People tend to take action on hard or complicated tasks only when urgency forces them to. When we believe we still have time, we push things to tomorrow. We procrastinate.
That’s not ideal, and we all know it. Tomorrow is never guaranteed. So how can we create the urgency we need to take action today? We must think of the unthinkable. If we died tomorrow, would we be satisfied with the life we lived? Could we have done more? This isn’t morbid — it’s purposeful.
This mindset applies to every area of our lives — our health, our finances, our relationships, and our daily routines. What are we doing to live with intention and get better each day instead of simply getting by?
Leadership requires the same mindset. Sometimes we need to let people go so they can grow. We must appreciate the time we have with them and recognize it won’t last forever. This isn’t unthinkable — it’s inevitable — and remembering this helps us cherish what we have.
The same is true for parents whose children leave home for school or move out permanently. A parent who never processed the idea of their child growing up may struggle deeply when the moment arrives. But a parent who appreciated each stage of their child’s life has already thought of the unthinkable. They’ve prepared themselves emotionally in their own way.
These moments will happen to all of us. We must prepare for them. Instead of pretending they won’t happen — or never thinking about them at all — we need to stay present. We need to be grateful for the opportunities, the people, and the moments we currently have.
Take care.