Time

September 2, 2021?

With Labor Day approaching, I’ve been thinking about time. Being in the life and annuity (mortality) business for most of my adult life, I am certain of one thing, and all actuaries agree: we are all going to die at some point. As a matter of fact, I just read this: “If you look at actuarial tables, the risk of death after age 30 doubles every eight years (a mathematical curiosity dubbed the Gompertz-Makeham Law of Mortality.)” 1 By the way, the oldest-lived person ever was Jean Calment of France, who lived to be 122 years and 164 days old. So, let’s consider this the max (for now).

So why do I mention this? Three reasons. First, we are all here for a very finite amount of time, so how you spend time matters. Second, we all work hard (maybe even harder during the pandemic) and I think sometimes we can allow work to consume more of that time than we would like. And, third, balance is important to our overall well-being and mental health. If you look at Jean’s life, she took up fencing in her 80s, continued to cycle into her 100s, and claimed the secret to her long life was olive oil, port, and chocolate. (Based on this, I am in really good shape, my favorite food groups!) As I get older, I have been asking myself more and more the proverbial question, “how do I want to spend my time?”

I have decided that balance is what you decide it to be based on your job or circumstances, there is no formula but finding it is important. So, when the workload gets heavier, or as I start to feel out of balance, here are some of the things I do to get back on track:

1. Focus on self-care, wellness and taking time for myself, whether it’s reading a book, fishing, spending time with loved ones or exercising, it’s something I have been getting better at and probably the top thing on my list.
2. Help others: This will mean different things to different people, but for me it makes me feel good to help others, whether it be with my time and/or my resources.
3. Treat everyone well: In a politicized, divided world, I think Maya Angelou had it right when she said “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” It just makes things easier even if we disagree.
4. Be present in the moment: This means spending time with family and friends with e-devices off to maintain and strengthen those connections, so the bonds are stronger and lasting with each interaction. I’m looking forward to spending some quality time this Labor Day weekend with my sons and wife, a little soccer and golf.
5. Mentally disconnect: I am an avid music lover and reader of books. It’s my way of turning off my brain to relax & recharge. I listen to every genre of music and enjoy adding new music to my playlists as I read new books. But disconnecting is important no matter how tempted you are to try and check that one more e mail, voicemail, text.

So this Labor Day, I want to encourage you all to disconnect.??I hope you ask yourself the question “how do I want to spend my time?” considering that the time we have isn't infinite.?I’d love to hear how you achieve balance in your life. Send me your thoughts and comments. Have a safe Happy Labor Day weekend!

1. Source Article: Can Science Cure Death by Jacqueline Detwiller