I’ll start with something you already know.
Time is our most precious possession. It’s a finite resource, and as such – we should cherish it.
According to some people, however, it’s way too much and there’s enough time for everything. So they decide to spend each day doing what they feel like doing, indulging in activities that make them feel good, take no time, are easy and comfortable.
But soon, they end up having almost no time because they’ve wasted so much of it without having done anything meaningful.
Others always complain about not having enough time (during the day and in general) to do all the stuff they should and want to do.
And instead of actually doing at least some of it (maybe the stuff that’s most important to them), they spend so much time thinking about all the tasks and projects waiting to be completed, they compare themselves to others who somehow manage to reach some level of productivity, they are negative about it, feel like life is unfair, and so on.
And they too don’t do anything meaningful and don’t make the most out of each moment of the day, and thus of their life.
But time is our most precious thing. Its value is beyond measure as it’s given to us just like that, and we can do whatever we want with it.
Yes, we all know that.
But why do we keep taking it for granted then and not doing anything positive, productive, beautiful, creative, healthy and passionate with each minute of the day?
Maybe because we’re not reminded often enough of how finite this resource is…
A daily reminder of how limited our time is
The harsh truth is that this time is going to be over some day. We don’t know when exactly (although we have a vague idea), and we don’t really need to know that.
But it’s important to be aware of that fact.
Today is a gift. And after it, there will be many more. Just like this one.
But one day, there won’t be another one. What then?
The point of all this is to prevent you from being full of regrets, never realizing your potential, never getting things done, always being under the control of your bad habits, and ending your life in disappointment.
A
The weeks of our life
We can do that in days too, or months. But I think measuring life in weeks is the best choice.
That’s a picture of the life of a person from his birth to his 90th year (considering everything goes fine and he lives this long).
It’s something the guys from WaitButWhy.com (a pretty interesting, educational and unusual blog) created.
Click on it to zoom.
Now eliminate all the weeks you’ve already experienced. And fill them with color.
Then, look at the rest.
That’s all you have.
Originally, it would be 4680 weeks. But considering you’ve lived for some time, it’s less now.
It can be a short time but it can also be more than enough to make the best of them, achieve a lot, feel great and have fun, and eventually leave something behind.
It’s how you choose to spend each week that defines your overall performance on this planet.
And before you get sad or depressed because of that (as that’s how most people react once they’re reminded of how short life may be and how long they’ve got left), realize that this can be a good thing too.
It may open your eyes and – if you look at this picture (preferably have it printed out) daily – you can start living consciously, doing more important things with your days, eliminating all unproductive activities and finally focusing on your goals and the things you’ve always wanted to do/have/be.
What can you do right now with the weeks you have left?
Here are the 3 best ways to make the most out of each week:
• enjoy it;
• build something to make the next one better;
• help others enjoy their weeks.
And here’s more advice on what to do so that you can start living your life to the fullest and be mindful of everything you invest time in:
1. Accept all the weeks that are gone, wasted or not appreciated without feeling bad for them (as this can only ruin your current week).
2. Self-awareness – know where you are now in your life, what you have and don’t have.
3. Reflect.
4. Take the decision to change – your approach to the weeks you’ve got left will change once you decide to take this journey to a more meaningful life.
5. Make a step-by-step plan on how to spend the rest of your weeks.
6. Go back to the calendar (the picture) in the end of each week and measure how you’re doing.
7. Accept it’s a process and love every part of it.
Tim from WaitButWhy.com suggests that you use such a calendar of the weeks of your life (which he also sells in the store of the site) to:
• highlight weeks and segment them into life chapters;
• set goals and make a mark on a week in the future and see how long you’ve got left;
• feel good because after a bad week there comes a fresh one as each empty box is an opportunity given to you.
Stock Photo from WAYHOME studio @ Shutterstock