Epictetus asked his students this question nearly 2,000 years ago. It still stings.
It's ironic, and it's revealing. We think about doing something. We set a goal or an intention. We know there's something that would do us good. But we put off actually doing it until the last minute.
Why? To give ourselves an excuse not to follow through? Because maybe we want to hear that we can't, that the window has passed? Because we overestimate our ability to follow through later? Maybe it's just the timeless thing all fools have in common, as Seneca said: they are always getting ready to start.
We say: I'm going to get to it, just not quite yet. I'm going to do it, I just need to take care of some other things first. You know you'd like to eat better. You know you'd like to get in better shape. You know you'd like to get more organised, finish that creative project, learn that instrument or reconnect with that old friend. You know you're capable of more.
And when will we do this? Eventually. And then what happens? Time sneaks up on us.
Marcus Aurelius rebukes this tendency as not only lazy, but arrogant and entitled. To act “as if you had endless years ahead of you” is crazy, and it isn't true. Death overshadows you. None of us should take the future for granted. While you're alive and able, be good. If it's good to do, do it now.
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Stop telling yourself “at some point”. Stop acting as if you have endless years ahead of you. You don't.
Memento mori. You are mortal. You don't have unlimited time.
TRY THIS TODAY
Pick the one thing you keep saying you'll do “eventually”. Do the first ten minutes of it today.
Much of what I've learned about Stoicism comes from Ryan Holiday. Find more of his writing at dailystoic.com and ryanholiday.net.
While I have edited much of this content, there are some cases where I have taken Ryan Holiday's words directly. I've included them because I think they are powerful and will be helpful for you. They are also helpful for me, and I've put them here so I can learn and understand more myself.
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