If you assume you have a long life ahead of you, does that give you permission to delay your goals?
We’re already in the final quarter of 2024, and for many of us, those New Year’s resolutions are just one step away from becoming reality. Think about this: That the person you want to become, and the goals you’ve set, are just one action away from being within reach.
Seneca, the prominent Roman Stoic philosopher, spent much of his life contemplating how we use—or waste—our time.
In his most well-known philosophical essay On the Shortness of Life, he argues that our lives aren’t actually short, but we make them feel that way by wasting time on distractions, superficial pursuits, and idle procrastination.
Maybe we need to embrace a more extreme mindset. Knowing that time is slipping away might not be enough to push us into action. What if we actually visualized our own death?
And if that’s too hard to grasp, visualize the death of your most productive years—when your stamina declines, your mental clarity fades, and even basic tasks require assistance.
You might think you have plenty of time left in this phase of life, and you may feel confident that you’ll reach your goals eventually, but ask yourself—when you finally do, will you still be able to enjoy them as fully as you would now? Will your future self, in mind, body, and spirit, be satisfied with the delay, or will you wish you had acted sooner to escape the life you only half-heartedly tolerate?
In this article, we’ll tackle inaction by building a true sense of urgency—not through mere mental tricks or motivation—but by tapping into a deeper, finite understanding of time and its limits.
The truth is, we don’t “own” time, and the only thing standing between you and your dreams is the action you take today.
How Fear and Familiarity Fuel Procrastination
What really drives procrastination is a blend of fear and comfort. We put things off because we’re afraid—afraid of failing, making the wrong choice, or stepping into the unknown.
At the same time, we get comfortable with the familiar, even if it’s not where we want to be. It’s easier to stay where things are safe rather than take the risk to chase what we truly want.
Abhinivesha, one of the five kleshas (afflictions or obstacles) in yoga philosophy, refers to our deep attachment to life and the fear of death or change. While the term literally means “will to live,” abhinivesha goes beyond just physical survival; it also represents our strong attachment to continuity, comfort, and what is familiar.
This attachment causes us to resist growth or transformation because we cling to what feels safe or permanent, even though nothing in life is truly permanent.
It suggests that our hesitation to act—whether it’s pursuing dreams, making decisions, or stepping outside our comfort zones—often stems from a fear of losing control, safety, or the life we’re accustomed to. Abhinivesha is seen as one of the mental afflictions that keep us from experiencing true freedom and living in the present.
We also convince ourselves there’s plenty of time to tackle our dreams later. But this mindset is what holds us back, making us wait for that elusive “perfect time” that may never come. If you don’t take action now, when will you?
Stoicism teaches that while we cannot control external events or the passage of time, we can control our responses and choices. Recognizing that life is short and unpredictable encourages us to act with purpose rather than letting fear or indecision hold us back.
Rather than waiting for the “right time” or believing we have more time than we do, Seneca encourages us to seize the present, to act with intention, and to focus on what is truly meaningful.
Confronting Mortality
The perspective we’re introducing here, Win or Die, is rooted in the concept of finite understanding. The core idea is that our natural instinct to take action will truly “click” when we face the reality of our own mortality.
Thinkers like Martin Heidegger highlight the idea of Being-toward-death—a way to cut through everyday distractions and take authentic, meaningful action.
In existentialism, confronting death isn’t about panic or anxiety; rather, it’s a calm, finite acceptance that death is inevitable. This paradoxically frees us to live more fully and make the most of the time we have.
Think about someone you know—a friend, a family member, or maybe just a story you’ve heard—someone who was living a perfectly healthy life until one day, everything changed. They get diagnosed with a serious illness or narrowly escape a life-threatening accident.
Suddenly, everything they used to worry about seems small, and they start talking about this new sense of clarity. All the distractions fade away, and they feel an overwhelming urgency to live fully, to make the most of every moment.
You actually see it in them. They start checking off bucket list items they’ve been putting off, chasing their dreams with a kind of urgency they never had before. It’s like they’re fighting for their life—literally—and their focus is crystal clear. They’re not waiting for tomorrow or hoping for the “perfect time.” They’re living in the now, making every action count.
Witnessing this can be eye-opening, even inspiring. It might push you to reflect on your own life, and for a moment, you feel that same urgency. But the truth is, until something hits you directly, until that wake-up call becomes personal, it’s hard to take immediate action.It’s easy to let life’s comforts and routines lull you back into thinking you have time. But what if you don’t? What if the best time to start was always today?
The Primal Drive for Action
Remember how when we’re facing a deadline—the project is due tomorrow, we haven’t started, and suddenly, our mind sharpens? We feel a pressure in our chest, and our thoughts become laser-focused, and we stop caring about distractions or small fears.
That’s finite understanding kicking in—an embodied realization that you’re out of time and must act. It’s different from procrastination or mere urgency; it’s a physical sensation that tells you, “This is it. The window is closing.”
From a neurological perspective, this taps into what’s known as the fight-or-flight response. The amygdala, a part of the brain responsible for processing emotions and threats, triggers this response when we face danger. It leads to an automatic, deeply ingrained reaction—not a consciously created sense of urgency.
When faced with a life-threatening situation, the body’s sympathetic nervous system kicks in, releasing adrenaline and cortisol, increasing heart rate, and sharpening focus. This isn’t something you have to “mentally manufacture”—it’s hardwired into your brain’s limbic system.
In short: your brain is designed to help you survive without overthinking. This aligns with the text’s idea that everything clicks neurologically when you’re in a survival situation—it’s the biometric pressure of your body and brain working together.
That clarity comes not from a mental push to hurry up, but from understanding the finite nature of life. It’s knowing that we don’t get unlimited chances, and that knowledge reshapes your priorities, your decisions, and your willingness to act.
When we internalize our limits, we move from theoretical urgency to biological necessity. You stop operating on a mental level where you weigh options, consider risks, or rationalize delays. Instead, your body, mind, and instincts align to push you into action because you recognize time’s scarcity.
In essence, finite understanding is what pushes us to act with decisiveness when we come face-to-face with our limits—whether it’s time, opportunities, or resources. It’s a primal instinct that brings the mind to the present moment where every choice is a matter of survival.
Signs You’re Disconnecting Desire from Action
- You think motivation is the problem
It’s easy to assume that if you aren’t moving forward, you must lack motivation. In reality, your desire for the end result is strong—it’s how you’re approaching the journey that’s holding you back. - You separate the process from the result
You view the process as disconnected from the outcome, focusing entirely on the end goal while mentally distancing yourself from the steps it takes to get there. - You want the results, but not the journey
You crave the life that comes from achieving your goals but struggle to embrace the daily grind. You see the process as an obstacle, rather than an integral part of the experience. - You rely too much on planning
You believe that wanting something and having a plan is enough to set everything in motion. But planning alone is passive; it’s action that turns your vision into reality. - You avoid taking control
You’re waiting for things to happen, but progress requires you to be in the driver’s seat. Without actively steering your efforts, you leave your success to chance. - You don’t engage with the process daily
You see the process as something to dip into occasionally rather than a consistent, daily practice. True progress requires showing up every day, not just when you feel like it. - You expect results without consistent effort
Simply deciding what you want and waiting for it to come true disconnects you from the work that’s necessary. Results don’t manifest without sustained, intentional effort.
Afterthought
We all have dreams and goals – whether they’re big or small, short-term or long-term, we believe that the things we seek will bring us fulfillment. These aspirations shape who we are, add meaning to our lives, and make the journey worth every effort.
But what if it’s not just the end result, but the struggle—the daily grind—that gives it value? It’s the strength you gain through the process, not just the happiness you find at the finish line.
True contentment is discovered in the journey of self-discovery, in the sweat and tears along the way.
A victory handed to you isn’t truly a victory. You must be aligned with the process from the start to truly deserve it—and to feel the joy of knowing you’ve earned it.
That alignment starts today. In fact, it starts now, as you’re reading this line.
No more waiting for tomorrow or the perfect moment—because the right time is a choice you make, not something you wait for.
Karma Wisdom | Curated research written by Anya Junor