how to be a time millionaire: the post-pandemic shift that is changing the way we live

do you feel like a time millionaire?

amidst the challenges of the past few years, a slew of australian creatives, entrepreneurs, and writers are leaving the traditional workforce behind and rethinking how they divide their time. called time millionaires, these visionaries used the slow drip of covid to start their own businesses to maximise personal fulfillment.

2020 was a pivotal year for aweventurer founder and ceo tara harrison. leaving behind over a decade’s work as a travel editor and pr executive, harrison began writing her own book and started her own travel company. in an interview with abc news, harrison explains that covid was the push she needed to launch her dream business. “I had thought about it for five years, ever since i had the idea in a 4WD with bedouins traversing the high mountain passes of oman. I had bought the domain name years before, let it percolate, then taken another job.

adam edwards says that despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, he’s thankful for the awakening experience that has given him the energy to focus on what really matters to him. image credit adam edwards.

“when covid brought the travel industry to a standstill, i realised i had the time and space to create my travel company. i thought i might be a little daft, launching a travel company in the age of no travel, but i did it anyway," she says. "I think it's important to check in with your career every year and ask if it's still serving you, if you're still learning and growing. If you're not, it's time to look at other opportunities."

the abc journalist, james norman, had himself started to make decisions geared toward the lifestyle he wanted to lead as a freelance writer. in the story norman references inspiration stemming from author nilanjana roy’s observation of a new trend popping up in how professionals were balancing life and work, which she called the “time millionaire”.

in the financial times, roy speaks of how her notion of wealth shifted : “I felt like a time millionaire when I’d achieved a set number of personal goals, many of which were first articulated in my twenties. what anyone wants from their time is as personal and particular as how they define “wealth” — houses and yachts owned, fat stock portfolios, net assets, a lifetime of first-class air travel — or what they want from an affluent life in the first place.”

adam edwards was one of the passionate photographers who joined us on an aweventurer trip to mungo national park with emilie ristevski and jason charles hill in early 2022.

“for me, the entire experience was pivotal in the decision-making process around creating my own tour offering. the aweventurer tour was so well organised and run, and the experience of being surrounded by a group of like-minded creatives built up a wave of energy that you can only get in that kind of setting,” he says. “I thought to myself, I want to do this; I want to bring like-minded people together and give them this kind of value!”

harrison says that COVID lockdowns triggered a reset. “people had more time to reflect and realise what aspects of their life serve them and what deplete them. i have seen on the trips we have hosted that people have became more sensitive to where our energy was being spent. the travellers who came on Aweventurer trips wanted to commit to their passions - whether that be yoga, photography or writing - and learn how to redesign their life around it,” she says.

that’s not to say that setting up a business during the pandemic was not a risk - especially one oriented around tourism. “the biggest challenge has been the considerable wait,” adam says. “I would say creating any product offering relying on tourism during the pandemic was pretty brave! I have had the basics completed and have been anxiously awaiting the right moment to launch for months! in october, all the talk of borders coming down started, and I decided there would never be a better time to launch than now”.

nevertheless, the pandemic was central in changing his outlook on life: “the most significant realignment has been that you should never take time with your family and friends for granted; I am sure this is something everyone can relate to after going through this period”.

harrison agrees that running your own business allows you to be a time millionaire. “i work harder and longer on my own business but the thing is, it doesn’t feel like work. it feels exciting and passionate, so I’m happy to work weekends. it’s not a 40 hour week, where you can switch off after hours. it bleeds into other parts of your life, but it has allowed me to pursue writing each day and undertake yoga teacher training. i am in charge of my schedule, which feels liberating,” she added.

so how can you be a time millionaire?

start small. identify a passion or purpose in your life that you would like to pursue. then allocate one hour each day to it. make that time sacred. block it out in your calendar, close the office door, do it at 5am or 9pm - whenever you have the ability. just imagine what you can create in a week, a month, a year. whether it’s art, a side hustle, or a life skill; create space to feel rich in time. then watch that one hour grow into a lifestyle, as you start to make decisions grounded in your passions.