Economics, at its core, is how we, as a society, answer how we handle scarcity. We are always valuing resources such as food, shelter, gold, clothing, technology. Today I had an “ah-ha” moment. Our most precious and scarce resource is our attention!
Everything is vying for our attention, but it is grossly under-supplied versus the immense demand for it. Every second of every day, someone or something is working hard to get our attention — your smart phone, your family, your friends, advertisements, and the dreaded email.
Unlike food, clothing and shelter, we actually have the ability to control how and who gets our most precious resource. What if you took a moment and thought about what things really deserve your attention? Today’s social connectivity has led to all of us having our most precious resource taken away. We may be more connected than ever, but does anyone ever get our undivided attention?
I challenge you — myself included — to look at those things or people in your lives, decide what you value most, and plan for them to get the best of your attention. Now that I have your attention, stop reading this and give your attention to things that really matter. Live Sweet!