“Almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.”
~ Steve Jobs

The concept of death is powerful because it provides perspective in the strongest dose possible. 

There’s a delicate balance between fearing death and using its inevitability to fuel our dreams. Here are a few ways on how to use the concept of our mortality to power purposeful work and live a life true to yourself.

1. If today were my last.

Bring out your deepest desires and address them on a daily basis by asking yourself, “If today were my last, would I be proud of myself?”

This triggers you to evaluate your most fundamental goals and whether or not they are being prioritized. Sometimes, this question will help you eat healthier meals that day or to hold your tongue when someone cuts you off in traffic.  Sometimes, it may trigger a bigger change such as tackling career advancement or forgiving a past relationship. 

It’s important to remember that tomorrow isn’t always promised and that our existence is what we choose to make of it, each and every day.

2. Do you value your time?

Ask a dying person what they wished they had more of and it will always be more time.  More time with loved ones, time to take a passion project to the next step, time to travel around the world.

Just another day would be a blessing.

Meanwhile, we pack our hours with things to do and complain endlessly of our desire to have more time.  What do we actually do with our 24 hours each day?

List out your day and how much time you allocate to each activity. This includes: sleeping, commuting, eating, getting ready in the morning, watching TV, etc.  Now, add it all up and total how many hours you still have left in the day for the activities you want.  Chances are, it’s a surprising amount.  If you haven’t taken the time to break this down for yourself, you will learn a lot about where you may have misplaced your priorities. 

You will most likely find that you can easily reduce several activities and insert the ones you wish you did more of.  Over time, you will naturally become aware of the value and use of your time.

3. What’s the ROI?

Expanding on the previous concept, do you spend your money and time on the things that matter most to you?

Making the most out of life also means investing in the areas that will give you the most return in the future.  This includes anything from your health and relationships to passions and travel. Identify your most valuable investments on an individual basis, not what others or society tries to sell you.

In the end, where we choose to spend the majority of our money and time will show a lot about our priorities and whether or not we are investing in areas that will triple in value or temporary things that depreciate.

4. Choose closure & gratitude.

Ultimately, there is no point to suffering or holding on to negativity.  Knowing that your time is limited, will you choose to spend your precious energy venting about the past or holding on to a grudge? Instead, you could choose to forgive and focus on the beauty of everything else passing you by.

If someone has hurt you recently or in the past, don’t be afraid to reach out, be kind and understanding, and then move forward.  Writing an email or reaching out to find common ground with someone important can release you from your own ego and anger.

Approaching even your biggest demons with an open mind and heart, can create space for forgiveness.

5. Find balanced bravery.

Finally, there’s a fine line between being reckless and being brave.  We can live in the moment and take a leap of faith, but if we aren’t responsible for ourselves, it becomes reckless for us and those affected by our actions.

Knowing that we will die one day doesn’t mean we should discount the consequences of our choices. With every courageous decision we make or situation where we are putting ourself on the line, balance it with an act of preparation or planning.

Understanding the boundaries of “you only live once” will help us live in the moment and do courageous things, but also avoid swinging from one extreme to the other. 

Follow your heart, but take your mind with you.

The concept of our limited time on earth is powerfully motivating for our dreams and desires.

How will you reclaim your time?

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Apprentice Editor: Kim Haas / Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: Stillwrht Photography