Protect Your Time
the most precious resource
Time is one of the most valuable things we possess. And yet we give it voluntarily to others frequently, sometimes without being aware that we are doing so. Your time must be protected at all costs. Nothing is more persistent than time and we are losing it second by second. If you take an 80 year life, this amounts to about 4,174 weeks. This is not that many weeks in the scheme of things. There are only so many countries you can visit, careers you can pursue, books you can write, relationships you can foster, and different cuisine you can taste in this finite time frame.
Given this restriction, difficult choices must be made. Tradeoffs present themselves at every fork in the road. Sacrifices are inevitable. One thing to consider when making serious life decisions are the things people most regret at the end of their life. At the top of the list is ‘not living the life I wanted to live.’ In other words, consistently doing things that others think you should do and succumbing to social pressures. Be cognisant that you’re living life on your terms and not others.
What makes life even trickier is that we do not know our expiration date. While the average life expectancy in the United States is 76.33 years at the time of this writing, your life may be considerably shorter. This puts an onus to carry a certain urgency with your decision-making. What can you do today that will move the needle on your most important goals? What is a concrete action plan you can formulate to realize your most beloved dreams? None of this is easy, but the stakes couldn’t be higher. Do not delay.
The most effective way to protect your time is to say no more often. Carve out time for yourself to work on your goals and if an invitation interferes with this time, politely decline it. This may mean forgoing some fun or bestowing some disappointment to those who invited you, but you gain undeterred focus on what is vital. Of course striking a balance here is key. You cannot completely neglect your friends and cultivating deep relationships is a central pillar to a meaningful life. Just be mindful if social invitations are eating up too much of your time.
You get one shot at life. There is no dress rehearsal. Take the time to properly reflect on what is essential and cut out the rest. Be strict with your time and hold others accountable. Do not tolerate tardiness and make the effort to always be punctual. We do not know how much time we have left, so every decision we make is critical. Be deliberate in your choices and take life seriously. This is all we have.