Guest Author
By Hiren Deliwala
Turning 50 has felt like stepping onto a new stage of life, where the choices I make now will define the years ahead. As I faced this milestone, I found inspiration in two impactful books: Die with Zero by Bill Perkins and Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. These works challenged me to rethink how I spend my time and how I can enrich my life moving forward.
Retirement often falls into a familiar pattern: shopping, sleeping, watching TV, eating, and scrolling through the phone. This routine reflects what Burkeman describes in Four Thousand Weeks as the tendency to fill time with passive activities rather than actively engaging in experiences that bring lasting fulfillment. With approximately 4,000 weeks in a lifetime, it’s crucial to use this time wisely, avoiding mere routines that don’t enrich our lives.
Burkeman argues that many of us are caught in the “efficiency trap,” where we try to optimize every moment for productivity, often at the expense of joy and satisfaction. This trap leads us to fill our time with tasks and routines that might feel efficient but fail to provide real meaning or pleasure. This insight motivated me to reevaluate how I spend my time and to focus on activities that contribute to a richer, more fulfilling life.
Perkins’ Die with Zero complements this view by emphasizing the value of spending our time and resources on experiences rather than merely accumulating wealth. Perkins suggests that life is best lived by investing in moments that create lasting memories and joy, rather than deferring enjoyment until later. This principle encouraged me to shift my focus from saving for an uncertain future to living fully in the present.
Here’s how I’ve shifted my approach based on these insights:
1. Embracing New Hobbies: Instead of spending my free time on habitual activities like shopping or watching TV, I picked up the guitar. Perkins advocates for spending money and time on experiences that bring personal growth and joy. Learning to play has become a source of personal fulfillment and creativity. It’s an engaging way to spend my time that provides a sense of achievement and joy far beyond the fleeting satisfaction of browsing stores or screen time.
2. Prioritizing Health: I realized that spending hours on the phone or indulging in unhealthy eating habits weren’t contributing to a richer life. Burkeman’s book highlights how our time is often consumed by routines that don’t necessarily align with our deepest values. I adopted a more disciplined approach to fitness and nutrition. This change not only improves my physical health but also boosts my overall well-being, making me more enthusiastic and energized for other activities.
3. Reconnecting with Family: Rather than defaulting to solitary activities or passive leisure, I made it a priority to visit my parents in India at least once. Perkins’ notion of making time for valuable experiences resonated with me here. This time together has been incredibly rewarding, reinforcing the importance of nurturing relationships and creating cherished memories with loved ones.
4. Reassessing Work: I took a step back from my work routine to evaluate its impact on my life. Burkeman’s idea of focusing on what truly matters led me to set clearer boundaries. By reducing work’s encroachment on my personal time, I’ve carved out more space for meaningful activities. This shift has improved my work-life balance, allowing me to engage more fully in pursuits that bring me joy.
5. Building Relationships with Friends: I’ve also made a conscious effort to nurture my friendships. Burkeman emphasizes the importance of quality time over productivity, which inspired me to meet friends without a strict agenda. Prioritizing relaxed, genuine connections has deepened these relationships, providing lasting fulfillment and enriching my life in ways that mere routines cannot.
These changes are a direct response to the tendency to default to passive activities. By focusing on hobbies, health, relationships, and a balanced work-life approach, I’m creating a life that’s not just about filling time but about living it richly and meaningfully.
If you’re approaching a milestone or feeling stuck in a routine, consider how you might break away from the default patterns. Reflect on what activities truly bring you joy and fulfillment and take proactive steps to incorporate them into your life. Each week and weekend present an opportunity to craft a more engaging and enriched life, moving beyond mere routine and towards experiences that matter.
Hiren Deliwala currently serves as the Leader of Solutions Architecture for the Worldwide Public Sector at Amazon Web Services (AWS). He received his MBA from UNC Chapel Hill. Contact: [email protected]
