Life Calendar
With summer of 2020 coming to an end this week it seemed apropos to reflect on “time”.
It isn’t uncommon to hear someone refer to their summer as having passed too quickly. At other times of the year or moments in our lives, time moves too slow.
I am not alone in stating that this summer was unusual. Regardless, I made the best of it. I met my goals relative to reading, making great lattes at home and cycling thousands of miles.
The one thing we often forget is the finiteness of time as it relates to our lives.
Check out this chart which reflects a 90 year life in months:
As an adult there really isn’t that many summers for you to make the most of in your life. If you think of it as 9 circles in each row, it gives you perspective as to how many have passed and how many are left (in a full 90 year life).
Now factor in how many years you have been asleep since you were born using the calculator in this link.
https://calculla.com/sleep_time
Most people are close to 30% of their total years.
Certainly you can look at this chart and the sleep calculator as sobering but it can also be a great way to think about your goals.
For example, on the chart you can mark a goal on a circle and visually understand how much time you have to accomplish that goal.
If you fill in all the dots for months you have lived, then the empty boxes are a great reminder that whatever you feel distressed or bound by, the lines of empty boxes evidence the time left to achieve what you want.
You could fill in past months (such as the last 3) in a different color to allow you to reflect on what that color (summer 2020) was for you in terms of accomplishments or marking a life event.
It is a great way to continually self reflect and feel more oriented about your past and your future.
This isn’t just any calendar. Its your LIFE calendar
You can look at this chart as sobering OR a reminder that life is forgiving. No matter what happens each month you get a fresh dot to work on a new goal or challenge.
Have a great weekend,
Karl
Humans are good at a lot of things, but putting time in perspective is not one of them. Tim Urban