Time will not sneak up on you

As I was running yesterday, I was listening to the Hootie and the Blowfish song “Time,” singing the words, “time, why you punish me,” describing how time evaporates life.

It occurred to me that time really shouldn’t punish. Not a great outlook on life.

In reality, time in critical areas in life is very predictable.

In fact, time will not sneak up on you. We have the information. There is no sneaking.

In the book From Strength to Strength, Arthur Brooks studied the productivity of life. Everyone will naturally begin to decline much sooner than anyone thinks. Brooks did the research and the math. In general, decline happens 20 years after you begin your career. Some careers much sooner, some a bit later. Great book to reframe your thinking based on facts.

90% of time with kids is spent before they turn 18. An approximate, sure, but the math was done. As my son walked out of my house this morning to his first summer job, I thought about that stat. I know it to be true.

The average marriage in the US lasts 20 years. A great marriage lasts, let’s say, 40 or 50 years. Under normal circumstances, we know roughly how much time we have with our spouse.

The above 3 stats are averages. Of course, death or sickness or tragedy can cause each of those timelines to drastically shrink. But, rarely, as in very rarely, do the timelines increase.

The above 3 rough stats give us timelines on our time in our careers, our time with kids, and our time with our spouse, three of the most meaningful things we have in life.

We have our timelines. It is predictable. It will not sneak up on you.

Indifference dissipates when we know the timeline.

So, do what you need to do today. Apologize, give grace, have the conversation, be bold, be the ultimate steward, pray, submit, create unity, all the things that make that timeline worth living. All the things that build the legacy that you desire.

Impact others. Live generously.