How would life be different if we knew how much time we had left?
It was a question that popped into my head while stuck in traffic (for the 1,000,000th time). I like to write, and when I get an idea like that in my head it tends to bounce around in there until I either go insane or do something about it. So, one night not so long ago, I hopped on my laptop and headed to Google (bow to Google) to figure out if it would be possible to create a clock that counted down to my death. This of course, was another project I had no idea how to figure out. But I was determined, because I am a firm believer that doing this kind of stuff keeps me young. I messed around with several programs and pulled out about a quarter of my hair. I finally figured out the best plugin and how to get it to work. Yay! I set there happily putting in my information, hit save, and waited with my fingers crossed as the blog loaded. There it was!! I had figured out how to do something else on the mighty Internets.
Then it hit me, “OMG, is that all I have left?”
Less than 15,600 days. That number is based on the average American woman’s life span of 81 years. Let’s face it, that is pretty optimistic. I could get up from the couch and drop dead of an aneurysm on the way to refill my water bottle in a few minutes (I didn’t). Oh, and don’t get me started on L.A. traffic. The accuracy of the clock is not the point though.
Having a physical representation of my life clicking away has motivated me in a way that I have never been motivated before.
I kid you not, I actually see those seconds clicking away in my head all the time. When I sit down to watch TV or do anything that doesn’t feel productive I think about the clock. When I do things that are productive, like working out, I try to make sure that those seconds are meaningful. Did I give 100% on my workout? I don’t ever get that workout time back. Did I make those seconds I traded for money at work worth the life I gave up? This concept isn’t revolutionary. Many philosophers have come to the same conclusion. I just needed the visual.
The formula is simple: Seconds = my life.
It’s my goal to make all of those seconds mean something significant from here forward. I know I won’t always succeed, but I will get better at it everyday.
What did you do with your seconds today?