Something wise(-ish)
I’m going to shamelessly steal today’s nugget of wisdom from someone else. I wish I could remember who it was. I came across this idea probably 15 years ago. I’m sure that person stole it from someone else. The Stoics, maybe. Or the Buddhists. Anyway, it’s a timeless idea.
It’s also a simple one. Like, stupidly simple.
The nugget of wisdom is this:
Never wait.
That’s it.
Never, ever, ever wait.
Never wait for people to give you permission or encouragement.
Never wait for complete instructions.
Never wait for perfect conditions.
Never wait for the help you wish you had.
Never wait for an experience to magically arrive.
Never, ever, ever wait.
This also applies to everyday life.
Never wait in line (unless you absolutely have to, like at the airport).
Never wait on hold on the phone (without doing something else in the meantime).
Never wait for people who are running late (without using that time to do something else).
(And if they regularly make you wait, ask yourself if you should keep waiting for them at all.)
Waiting is a disease.
A very debilitating one.
It doesn’t just steal your time. It steals your power, your efficacy, your place in the world.
Waiting can destroy entire careers. It can waste entire lives.
I learned to recognize this pattern from books like 'Make Time' and '168 Hours.'
'Make Time' shows how we fill our days with busyness that feels productive but is really just sophisticated waiting.
'168 Hours' reveals how much time we actually have when we stop waiting for permission to use it.
These aren't productivity hacks—they're frameworks for reclaiming your life. When I find myself slipping back into waiting mode, I turn to these life-changing books.
Sometimes just a few key insights can snap me out of it. That's one reason why I love Accelerated app. Spending just ten minutes in the app with these condensed ideas reminds me that I have more time than I think—if I just stop waiting. |
I’m not being extra when I say that for the last 150,000 years, our species has been living through a waiting epidemic.
Luckily, there’s a cure.
The cure is:
Stop waiting.
If you embrace this idea — even a little bit — you’ll be amazed by what happens.
You’ll be waiting for a friend who’s running late, and when they finally run up to your table apologizing, you’ll be grateful that they gave you 20 minutes to read your book.
You’ll be on hold with MasterCard, and when a representative finally picks up, you’ll be slightly annoyed that they interrupted your taxes.
You’ll be looking at your bank balance, and you’ll thank yourself for not waiting for someone to come along and say, “Hey, I give you permission to start that business.”
You’ll be on your death bed, surrounded by your friends and family — hopefully a long time from now — and you’ll smile when you think about all the times you refused to wait.
Never wait.
Never.
Never, ever, ever.
This isn’t just about multitasking.
This is about honoring one of your most valuable resources, which is your time.
This is about not handing over your one precious life to other people, other institutions, other agendas.
This is about refusing to wait for your life to begin. Making the most of what you have, while you have it.
So if you’re struggling to be more productive, more ambitious, happier…
Do something simpler.
Just stop waiting.
And see what happens.
Have you found this principle to be true in your world? Struggling to make use of it?
Hit reply and tell me about it. I’m all ears!
On the show this past week
1267: Rhonda Patrick | Protecting Your Brain and Body from Modern Life
1268: A Week After Hospice, Dad’s Got a New Mrs. | Feedback Friday
1269: Venezuela | Out of the Loop
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