Think In Decades

With providence, sensibly managed habits and the innovations in biotech coming down the pike, you could very well live to 120 years of age.

That means the life milestones of the 21st century will be refactored from those of the 20th century. (We’re already in the process.) Experiencing more decades will also allow you to experience more varied domains, at depth.

This is like finding a winning lottery ticket. But for time and not solely money. If you have the opportunity, you should take advantage of it.

Thinking in the context of decades isn’t immediately intuitive. But neither is reading or multiplying fractions. It’s a turn and focus of mind that takes some getting used to but it also offers a context for managing your priorities. Your life.

For instance, you don’t want to spend the last 40 years of your life life wheelchair bound and demented. So you it could serve you to move your body around and work your mind, as a daily habit.

Embracing the prospect of a long (and well lived) life demands optimism and gratitude. It’s also a serious responsibility. You have to think and act on it continuously and with sincerity. Because all that gained time also means more experience to process. And processing is work.

It’s a mental exercise. Don’t run a marathon without training and practice. Instead of immediately contemplating the 120 year long human life and all it’s repercussions, work with weeks, months and years on a regular basis. Write ideas down somewhere so you can refer back. Throw in 5 years spans and decades in there as you get more comfortable. Reconcile the optimisms and anxieties that arise. As time goes on, you see where your guesses worked and missed. You’ll develop a faculty for owning your future.