Every morning, Steve Jobs would look in the mirror and ask himself:
"If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do?"
When the answer was “No” too many days in a row, he knew it was time for a change.
What do you want in life?
When your destination is clear, the path forward becomes obvious.
You know which actions will lead you to your goal.
More importantly, you know when to say “No.”
No to distractions.
No to wasted time.
No to irrelevant opportunities.
No to anything that pulls you away from your vision.
What you choose to work on is more important than how hard you work.
This is why it's crucial to ask a second question:
Is what you want truly worth wanting?
Use the law of inversion to identify what you don’t want.
For example, I realized I didn’t want to:
Live selfishly
Live without purpose
Live without free time
Live with constant stress
Live by others’ expectations
Live as a slave to my desires
Live dependent on my income as a doctor
Live without quality time with friends and family
This clarity helped me define what I do want:
To pursue my curiosity and build an automated business with my wife that benefits the community.
Time is life’s ultimate currency.
How you spend it determines your quality of life.
Without clarity on what you want, you risk wasting your life on things that don’t matter.
If today were your last day, would you do what you’re about to do?
“When we’re not moving toward where we want to end up, we regret where we end up. And avoiding regret is key to life satisfaction.” — Shane Parrish