I was doom scrolling on Instagram when I came across a Ryan Holiday post about his 2022 book, Discipline Is Destiny. In it he writes, “To procrastinate is to be entitled. It is arrogant. It assumes there will be a later. It assumes you’ll have the discipline to get to it later (despite not having the discipline now).”
Oofh, that hit hard.
Holiday often references the term Momento Mori in his books, which is Latin for “remember you will die.” He claims that keeping this concept on the front burner is what allows him to be as productive as he is. He doesn’t hang around too long between book projects, nor does he put off self-care—something writers and busy entrepreneurs are notoriously bad at—until he has more time.
Evoking a visceral awareness of the brevity of our lives is meant to help us remember to make choices in line with our true values. It makes us do the shit we claim to want to do.
So much for instinctively protecting ourselves from stress. From the reality we’re hard-wired to keep at bay.
I think we naturally recognize that time is not our friend as we grow older. I know it’s something that Theresa Wright, the author of the soon-to-be-released book The Sane Food Solution: Transform Your Relationship With Food and Your Body was well aware of when we began working together.
I have mad respect for Theresa. Many of her cohort have long since retired, but she still has important work to do. She’s had to navigate some health issues, an office move, life, but….Momento Mori.
Theresa, who is on the other side of 70, has nearly 40 years of experience helping food addicts. She understands the biochemistry and the emotional and spiritual havoc at play for someone with zero power over food. The shame. And that lifetime of wisdom Theresa possesses wasn’t doing anybody any good packed away in a bunch of cardboard boxes. Thus the book. And taking on the work involved when she could just as easily hung up her spurs.
Procrastination is…arrogant.
I’ve found myself waiting around for the upcoming US presidential election to pass, and the fear that surrounds it. I’ve also been looking ahead at the holidays and deciding that I probably won’t get much done, so why not relax and read some good books. Maybe clean out a few closets.
But then I think of Theresa Wright.
As if I have six weeks to waste. This incredible gift that none of us is guaranteed.
This morning, one of my clients asked me what she could do in the next 6 weeks so she could begin writing in earnest come January. I really liked this question. So I came up with a checklist.
If you’d like this checklist, you can go here. [It’s ungated]
Because…Momento Mori, baby. In an ordinary instant, life can come to a screeching halt.
