Spending time on what truly matters: my TIME Model
One of the posts I saved shows an hourglass standing on old books. Beside it are four lines. You can earn more money, yet time is your most valuable resource. You can acquire new things, yet every moment is unique. You can meet new people, yet every connection is worth appreciating. You can plan for tomorrow, yet today is your opportunity to live.
The sand runs at its own speed
My mother passed away in 1977, at the age of fifty. In January 2027 she would have turned one hundred. Her sand ran out early, and I have carried that lesson all my life. Nobody knows how much sand is left in their glass.
In Hindi there is a saying: waqt se pehle aur kismat se zyada kisi ko kuch nahi milta. Nobody receives anything before its time, or more than their fortune. We cannot hurry the sand. We can only choose how we spend it.
A letter from 1893
I also saved a letter from Swami Vivekananda, written from Salem in the USA on 30 August 1893 to Professor John Henry Wright, later of Harvard. The professor had helped him reach the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. The letter is only a few lines long. He sends his respects to the professor’s wife, his love to the children, and calls his friend “a real Mahatma”, a great soul.
A few minutes of his time, and that thank you has lasted more than one hundred and thirty years.
Rich in the right things
A list of sayings I read ends with this: some people are so poor, all they have is money. Since I retired in 2017 my time has been my own. I spend it on writing, on bowls, on family and on people who want to learn. That is my wealth.
My TIME Model
| T | Treasure today. Plan for tomorrow, and live today. Today is the only day you can spend. |
| I | Invest in people. Every connection is worth appreciating. Give your time to those you love while they are here. |
| M | Measure wealth honestly. Count what money cannot buy: health, family, friends, peace of mind. |
| E | Express it now. Write the letter, make the call, say the thank you, as Vivekananda did in 1893. |
Turn your own hourglass over today. Ask yourself where the next handful of sand is going, and whether it is going where you want it to.
Pass it on, and let us learn together. If this post spoke to you, please share it with someone who needs it, and join my discussion group, where we talk these ideas through together. Tell me what you would like me to research next, perhaps something on time, gratitude or family: suggest a topic here. My other models are on my My Models page.
How I prepare my work. I prepare my work using every tool available to me: Google, Microsoft Word, and AI tools such as Claude and ChatGPT. The experience behind each piece is my own. I write as a former CEB lineman, a nurse, a social worker, a lecturer and a life coach, and as a man who lives between English, French and Hindi.
A word of caution. This blog is for education only. It is not medical, psychological or legal advice. Make sure you understand any technique before you use it, and remember you are responsible for your own actions. If you are struggling, please contact your GP or a health professional. © Dr Shiam Chuttoo 2026. The TIME Model (T Treasure today, I Invest in people, M Measure wealth honestly, E Express it now) is his original work. Credit line: Source: Dr Shiam Chuttoo, The TIME Model, 2026. Use only with his permission or with clear credit to him. Work record: Ref DSC-BLOG-041126-03. Title: Sand in the Glass. Author: Dr Shiam Chuttoo. Created 4.11.26. All rights reserved.
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