From Dawn till Dusk
A life condensed into 24 hours
Happy New Year!
Beginning another orbit around The Sun marks an annual - and typically short lived - period of reflection for many.
This annual line in the sand is a time for introspection, taking stock and making plans to banish away one’s sinful habits until February.
To help position these internal discussions, I thought I’d share a (hopefully) helpful perspective on life.
Life is a funny one. It can be long, short or medium in length. Yet, what one does with their time is not solely dependent on the length of their stay. Many have left a lasting mark in a short amount of time (see ‘The 27 Club’) and others enjoy a long and fruitful life - the contents of which will not be found in any future history books (yet their impact on those around them may be immeasurable).
None of us are born with a known expiry date, just a faint understanding that we have one. Attempting to gauge one’s existence and deciding what to do with one’s life can be quite a daunting task with this reality.
Personally, I’ve found shrinking the timeline to a comprehensible length (e.g., a day) is a helpful perspective shift.
So then, what would your life look like if it was condensed down to 24 hours?
Would you be happy with how you’d spent your day so far?
Do the plans for the rest of your day fill you with excitement or dread?
Do you have any plans at all?
Your Life in 24 Hours
Using an average lifespan (85 years old), each hour of the day equates to circa 3.5 years.
Here’s how the day would unfold (remember, your day could end early or go on longer):
What time is it for you?
How does that make you feel?
The Rising Sun
The day has just begun.
You’re only 21 years old at 6am and 3 hours later you’re still only 32 years old.
If you’re on the younger-side, then hopefully this brings you some peace of mind.
In my 20’s, I used to feel like life was slipping away and I’d begrudge myself for not having ‘made it’ yet (which is, of course, nonsense).
This period is typically taken up with gaining life experience, figuring out what you want to do for work and then working out how to earn more money doing it.
Time is on your side.
Midday Heat
Ah, the blissful warmth of the midday sun.
You’re 43 years old, halfway.
As a teenager, someone in their 40’s seemed ancient to me.
But now, 7 years away from 40, I realise it’s still young - in fact, you’re always going to be young to those considerably older than you!
Midlife shouldn’t be a time for crisis, rather a time to rejoice.
You’re still young, (hopefully) healthy and (hopefully) earning well.
This is typically a time when you begin thinking about your future and assessing your ability to save/invest more (a good idea!).
You have time.
Dusk Approaches
3pm.
You’re 53.
It’s getting later in the day and the evening is in sight.
Are you content with how your day has panned out thus far?
Are you happy with how you’re spending your time right now?
Whilst you still have time, it is becoming more precious with every tick of the clock.
Every passing moment increases the scarcity of your remaining hours, making them ever more valuable.
So, what do you want to do with the rest of your day?
How much longer do you want to work?
How much time do you have left to invest in your ISAs and pensions before retirement?
Do you already have enough?
Nightfall
9pm.
3 hours to go.
You’re 74 years old.
Hopefully, you’ve lived a good life up until this point and continue to enjoy a good standard of living.
What are you thinking about now?
What do you have left to accomplish/tick off your bucket list?
Who do you want to spend your final hours with?
Whilst it may be scary to confront this final decade, it’s better than the alternative of not having made it this far - you’ve made it well beyond the average life expectancy for most of human history.
You may now be thinking about your legacy.
What do you want it to be?
Do you care about inheritance tax?
Is there more you could be doing now?
For more on legacy planning, check out the below article:
The End
It’s midnight.
The curtain falls.
As you lie there taking in your final moments do you have any regrets?
Are you content?
Did you enjoy the ride?
Would you have done anything differently?
Is there anyone/anything you’re suddenly longing for?
To help with these reflections, here are the most common regrets from those on their deathbeds, as documented by Bronnie Ware (an Australian nurse who worked in palliative care and wrote the book "The Top Five Regrets of the Dying”):
I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
I wish I had let myself be happier.
The Pale Blue Dot
As a final perspective shift, I’ll leave you with this exquisite piece of writing from Carl Sagan (possibly the best thing ever written):
Look at that dot. That's here. That's home.
That's us.
On it, everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives.
The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilisation , every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor, and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every 'superstar,' every 'supreme leader,' every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there — on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
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Thanks for reading.
Tom Redmayne
Chartered Financial Planner
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This is not personal advice based on your circumstances.
All views are my own.