In an iconic scene in The Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort–the “wolf” played by Leonardo DiCaprio–launches his $40,000 Rolex into a sea of outstretched hands, as eager young stockbrokers lunge for it, nearly clobbering one another in the process.

The scene perfectly captures the infamous excesses of Wall Street in the ‘80s. But I couldn’t stop thinking about how it contrasts with the dramatic shift underway in the American economy.

Time is a new currency, and successful freelancers manage, save, and spend it wisely.

The nation’s 42 million freelancers are rewriting the definition of success–and it has nothing to do with gold watches, but everything to do with time.

Independent workers are establishing a new way to work–and in the process, they’re cultivating a new way of life. Success in 2014 is less about wealth than it is about value–the value of time, community, and well-being.

As the availability of the traditional 40-hour-a-week job wanes, so does its appeal. Who wants to “clock-out” at the end of the day when you can dictate your own schedule?

Many freelancers rightly see the standard workweek as a prison of the past. Managing your own time isn’t just rewarding–it’s practical and efficient. Parents don’t have to “leave early” to pick up their kids. The idea of “killing time” until the clock strikes 5:00 becomes obsolete when that time is chiefly your own.

Time is a new currency, and successful freelancers manage, save, and spend it wisely.