At the time I posted about this, I wondered whether daily life would have a different pace if we paid attention only to hours, rather than to minutes, let alone seconds.
      The development of mechanical clocks allowed tracking of time during both day and night, and on cloudy days—a definite advantage over the sundial. 

   Much of my work life was run by deadlines. That’s not true now, but sometimes I still tend to behave and feel as though it is. I get over-invested in punctuality and making sure things are done “on time.” I almost never have a set schedule these days; my day planner is largely empty space. But that old drive lingers on.
      The drive is the problem, not setting a time or meeting an appointment. It’s about how I approach these set points. 
      In 1970, Gestalt therapist Barry Stevens published a book titled Don't Push the River (It Flows by Itself). The title was arguably the best part.
       I have spent so much time pushing the river.

    Either way, I still got to the hall. When I moved deliberately but without rushing, staying in the flow, I found my mind was already more at rest when meditation began.
    Time passes, whether precisely measured or not. Sometimes we do need to work quickly or move swiftly—but we gain nothing when we translate that into feeling pressured, pushed, anxious, or rushed because of old habits.

These tongue-in-cheek tips have been compiled from my 20 years of experience serving clients as a professional tax practitioner. I’m assuming that no huge inheritance is waiting in the wings. If it is, you may have to work harder to go broke.

1. Buy whatever you want anytime you want. After all, you deserve it. The more impulsive, the better. Be fearless!
2. Use credit cards for all your purchases so it seems like nothing is happening, and pay only the minimum balance each month. After all, you are earning those “points.” What could be better? (Average credit card interest rate: 16.15%.)
3. Never check your account balances. Why would you? Does it really matter what your balances are?  (Overdraft fees are about $34 per occurrence, on average.)
4. Forget about having a 6- to 12-month emergency fund. That’s what credit cards are for.
5. Topping out on your credit card limits? A home equity line of credit could be just the thing!
6. Put money aside toward your retirement only when you have some left over. (Which will be . . . essentially never.)
7. If you insist on having an emergency fund or money for retirement, keep that chunk of money under your mattress—or in a regular bank account, which is the same thing these days.
   Current average interest paid on bank savings accounts in U.S.: 0.04%
   Average interest paid on high-yield savings accounts: 0.4%
   Projected 2021 inflation rate: 2.25%
8. Avoid investing in solid securities like reputable mutual funds. It’s just too scary!
        Yes, the stock market goes up and down. Historically, however, and overall, what goes down must come up. Remember the early months of 2020? It was the end of the world. It’s a different story now.
        It’s hard to go wrong with a good index mutual fund, which you can “set and forget.” These funds always give good returns in the long run. Be sure to avoid them!
9. On the other hand, buy individual stocks when your cousin Larry or your coworker June gives you a hot tip. This is a great way to divest yourself of excess money.

Do you have more tips? Please add them in the comments.