Plenty or Running Out?

14 July, 2024

When I tell people I'm 26, I hear two narratives.

Narrative 1: You've got plenty of time!

Narrative 2: You're running out of time!

Which is true?

I battled this question for a long time until I found the answer in a blog post by Derek Sivers.

The answer: Neither!

I neither have plenty of time nor am running out of time.

But believing I have time makes me less anxious. And I work better when I'm less anxious.

This might not be the case for everyone. Some people need the pressure of a ticking clock to get things done.

So, the real question is: Which narrative should you believe in?

Derek, in his blog post, said

Beliefs are useful, not true. Choose the belief that makes you take the action you want.

I want to work well. I work well when I'm less anxious. I'm less anxious when I believe I have time. So, I chose to believe in the first narrative.

What about you? Which narrative do you believe in?