Limited Time
Intro
Our time is limited. We have a finite amount of time to spend on this earth. This makes it fundamentally valuable.
Concept
Death itself makes life valuable. If we had an infinite amount of time, we could do everything we wanted. But because we don't, we have to make choices. We have to decide what we want to do with our time. In my view, we only have one life. So, we should live it properly. Properly doesn't mean the same for everyone. It means living according to your values and beliefs.
Accepting and acting based on this concept leads to implementing many more concepts like essentialism.
Being aware of limited time should by no means lead to any unhealthy behaviour. The awareness only leads to a force that you can leverage or ignore. This force is neither inherently positive nor negative. You can leverage it to justify bad behaviour or you can leverage it to do the right things.
My Implementation
For me, limited time leads me to live life properly. Living life properly is a general term, that needs individual interpretation. It doesn't mean only doing X or Y, but much more it means reflecting on my own values and choosing what is important to me and then commiting to those life areas. As mentioned above, it also leads to essentialism. Living life properly means seeking fulfillment and deep experiences in the long run. It also means, doing the right thing. Which is something individual again. But the concept of limited time allows me to effortlessly act on my view of the right thing.
The right thing contains but is not limited to:
- aligning with my life areas
- spending quality time with my girlfriend
- taking care of my health
- ...
- Delayed rewards over short term satisfaction or easyness
- going to the gym even when I am tired
- reading books even if my reading speed is similar to the one of a 12 year old
- committing to entrepreneurship even though there is no guaranteed reward
- acting with integrity (I don't have to hide my behaviour from anyone)
- being true to what you say and what you stand for
My fundamental goals
My goals align highly with my life areas (provides more depth on why).
In general I feel like it makes sense to align our goals to our human needs and desires like:
- health
- love and belonging
- self-actualization
so my goals are:
- being the ideal version of myself (healthy, kind, self-regulated, energetic and ambitious)
- having a fulfilling relationship and family including children (if biology allows it)
- building a startup
Living life properly is less about being perfect and more about doing the right thing one decision at a time.
Application
Step 1
Read about the life areas and implement them.
Step 2
Read about essentialism and apply it for every important decision you make.
Final thought
Imagine one of your future children was forced to live your exact life. What changes would you make today to ensure they had a better experience?
If you think about it, your environment, your habits and who you are will influence heavily who your children will be and what life they will live. So this is not just a thought experiment but a fact!