Edition #10: Do it now! Do it now! do it now!
I remember the first time it hit me that I was going to die one day. I was 15 and I’d just been in a boating accident that nearly did end it all.
The brilliant thing about mortality is that it throws everything into perspective. Some things I thought mattered…didn’t. Some things I barely noticed became huge sources of joy. And some things I thought were scary lost their power.
Perspective changes everything. And Hail Mary Fridays are one way I keep my perspective fresh and alive. Because life looks different every time you step outside your comfort zone.
“Memento mori” which translates to “Remember, you must die”
~anonymous (it’s a bit morbid but keep reading for the motivating part!)
The Problem: “I’ll do it next week”
The reason we procrastinate…
How do you know if you are being lazy or if you are procrastinating?
Let’s start with some helpful working definitions:
LAZINESS = choosing not to do something, and being fine with the consequences
PROCRASTINATION = wanting to do something, but feeling unable to start- often followed by guilt, frustration, anxiety, and self-judgment
The key difference is desire. There are lots of reasons why we procrastinate, but it’s not because we don’t care. Maybe we’re scared we’ll get it wrong. Or overwhelmed at the enormity of the taks. But often it can be as simple as thinking we have more time than we do.
The Solution: Be honest about your time
No one is getting out of here alive…
I’m 41 and according to the stats, I have just over 2,000 weeks left on this planet. Which means just 2,000 Fridays left to fit in all my Hail Marys!
That alone is enough to dissolve my fear of failure. Not because I’m suddenly more confident. But because I catch a glimpse of reality and I realize there is no time to waste.
And that’s why I aspire to be like Barnaby, my friend’s dog. He has no such illusions about time. Barnaby wants all the walkies, all the cuddles, and all the snacky snacks, and he wants all of them right now. He doesn’t assume there will be later.
Barnaby, a golden retriever wearing a red harness on the back seat of a car.
The Application:
The power of a firm deadline…
Three weeks ago, I set aside an entire afternoon to pack for a keynote. I made a list, I gathered my pwer dress and my high heel leg, I packed my coffee and protein powder, and triple checked my passport.
Last week, because of a very fun four-day wedding party and my refusal to cancel a skating lesson, I arrived home with 45 minutes to shove everything into a bag before sprinting out the door to catch the train for another keynote.
The same packing result in a quarter of the time. And the only difference was a firm deadline (and a little bit more stress)!
The point is, we expand tasks to fill whatever time we think we have. If you keep telling yourself you have forever, then you will keep telling yourself “I’ll do it next week”.
Time is a gift. It’s scarcity is the very thing that makes life meaningful.
And while it would be nice to have more time, all we are guaranteed is right now. So the best we can do is crack on immediately!
What’s one concrete step you can take today toward the goal you’ve been avoiding?
In a world that says “You can do it all”, it feels good to lean into your limits. Boundaries give goals shape and context. Time is one of those boundaries. And it is your friend, not your enemy.
Catch you in your inbox on Dec 25th.
- Stef 💪
PS. Did you know in Ancient Rome, party hosts gave their dinner guests memento mori objects? Things like skulls and skeletons as party favours to remind them of death, encouraging them to party away because who knows what tomorrow holds!
PPS. I know it’s a little strange to send out a HMFC newsletter on Christmas Day. But I also know that Christmas can be a time when encouragement is needed so I’m going ahead with it!