There's plenty of time - but what if there's not?

If today was your last day on earth ...

 

A common scenario involves imagining that today was your last day on earth: What would you do if this was it? You have only one day to live. It’s a good question to think about, but not sufficient on its own. If today were your last day, you might tell someone you loved them.

You might try to make amends with someone you had wronged. You might enjoy the time as much as possible, and you might indeed bake a cake. All of these things are good, but you can do them anytime. No need to wait for the warning of a last day that you’ll never receive.

Most of us don’t get the chance to know when our last day is, and even if we do, we’re not usually in a position to make real changes. Besides, a single day is short-term by design, and you’ll never create anything with lasting value in the short-term.

Sure, you can “live in the present” – but if you want to build something beautiful, you’d better be thinking about the future as well. Instead of watching life as it passes you by, what if you actively worked on crafting a legacy composed of creative work that helps others? What if there was a systematic method of “legacy work” that allowed you to build this enduring record step-by-step?

Yes, there might be plenty of time left. But what if there’s not? There is an urgency to life, whether you want it or not. When you embrace the urgency instead of ignoring it, you can create something that changes the world.

Oh, and you can do this in a fun way that makes the best use of your own talent and motivation. In a world of take-it-easy, who needs a life oriented about effort and achievement? Well, I certainly do. And perhaps you do too.

The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau The purpose of AONC is to share the story of how to change the world by achieving personal goals while helping others at the same time. In the battle against conventional beliefs, we focus on three core areas: Life, Work, and Travel.

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