Time flies, and as you get older it seems to only accelerate. This is a refrain I hear from 22 year olds and 50 year olds alike, time it seems doesn’t discriminate. The recognition of the finite quantity of time hits us all differently. The single truth though is that time is all that matters and we begin to judge our passions, impact, and ambitions against this clock vs others.
This struck me several times in the past week and has been troubling me. In the past week I have heard two close friends lose people in their lives due to short and unexpected deaths. Hearing of these losses to friends and family awakens the primal desire to not only survive but thrive. Holding a cherished ideal for us to leave a legacy and a footprint where the world (or a portion) will have been different and better because of our efforts.
The more we see time elapsing the more we care about how and with whom we spend it
Time slips by without care
Once we realize and become self aware of our time, we can truly live our live with the impact we envision. The secret is to realize that you are in charge of the day, what you focus on, and what happens is the result of your actions. When you realize that, you suddenly can act freely.
Your day spent is your choice
This requires though you to see your day as a series of choices that you made. Some examples I have had to remind myself:
- I am in traffic because I chose to sleep in (I could choose to take an Uber and work in transit; I could choose to take a train; I could choose to wake early and jump start my day at a coffee shop)
- I haven’t published my new book because I chose to …
- I didn’t teach my daughter how to wakeboard because …
You see the theme here, each action or desire is counter balanced by my choice. Viewed in this manner I can begin to find ways to leverage my duties within my time constraints, and therefore achieve towards my ambitions. Here are some examples of my choices:
- I wake early and start my day 2 hours before everyone else, so that I can make time to workout in the afternoon and achieve my work objectives
- I ask teammates to speak in 15 and 45 min meetings, to cram more meetings in the day (vs. 30 and 1 hour meetings)
- I meal prep (service) to save me 5 hours of cooking a week and hit my healthy whole foods goals
Being productive isn’t the goal, wealth isn’t the goal, happiness and health is the goal. Be sure you see your true goals and experiment with ways to adjust your day to find your own unique daily life.
Principles I live by
If you are not careful your day will disappear without regard for your goals, impact, or health. Time moves swiftly, but can be an ally if you focus on these principles:
- Live intentionally everyday — Let today have a purpose, a meaning, and be setup with specific achievements desired that fit your soul’s yearnings
- Be Present — Wherever you are and whomever you are engaged with at this moment, be there, deeply. Dig into their world, learn, share, inspire, and create an imprint that they will remember.
- Look up — while we must have lists, and tasks, goals, and pursuits to see the transformation of ourselves and the world around us. We EQUALLY must take a breath of our beautiful planet, laugh, cry, hug, dance, and simply cherish this gift of life.
Try things, do things, and you’ll never have regret.
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About Me
I am a father, study of human behavior, strategist, cybersecurity veteran, and a coach and mentor on a journey to give more than I receive everyday. I lead teams globally, build products, and daily an executive for a leading company where I serve the largest companies in the world using the largest cloud deployments in the world impacting the financial services, healthcare, and fintech industries. I provide these publications and content through my media agency to deliver insights and advantages. Mindset, mental strength, mentorship, personal improvement, health, fitness, and humanist ideas are drawn from personal research and practice. Everything read and heard is my original works and my own perspective. All rights reserved for noted authors and sources. I produce research and strategy, as well as provide advisory services that include inquiries, briefings, consulting projects, and presentations on published findings as well as bespoke speaking engagements where I often keynote at conferences, seminars, and roundtables annually.