Time is often cited as our most important asset. It’s ultimately our most finite resource. I buy into this belief wholeheartedly.

Recently, however, investor and entrepreneur Codie Sanchez recently posted on X that attention is more important than time.

And while I’m a big fan of her insights, I have mixed feelings about this statement.

How and where we focus our attention is absolutely critical in making progress in any area of life. You can have all the time in the world but if you spend that time doomscrolling social media or binge-watching Netflix, your attention is wasted.

However, you can only consciously focus your attention when your mind and body are sharp, and when you have the time to do so.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a surplus of free time and regularly get enough rest and exercise, then attention might be the more important asset.

But if you’re like most people, struggling to balance a job, family obligations and other necessities, how you focus much of your attention is outside of your control.

Before you can consciously focus your attention, you need to manage your time. You need to take care of your body and mind, get enough sleep, and shift things around the best you can to open up those precious windows of time.

Attention can be more important than time. But only when we have the time to spend.