You Don’t Have Forever

Read time: 6 minutes

Hey, welcome back.

Last week, I wrote about why you shouldn't be afraid of effort and why you should embrace it in everything you do.

But today, I want to zoom out completely.

Because none of it matters if you forget to live.

You can read that (and all past issues, here).

We Act Like Time Is Renewable

You and I both know how this story goes.

You start your business, your career, your “thing,” full of energy and optimism.
You tell yourself that the grind is temporary. That you’re building freedom. That one day, you’ll be able to slow down, take trips, be present, relax.

But somehow, the more success you build, the further that freedom seems to drift.

There’s always one more goal. One more zero to chase. One more fire to put out.

And before you know it, another year disappears.
You’re still talking about the same holiday you’ve been meaning to book.
Still promising your family you’ll take more time off.
Still convincing yourself this is all leading somewhere.

The truth is, you’re not building freedom.
You’re building the illusion of control.

And time - the only real currency that matters - is quietly slipping away.

I read a book called Die With Zero - that really helped me frame my thinking around this concept - and recently read Morgan Housels new book "The Art of Spending" - so this idea is fresh in my noggin.

The Years Don’t Wait for You

Every year, you get fewer summers with your parents.
Fewer nights with your closest friends.
Fewer weekends where your kids still want to hang out.

One day, you’ll realise that “next time” won’t come.

Not because something tragic happens, but because life just… moves on.
People age. Schedules fill. Priorities shift.

It’s not dramatic. It’s just quiet erosion.

And the worst part?
It happens while you’re busy trying to be “successful.”

I Used to Think Living Was Something You Earned

I used to tell myself I’d rest once I hit a certain milestone.
That once Heights was stable. Once I was financially secure. Once I “made it.”

But here’s what I learned the hard way - that mindset never ends.

Because every milestone becomes a new starting line.

If you don’t learn how to live now, you won’t suddenly know how later.
You’ll always find a reason to delay joy.

And I think that’s one of the great tragedies of our time.
We’re so obsessed with improving our lives that we forget to experience them.
Living now also isn't about obviously satisfying your own needs. It's about assessing the important things in your life and making space for them at the right moments.

This is exactly why I took 2 days off work last week during the week - to take my mum away for a spa retreat just because.

It's taken me 39 years to discover how to make my mum happy but I can assure you that this, it turns out, is definitely one major way to unlock something potent - she has been glowing in the joy of it ever since. Was a very small price to pay, and small amount of time to take off - for an exponentially valuable outcome of joy and a memory that will last for both of us. Food for thought for you too I hope.

You’re Not Alive Just Because You’re Achieving

You can hit every goal and still feel empty.
You can have everything you thought you wanted and still wake up feeling like something’s missing.

That’s not because you’re ungrateful.
It’s because your nervous system doesn’t care about your success metrics.

It craves connection. Laughter. Presence. Sunlight.
Moments that remind you you’re a person - not just a performer.

The most successful people I know aren’t the ones who made the most money.
They’re the ones who learned how to feel alive while they were still chasing it.

The Real Flex Is Being Fully Here

Call your parents.
Even if you only talk about nothing for 10 minutes.

Take that trip with your friends.
Even if you don’t have the “perfect time” to go.

Spend the stupid money on the experience you’ll laugh about for years.
Even if it doesn’t make sense on a spreadsheet.

Put your phone away at dinner.
Not because it’s some moral achievement, but because one day you’ll wish you remembered the faces, not the notifications.

That’s what life is.
Not the launch. Not the next thing. Not the goal.
It’s the quiet moments between them.

We Don’t Need More Time - We Need to Feel Time

You don’t need to slow down. You just need to wake up.

Because life doesn’t happen someday.
It’s happening right now - while you read this, while your coffee cools, while your parents still pick up the phone.

And the cruel thing about time is that you only notice how fast it’s moving once you’ve lost the chance to slow it down.

So don’t wait to live.
Don’t wait to call.
Don’t wait to laugh, or cry, or say “I love you.”

The world doesn’t need another person who worked themselves into significance.
It needs more people who remember what it means to be human.

To being fully, recklessly, imperfectly alive,
Dan

Want to take your success (even more) seriously? 👇​
🧠 Fuel your brain and feed your gut, try Heights here (use code 'SOSDMS' for 15% off your first month of any subscription​

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