How TimeBank can add value to people's lives
There are many ways you can add value to other people’s lives, and by doing so, inevitably should feel more content with your life! Adding value is an important skill to possess and does not require much effort on your part. There are overt things you can do personally or more subtle methods to encourage others to live better lives.
Within a timebank adding value to people's lives is about using timebanking community connections and the relationships you build within that community. Sometimes it is about following the 8 ways on how to add value to people’s lives outlined in the last part of this blog. Meanwhile, you can also help add value to people’s lives within your timebank just by being inventive.
Help those not working
Being unemployed or having a lack of work is stressful for most people. On top of this, when someone is not working, they have useful skills going to waste. By encouraging people in between jobs to advertise their skills on a timebank, it may help them find 1 or 2 hours work a day to keep them busy.
Meanwhile, also encouraging that person to focus on a home project such as maintenance may also give them meaning in their life. They have jobs to do in exchange for time credits, and time credits to spend to maintain their home or something of value.
Psychologically, seeing a project develop is the same as moving forward in life. This adds meaning to people’s lives, keeps them active, and helps them add value to their lives.
Help the elderly
There are more lonely elderly people out there than you may think. Some feel they no longer have value to add to society. However, timebanks can change that. Elderly people can advertise and offer their help on timebanks for people that just need someone to be there, check up on things, or keep an eye on children for an hour or so.
There are plenty of single mums that need to work, people going on vacation that need chores done while they are or pets feeding. We can think of a 100 other reasons how an elderly person can help people with jobs that only need someone just to be there.
For many people with busy schedules, having someone just being there is valuable, and who better than an elderly retiree? If an elderly person can help you, then you are adding value to that person’s life because he or she feels wanted, while that person is adding value to your life by making a busy schedule less hectic.
You may also find Best Community Volunteer Services for Seniors a good read on this subject.
Hiring Willing Educators
Just because someone is not a qualified teacher does not mean they do not have valuable insights into certain subjects. Yes, teaching a curriculum at a school requires a qualified teacher, but sharing life experiences or knowledge does not. Parents may not be qualified teachers, but they teach their children!
Timebanks offer the chance for those that want to share their knowledge by becoming an educator which gives them a feeling of being valued - anyone that wants to teach does so because they believe they can add value to other’s lives, while carrying the task of teaching adds value to the educator’s life.
For example, an accountant could offer private math tuition at several levels of education, a chef could offer cooking classes, and so on.
Sports & Fitness
This is similar to an educator’s role in society. A footballer could offer football coaching via a timebank. Maybe the coach charges $10 per person for the training session but also accepts 2 time bank members in exchange for 1 time credit per student earning 2 time credits. The same concept could apply to any sport’s lessons or to the educational classes held by educators mentioned in the previous example.
With people offering a way into their classes without payment in cash, this could help balance society. Those without money or work still have access to education and sports via a timebank community, meaning there is a lower chance of those without money getting left behind.
How Can These Ideas Benefit People Within a Timebank Community?
1. These ideas help people stay active that may otherwise be unconnected
2. People get to interact in their community and make friends
3. Giving is a valuable way to help people and to add value to your life
4. Offering and receiving help on a timebank is also a social experience
Check out the Nomos app and see if you can find opportunities to implement some of the above ideas we have put forward.
8 Easy Ways on How to Add Value to People’s Lives
We can implement each of the below steps to others within a timebank community and with our friends and family. Adding value to other people’s lives is not always about a particular moment or to achieve an objective, but something that we can make a habit out of in every aspect of our lives.
Take a look at some suggestions and see if you can implement them at work, at home, and/or with your timebank community members.
What you can do personally
1. Encourage others with your words
Being nice goes a long way. Speaking in a kind and encouraging manner to everyone you encounter has the ability to change someone’s day or even life for the better. Small things like complimenting somebody’s outfit or telling them they are doing a good job can make the world of difference. People like feeling appreciated and taking the time to tell them that you appreciate them is an easy way to add value to their everyday lives.
2. Offer help or support
Being helpful and approachable is another simple way you can add value to somebody’s life. You can do this by offering support to people in both a personal and professional capacity.
Lending a hand to a neighbor or family member shows you care and that you are a person who other people can depend on. You can teach an elderly family member how to use the computer, volunteer for neighborhood watch or lend your babysitting services. Offering support to those in your personal life is a meaningful way to add value to your life and the people on the receiving end of your selflessness.
At work, you can lend support to your colleagues or boss. Asking simple questions like “can I help out with anything?” or “I can take on some of your workload” shows initiative. Being helpful at work shows that you have value to add to both the company as well as the individuals within it.
3. Be interesting and present
Having an interesting personality or a diverse set of interests gives you incredible social value. Possessing knowledge about unique things allows you to add value in conversation and connect better with the people around you. You can learn a new language, look up interesting facts or pick up a cool hobby and teach new people or your friends and family things they never knew before.
Being present for family and friends both physically and metaphorical is also an important value-adding skill to have. Actively engage in conversation, ask questions, and show people that you are genuinely interested in their lives.
Volunteering your time is another great way to be present and add value to people’s lives. Be generous with your time with family and friends, but also with others. You can volunteer to help coach your child’s soccer team, find a local soup kitchen or lend a hand to a charity in need. Volunteering is a selfless and effective way to add value to your own life as well as others.
4. Create your own value
Another great way to add value in other people’s lives is to create a business or start a new project that makes a positive and meaningful impact in your community or even the world. Offering a product or service that provides value has the potential to impact the lives of many, and in turn may create great success for yourself. Some of the most successful people in the world are the creators of value-adding businesses.
What you can encourage others to do
1. Inspire someone to take action
You may know someone who is capable of so much more than what they are currently doing. Encouraging someone to put a skill of theirs to good use or partnering up with someone to start a new venture is a great way to encourage others. Simply nudging a person to take a certain action can add immense value to their life and the lives of others.
2. Invest in people's professional and/or personal growth
As well as inspiring someone to take action, you can add value to a person’s life by encouraging their professional and/or personal growth. Pushing someone to perform better at work or develop new skills will help them become even more successful in their position and add value to others around them.
Building someone up personally will also help improve that person's interactions with others. If you make meaningful steps to help a person who is going through a hard time or needs a shoulder to cry on, this can help inspire them to do the same for others in the future.
3. Introduce people to one another
A great way to encourage others to add value is by introducing people to one another. These people can be part of your social circle, family members or work colleagues. You automatically add value to somebody’s life when you introduce them to a person they have never met before. This new person may become of great value to them as a friend or confidant, and this allows them to add value to each other’s lives.
4. Show someone how to do something
Teaching people new skills is a great value-adding activity. You can coach a sport, teach a language, or do something as simple as showing your elderly neighbor how to order online instead of going to the grocery store. People can learn from you and then pass on that information to others.
Adding value to other people is a selfless act that you can implement in your daily life. Whether you are acting alone or encouraging others, there are many ways you can add value to other people's lives. Contributing to other people’s lives in a positive and meaningful way will not only make other people feel better, but it will also help contribute to your own happiness.