I have some sympathy with your perspective and still live my life a lot aligned to that mindset.
But the idea that you should wait until a lunch break to do <any actually important life thing> suggests that work and generating income is strictly higher priority than living.
For the same reason that you “pay yourself first” to save for retirement, you probably should think even more strictly about how you prioritize your time.
> I have some sympathy with your perspective and still live my life a lot aligned to that mindset.
I've struggle with this as well. I think the key is to avoid thinking "priority" as one dimensional.
A goal can be high-priority because it is urgent. Continuing to work until today's lunch break is more urgent than calling your parents, because you can only work until today's lunch break today, while you can call your parents at any time.
A goal can be high-priority because it is important. As a goal, calling your parents may be more important than continuing to work until today's lunch break.
In order to avoid the outcome that calling my parents is important, but I haven't called them in months because it was never urgent, I have to increase the urgency of the goal by constraining it in time: It's important to call my parents, and urgent to call my parents before the upcoming holiday.
That doesn't make sense. Having reasonable scheduling doesn't imply strict prioritization. It makes no difference whether you call your parents now or in two hours. You can't live a productive meaningful life using short term unscheduled strict prioritization.
sokoloff|5 years ago
But the idea that you should wait until a lunch break to do <any actually important life thing> suggests that work and generating income is strictly higher priority than living.
For the same reason that you “pay yourself first” to save for retirement, you probably should think even more strictly about how you prioritize your time.
So sure it’s a metaphor, but a well-chosen one.
randallsquared|5 years ago
I've struggle with this as well. I think the key is to avoid thinking "priority" as one dimensional.
A goal can be high-priority because it is urgent. Continuing to work until today's lunch break is more urgent than calling your parents, because you can only work until today's lunch break today, while you can call your parents at any time.
A goal can be high-priority because it is important. As a goal, calling your parents may be more important than continuing to work until today's lunch break.
In order to avoid the outcome that calling my parents is important, but I haven't called them in months because it was never urgent, I have to increase the urgency of the goal by constraining it in time: It's important to call my parents, and urgent to call my parents before the upcoming holiday.
CydeWeys|5 years ago
DenverCode|5 years ago
bradknowles|5 years ago
It’s going to be a while before I can talk to them again.
Rmblnm4n|5 years ago
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