An Uncomfortable Truth You’d Probably Like to Avoid

August 7, 2022

We will never have enough time to do everything that’s worth doing.

I won’t, you won’t, and nobody will.

We must each choose for ourselves what to do and what not do. We have to say “no” to many things that are theoretically worth doing, simply because we won’t live forever.

This fact makes us feel uncomfortable. It is why time management and productivity techniques appeal to so many of us. Perhaps there is some method out there that would allow us to avoid uncomfortable trade-offs?

Of course you can work smarter and do more of what’s worth doing—up until a point. You will eventually have to accept that you can’t do more.

If you haven’t accepted that yet, no technique, method, or app will ever make you feel better. Instead, try meditation: it is practice in accepting reality as it is.

After that, come back to learn how you can work smarter and do just a little bit more of what’s worth doing. (But never everything.)

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