Think about it every morning that you wake up.
There might not be a future, and it might be the very last second of your existence on this planet.
It might be sad and depressing but it is pragmatic on the other hand. Thinking about death moves you to a very essential part of life. Your dreams and ambitions, your relationships, and what is most important to follow and pursue. When you don’t have unlimited time, you think precisely about what matters most and eliminate and reduce distractions and noises. Things that occupy your day but don’t add that much value to it. Of course, it is not possible to maintain a complete lifestyle of productivity and fulfillment. Nevertheless, we are going to lose some time on the commute, arguing with difficult people and generally doing things that are not aligned with our values. But still, each one of us has free time during the day that depending on how we use it, will eventually change our destiny. Imagine the difference between someone who watches TV for twenty years in their leisure time, and someone else does spends this free time learning a hobby, reading books, practice something useful. No spend some time writing down the most important things in your life that you want to accomplish. Think about all the good things that you want to do before death. Say all the goodbyes and tell those who you like how much you like them.
When you think about death, you realize some sort of things that most people fight for are so meaningless. One of those things is money. Those who care the most about it are the most miserable. Money at best is a mean not a goal. And it won’t be any delight and pleasant in your life if you only seek money and it’s the most important thing in your life. Rich and poor die and on their death bed no one cares how successful they are, what only matters is how many days they truly lived by doing things that were aligned with their values and interests. I proudly want to announce that I wish on my deathbed I don’t want to have a dollar on my name. I want to spend all I have in the way of achieving things that interest me and also people that I like to be with. Think as your life as a land that has been given to you to plant trees on it. What do you want to plant in there, what are the most important things that you want to accomplish? If you could plant every plant, which ones would you produce, taking into account that you have very limited time and attention to dedicate to different things and ideas?
My suggestion is to make your list, digital or physical doesn’t matter, just make that list and see which one you can accomplish and reach. Then when you have your list, you would schedule your day in a way that is important to you, however you want it and also most aligned with your values and priorities rather than other people’s. Every day think about it. What matters to you most? If you are just about to leave this planet what are the things that you would regret not having and not doing?
Try to minimize those regrets by starting to take action now and making those things get closer to accomplishment.
One more action can be to eliminate and avoid time killers and distractions. For me, those things are drugs, alcohol, series, video games, and political conversations that don’t add much value to my life.
Despite the common belief that stoicism can lead to hedonism, oppositely for me it leads to ultimate productivity to think about taking the most out of my life and doing things that are at their uttermost importance.
When you know, you are about to die, even the simplest things also become fascinating in your life. You enjoy the simple natural landscapes as if they are the most beautiful thing and eternal. As they never lose their beauty and are immortal. The simplest things that are given to you, are your health, living family members, and close friends, the food that is on your table, and most of the time you don’t appreciate that you have the privilege of accessing it.
It has been talked a lot about the importance of death awareness since the ancient time of Roman philosophers like Marcus Aurelius, I am not one to add anything new to stoicism, but I can say that I have found it useful for my personal life because it gives me the courage to go for things that I want form life. In other words, following my dreams and am also on my way of achieving my dreams appreciating the smallest and simplest though beautiful moments and experiences that enrich life. As if it can be the very last moment and I forever will lose the privilege of being alive and appreciating life.