I am fascinated by time.
I’m constantly aware of it – or so it seems. I notice things like movies that mention the word “time” in the title and then take a closer look to see if it’s something I might want to watch. I focus on task management over time management, but in order to create that segmentation I need to recognize time where it can be found as much as possible.
So I “see” time almost everywhere.
That means I can tell you how time can be leveraged. I can suggest what systems will help you handle your tasks (and time) in a productive manner. I can even recognize when time takes precedence over all other things – including the tasks on your to do list.
Yet I can’t tell, suggest, or recognize you how much time you have. Not in this moment…and not in this lifetime.
Time is a non-renewable resource, and it’s for this reason that we need to value it more than anything else. Why? Because when invested properly, time can foster relationships, nurture skills, and give you a better life.
But not everyone has the same amount of time. Some people live in places where they have less of a choice where they can invest their time. Others are in a place where they have an idea of how much time they have; they choose to spend it with intentionality and focus as opposed to those who have no clue as to how much time they have. Some people think they have all the time in the world, and then in one moment they have none left at all.
And yet others choose to live and act as if they want every moment to matter. They want to truly live fully with the time they have even though they have no idea how much they have…and they do.
I want to be one of those people. I struggle with being one of those people more than I’d like, but another thing I “see” is that I must work to overcome that struggle.
I’m sure I’m not alone in that struggle.
Someone I knew ran out the time they had over the weekend. His name is Scott Dinsmore and I wish I’d spent more time with him over the years because he had a gift: The gift of knowing to live fully every single day.
I met Scott via Leo Babauta in late 2010. I’d seen what Scott was up to through Leo’s site and thought he’d be a good fit for a website I was the editor for at the time, WorkAwesome. By early 2011 Scott had written a couple of pieces for the site because he liked where the site was going. He even remarked with the following in an email exchange back when I’d asked him to contribute to the site:
“The topic of spending your time on things you are best at is a huge area of focus for my work–as you probably noticed.”
I did then and I do now – along with countless others.
I got to meet him in person at the first World Domination Summit later that year. We chatted quite a bit during that first year and I’m sure we had a drink or two together at various social activities at all of the WDS years we attended.
In between the times when we crossed paths – including a chance meeting in San Francisco during an event at the Samovar Tea Lounge (where I first met Chase Reeves in person) – Scott founded Live Your Legend and inspired many to do just that: live their legend.
Scott embarked on a round-the-world trip with his wife Chelsea this year and while I wish I’d had a chance to have another beverage with him at the most recent WDS, I was very excited that he was going on this journey. I had the pleasure of also having him on the podcast I co-hosted with Michael Schechter, Mikes on Mics, back in 2013 and had another conversation with him for the podcast a year later while at WDS 2014. I enjoyed the brief periods of time we got to talk about our interests, and I’m still floored we won’t be able to have those conversations any longer.
Even though Scott is gone, his impact will remain well beyond many of those who are still here. He created a lasting legacy – and one that is nothing short of what his mission was. Not many of us can say that. No many can say this, either: Scott got to live his legend with the time he had.
We have no idea how much time we have, but you do have an idea of how you should live with the time you have. It’s important that you do that – embrace that idea and make it a reality.
Remember that the time we have is limited…but what we can do with that time is limitless.
I’ll miss you, Scott. Thank you for spending some time with me while you were here. I’ll do what I can to make sure that time was well spent.
