3-2-1: On Endless Pursuits, the Value of Courage, and How to Buy Back Your Time

I am now 55 years old. Like a lot of people in middle age my late-night thoughts bend to contemplations about how short my remaining time is. Even with increasing longevity there is not enough time to do all that I want. Nowhere close. My friend Stewart Brand, who is now 69, has been arranging his life in blocks of 5 years. Five years is what he sa... See more

All my life, I’ve been very aware that time is finite. I admit I’m overly logical about a lot of things, but I firmly believe that one of my most appropriate fixations has been to manage time well. I’ve railed about time management to my students. I’ve given lectures on it. And because I’ve gotten so good at it, I really do feel I was able to pack

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I like to call these moments time investments, and this is when you dedicate sustained periods of time to certain people or endeavors that bring you long-term satisfaction. The return you get from this investment does not come immediately, but more so as a consistent, ever-morphing route toward happiness from spending your time intentionally. When ... See more

The critical question isn’t how to differentiate between activities that matter and those that don’t, but what to do when far too many things feel at least somewhat important, and therefore arguably qualify as big rocks. Fortunately, a handful of wiser minds have addressed exactly this dilemma, and their counsel coalesces around three main principl... See more