The truth is, we really don’t have that much time left. For someone maybe only a quarter of the way through their life, wasted time often isn’t a real concern. If you don’t take action on something, it’s ok, there’s always next week or next year to do it. This mindset is wrong for a couple reasons.
One, by trapping ourselves into a system of thinking where we can justify procrastination in the face of laziness, fear, or uncertainty, we reinforce our tendencies to avoid discomfort. Quite simply, the attitude of “I’ll do it later” never comes to fruition, if not for a break in that way of thinking.
Two, we aren’t guaranteed the same time or opportunities in the future. Whether it’s a result of circumstance pertaining to ourselves or to someone else, we don’t have much certainty in what the future will look like. That isn’t to say that a changing future is inherently bad, but it should be an action call for us to enjoy what we have right now, because it could be taken from us at any moment.
As I’ll often suggest, try reflecting on the end of your life, and look back at the moments where you opted out of something because of laziness, fear, or uncertainty. The regret we would feel from missing out on something special, particularly if we can identify the forces that changed our circumstances (such as the death of a loved one), would almost certainly pain more than the discomfort experienced by stepping outside of our comfort zone. If we had the chance to go back for one last shot, I’m almost certain we’d all take it.
Again, knowing this, let us live with more intention than before, aware that what we have is fragile and could end at any time.
For more reading and a great article on the time that we have left, click here.