Tim Urban's post The Tail End is one of the most insightful things I've read in a long time. He makes that case even young people are at the tail end of something in their lives. Here's an example:
It turns out that when I graduated from high school, I had already used up 93% of my in-person parent time. I’m now enjoying the last 5% of that time. We’re in the tail end.
Perhaps even more interesting is how he suggests deciding on your priorities. Using some simple math, you can actually figure out many more times you'll eat Chinese food, go to a baseball game or spend time with loved ones.
So what do we do with this information?
- Living in the same place as the people you love matters. I probably have 10X the time left with the people who live in my city as I do with the people who live somewhere else.
- Priorities matter. Your remaining face time with any person depends largely on where that person falls on your list of life priorities. Make sure this list is set by you—not by unconscious inertia.
- Quality time matters. If you’re in your last 10% of time with someone you love, keep that fact in the front of your mind when you’re with them and treat that time as what it actually is: precious.
Have a great day!
Jimmy
Swipe File is a short newsletter that delivers a small dose of inspiration each morning.