this mindset into your next challenge and see what happens.