86,400 - Greatest Living On and Off the Field
Every morning, life makes the same deposit into every account: 86,400 seconds.
Not dollars. Not reward points. Not status. Seconds.
Do any athlete, coach, parent, student, CEO, retiree, or president get more than anyone else? Time is the one asset we all receive equally. But, is it one asset we can store for later? When midnight comes, whatever we did not use is gone.
That thought should not create fear. It should create focus.
Time is the greatest asset because it cannot be replaced
Money can often be earned again. A missed workout can be made up. A lost game can become a lesson.
Time is different.
The average American's life expectancy is about 79 years, or, 28,854 days. That is 28,854 sunrises. 28,854 opportunities to train, compete, forgive, learn, encourage, worship, love, and grow.
On the field, greatness is not built in one highlight. It is built in seconds nobody sees. The extra sprint. The focused rep. The film watched with purpose. The choice to listen when a coach corrects you.
Off the field, greatest looks different but costs the same asset. It takes time to call your parents, eat with your family, mentor a younger player, study, pray, rest, and become someone people can trust. Invest in your wellbeing.
Greatest is only performance?
This one is hard for me personally. I'm surrounded by the heat of the 'race', and I'm running to win it, believe me. A scoreboard can measure points, yards, wins, and losses. It cannot measure character. That's what really counts. That's what's on my mind as I lay my head on the pillow.
However, living your greatest life on and off the field means using time with intention in both places. Training matters. So does integrity. Competition matters. So does kindness. Ambition matters. So does presence.
Jesus discussed time dozens of times throughout the Gospels. Many Bible scholars would say that time, seasons, readiness, watchfulness, and God's timing were recurring themes in His teaching.
A few notable examples:
"The time is fulfilled" (Mark 1:15).
"My hour has not yet come" (John 2:4).
"My time is not yet here" (John 7:6).
"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour" (Matthew 25:13).
"Of that day and hour no one knows" (Matthew 24:36).
There is no definitive number, but Jesus referred to time, timing, seasons, readiness, and the future kingdom many dozens of times across the four Gospels. Country music's Tim McGraw’s 2013 song “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s” carries a simple reminder: while we stay busy chasing more, life keeps moving. Children grow. Parents age. Opportunities pass. Memories are either made or missed.
That message hits hard because it is true.
A full calendar does not always mean a full life. A busy schedule can still be empty if it is filled with things that do not match your values.
Spend your seconds like they matter
The question is not whether time will pass. It will. The better question is this: What will your time produce?
A strong day does not need to be perfect. It needs to be purposeful. Try giving your 86,400 seconds a plan before the world spends them for you.
Use time to:
Practice with full effort, not half attention
Be present with the people who love you
Rest before burnout steals your joy
Learn from failure instead of living in it
Do the right thing when no one is watching
Build habits that your future self will thank you for
The clock is always coaching
Time tells the truth.
Have you ever reviewed your weekly data report showing how much time was spent on social media? Now THAT is so real.......It reveals priorities. It exposes excuses. It rewards consistency. It reminds us that greatest is not reserved for the most talented person in the room. Often, it belongs to the person who respects the clock.
On the field, use our seconds to prepare, compete, and lead. Off the field, use your seconds to love deeply, speak honestly, serve humbly, and live faithfully.
Do we need more time to begin living well? Or, do we need to skill-up learning to honor the time already in our hands. Today’s deposit has already been made.
86,400 seconds.
Spend them on what makes you better, blesses others, and builds a life you will be proud to remember.
More Information on Great2Greatest Coaching: joesimon.solutions
Contact Joe: js@joesimon.solutions
Comments