The Compass was Invented Before the Clock Direction has always been more important than time

by: Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA

Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Advisor

Running as fast as you can is meaningless unless you have a destination. Purpose and destination matter. Why do you think the compass was invented long before the clock?

Sitting around the pool and the dinner table with family this past weekend, I was reminded of this concept. Quiet, sunny Sundays have a funny way of doing that.

Most people in Canada approach wealth the way they approach their daily schedule: eyes glued to the clock, racing from one financial task to the next, measuring progress by how fast things seem to be happening. Speed without direction, however, is just movement. In my experience, movement without meaning rarely leads to wealth or fulfilment.

Stephen R. Covey captured this beautifully with the idea of "living by a compass, not a clock" in his 1994 book, First Things First. The clock represents urgency, deadlines, and the pressure to keep up. The compass represents purpose, orientation, and the ability to choose the right path before accelerating down it. This analogy can be used in any area of life because life, well, must be lived. Of course, I will focus on this as it relates to wealth, but you may extrapolate to any other area of life—faith, family, or happiness.

When it comes to building wealth, the compass must come first. Purpose and destination trump speed.

Many people work hard for decades—saving a little, investing sporadically, reacting to markets, chasing opportunities—yet never feel like they're truly moving forward. They're operating by the clock: always doing, always moving, and, quite honestly, always feeling like they are "running out of time." Does this sound familiar?

Without a compass, life becomes a treadmill. You spend an incredible amount of energy going nowhere of meaning and nowhere of intention.

Wealth is not built by doing more things in the same amount of time. Wealth is built by doing the right things consistently over time.

Direction Creates Leverage. A compass forces you to ask foundational questions: Where? And why?

Once your direction is clear, time itself becomes a multiplier instead of a stressor. Every hour, every dollar, every decision compounds toward a chosen destination. Small steps toward a marked heading will allow you to arrive. The time it takes is secondary.

This is why two people can earn the same income for 30 years and end up in completely different financial realities. One had a compass. One had only the clock.

Think of these two thoughts:

• Direction without action is dreaming.

• Action without direction is chaos.

While your compass will define your philosophy, goals, and help anchor decisions, the clock can still be a useful tool when combined. Your clock can help schedule or systemize your approach, create consistency, and build momentum. The order of the approach is where people get it wrong.

Yes, some might accurately call me a hypocrite for not listening to my own advice at times. Yes, the clock does take over from time to time. I am no different. The trick, I believe, is to slow down and frequently look at your compass from time to time. Surely this will keep your bearing.

In a world obsessed with speed—instant returns, quick trades, fast growth—people often forget that wealth is a directional pursuit. After watching some of the most successful investors, entrepreneurs, and families over the past 35 years as a Wealth Advisor, these people aren’t the ones who moved fastest; they’re the ones who moved with intention.

Here is the challenge I leave you, and myself, with:

Stop asking: “How fast can I get there?”

Start asking: “Where am I actually trying to go?”

That, my dear friends, is the real power of living your financial life by a compass before a clock.

Posted July 2026