Chasing More Memories, Not More Time
Life is short on time but people don’t want to live longer, they want more memories
No matter the political climate or the time of year, everyone can agree on one thing:
Life is short on time.
I am always rushing from one thing to the next thing to the next thing. The to-do lists are full of things I hope to accomplish but never do. If only there was more time, I might finally get around to living.
My daily routine helps to give me control. I relish my routine, holding it tightly as it assigns structure to my life. For me, I rise before the sun and complete a workout, write, or read a book. I am consistent with my morning breakfast. A bowl of oatmeal filled with fresh berries, honey, and peanut butter, or a homemade breakfast sandwich with cheese that oozes down my toasted bagel. I hurry to change, and I am off to work.
My mornings move quickly, filled with meetings, weekly tasks, and financial requests. Before I realize, the clock hits 12, and it’s lunch. I am a religious lunch packer and if my day allows, I enjoy lunch with friends. The afternoon moves swiftly and it is time to head home and take on the night. My nights are rarely slow. Filled with runs, sand volleyball, the gym, a sports game, or a trip to the grocery. My head hits the pillow around 10 with unfinished plans. I think if I had more time, I might accomplish everything.
It is clear time is limited. How much does that matter? Do we want more time? My daily routine keeps me moving and tells me I do, but the best moments lie elsewhere. When I analyze if I want more time, I say sure, one to two more hours would be ideal, but eventually, the returns diminish because too much free time can be unfulfilling.
I wish for more memories. I am nostalgic about my favorite memories, not the moments when I had the most time. I remember getting my first tattoo on a whim during a random July afternoon, learning to surf on a cool summer San Diego day, or receiving a promotion at work. It is beautiful. The best moments are etched in my mind. They slowly carve a space in my brain. The more time passes, the more nostalgic I become and they are sculpted into lifelong memories. The best moments come outside of the daily hustle. Jimmy Carr says,
“That’s the other thing about life, people don’t want to live longer, they want more memories. And, really, how do you get more memories? Well, it’s doing novel, interesting things… That variety in life gives you more memories, more life.”
It's easy to wait and let the days pass you by. The daily routine that productivity people rave about has an evil twin that stops you from pausing to savor life amid the daily motions. I have increased the opportunities for creating memories by introducing more variety and novelty.
I mentor youth as part of a volunteer program. It gets me out in the world. I go to soccer games, play in the park, or find a quirky putt-putt place–things I wouldn’t typically do alone. Creating more variance in my gym routine has helped me. It is less about going to the gym and doing bodybuilding and powerlifting for the 97th straight time. It is more of running, Olympic lifting, CrossFit, skiing, and powerlifting. The variety gives me more memories. I remember the days when I hit 24 straight strict handstand push ups after getting a deadlift PR, not when I hit chest flys for the 35th straight chest day.
More variety allows for more memories. I don’t need more time to accomplish this. It is not years added to the end of life, but years added in the middle when life is juiciest.
I try to do meaningful things. This produces memories no matter how short life is. The value of time comes from the meaning it provides, which proves why simply having more time is not a useful construct. Time needs meaning. As Rory Sutherland says,
“We don’t value things; we value their meaning. What they are is determined by the laws of physics, but what they mean is determined by the laws of psychology.”
Memories are the measure of the value of time. Yes, it requires learning what matters, and that constantly changes. Some are lucky and determine early what makes them look forward to Mondays, and construct a lifestyle that affords them opportunities to do it. But for me, it began with a life that looks forward to Fridays, and gradually every day becomes as anticipated.
It is continual work and always in progress. If life is short on time, the value of memories will be great. Looking at those around me, this is what typically happens. With aging, our ability to do certain adventures disappears. I no longer have the stamina to bar hop all night. Soon, I shouldn’t stay in shared rooms in hostels. My parents once did triathlons all over the US and no longer compete at the same rate. The body slows down. My parents and I look back fondly on our favorite memories because we took the experience by the horns and seized it. We maximized the window.
It helps to feel that you've squeezed everything out of an experience. The reason I look back so happily on my trip to Europe is not that I didn’t work for two weeks and had plenty of free time. It was being 24-year-olds and jumping in a ball pit at an Amsterdam experience or the one hundred tapas we consumed in Barcelona. Nothing can match the treasure of common memories. Memories, like money, increase in value when shared with those around us.
People are eager about the things they most want to do when they are aligned with life being short on time. They do the season in Ibiza, couch surf with friends, or spend a month off work to travel. They maximize their windows.
Life is short on time. I tell myself not to wait. Chase more memories. That's what people do when they realize life is short on time.
-Scantron
Appreciate you reading.