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to get into debt！ You can only waste the passing moment。 You cannot
waste to… morrow； it is kept for you。 You cannot waste the next hour； it is
kept for you。
I said the affair was a miracle。 Is it not？
You have to live on this twenty…four hours of daily time。 Out of it you
have to spin health； pleasure； money； content； respect； and the evolution of
your immortal soul。 Its right use； its most effective use； is a matter of the
highest urgency and of the most thrilling actuality。 All depends on that。
Your happinessthe elusive prize that you are all clutching for； my
friends！ depends on that。 Strange that the newspapers； so enterprising
and up…to… date as they are； are not full of 〃How to live on a given income
of time；〃 instead of 〃How to live on a given income of money〃！ Money is
far commoner than time。 When one reflects； one perceives that money is
just about the commonest thing there is。 It encumbers the earth in gross
heaps。
If one can't contrive to live on a certain income of money； one earns a
little moreor steals it； or advertises for it。 One doesn't necessarily muddle
one's life because one can't quite manage on a thousand pounds a year； one
braces the muscles and makes it guineas； and balances the budget。 But if
one cannot arrange that an income of twenty…four hours a day shall exactly
cover all proper items of expenditure； one does muddle one's life
definitely。 The supply of time； though gloriously regular； is cruelly
restricted。
Which of us lives on twenty…four hours a day？ And when I say
〃lives；〃 I do not mean exists； nor 〃muddles through。〃 Which of us is free
from that uneasy feeling that the 〃great spending departments〃 of his daily
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
life are not managed as they ought to be？ Which of us is quite sure that his
fine suit is not surmounted by a shameful hat； or that in attending to the
crockery he has forgotten the quality of the food？ Which of us is not
saying to himselfwhich of us has not been saying to himself all his life：
〃I shall alter that when I have a little more time〃？
We never shall have any more time。 We have； and we have always had；
all the time there is。 It is the realisation of this profound and neglected
truth （which； by the way； I have not discovered） that has led me to the
minute practical examination of daily time…expenditure。
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
II THE DESIRE TO EXCEED
ONE'S PROGRAMME
〃But；〃 someone may remark； with the English disregard of
everything except the point； 〃what is he driving at with his twenty…four
hours a day？ I have no difficulty in living on twenty…four hours a day。 I do
all that I want to do； and still find time to go in for newspaper
competitions。 Surely it is a simple affair； knowing that one has only
twenty…four hours a day； to content one's self with twenty…four hours a
day！〃
To you； my dear sir； I present my excuses and apologies。 You are
precisely the man that I have been wishing to meet for about forty years。
Will you kindly send me your name and address； and state your charge for
telling me how you do it？ Instead of me talking to you； you ought to be
talking to me。 Please come forward。 That you exist； I am convinced； and
that I have not yet encountered you is my loss。 Meanwhile； until you
appear； I will continue to chat with my companions in distressthat
innumerable band of souls who are haunted； more or less painfully； by the
feeling that the years slip by； and slip by； and slip by； and that they have
not yet been able to get their lives into proper working order。
If we analyse that feeling； we shall perceive it to be； primarily； one of
uneasiness； of expectation； of looking forward； of aspiration。 It is a source
of constant discomfort； for it behaves like a skeleton at the feast of all our
enjoyments。 We go to the theatre and laugh； but between the acts it raises a
skinny finger at us。 We rush violently for the last train； and while we are
cooling a long age on the platform waiting for the last train； it promenades
its bones up and down by our side and inquires： 〃O man； what hast thou
done with thy youth？ What art thou doing with thine age？〃 You may urge
that this feeling of continuous looking forward； of aspiration； is part of life
itself； and inseparable from life itself。 True！
But there are degrees。 A man may desire to go to Mecca。 His
conscience tells him that he ought to go to Mecca。 He fares forth； either by
the aid of Cook's； or unassisted； he may probably never reach Mecca； he
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
may drown before he gets to Port Said； he may perish ingloriously on the
coast of the Red Sea； his desire may remain eternally frustrate。 Unfulfilled
aspiration may always trouble him。 But he will not be tormented in the
same way as the man who； desiring to reach Mecca； and harried by the
desire to reach Mecca； never leaves Brixton。
It is something to have left Brixton。 Most of us have not left Brixton。
We have not even taken a cab to Ludgate Circus and inquired from Cook's
the price of a conducted tour。 And our excuse to ourselves is that there are
only twenty…four hours in the day。
If we further analyse our vague； uneasy aspiration； we shall； I think；
see that it springs from a fixed idea that we ought to do something in
addition to those things which we are loyally and morally obliged to do。
We are obliged； by various codes written and unwritten； to maintain
ourselves and our families （if any） in health and comfort； to pay our debts；
to save； to increase our prosperity by increasing our efficiency。 A task
sufficiently difficult！ A task which very few of us achieve！ A task often
beyond our skill！ yet； if we succeed in it； as we sometimes do； we are not
satisfied； the skeleton is still with us。
And even when we realise tat the task is beyond our skill； that our
powers cannot cope with it； we feel that we should be less discontented if