18,492 --> Out

Only after I performed a fairly lackluster version of Cho's traditional Birthday Questions at dinner with The Prof last night did I see Kevin Kelly's muy interasante post today about his Life Countdown. The explanation of his "project" (basically literally counting his days until death) intrigues me...

"My hope was that a reckoning of my numbered days would help me account for how I spend each precious 24 hours, and to focus my attention and energy on those few tasks and projects I deem most important to me. Indeed, it might help me decide which ones are most important, which is the harder assignment.

What I wanted was a great big flashing sign that would show up on my computer and shout out to me how many days I had remaining. Then I would try to use my blog to record what how I spent the day to keep me honest. A wasted day would reveal its loss in the empty lower count the next day. I figured that mounting an automatic personal countdown sign should be pretty easy, and something that others might want to do as well."

Coming up on my own transition to 30, I decided that Kelly's reasoning might enhance my current state of soul searching. According to Kelly's procedure, which I followed, and assuming the general Life Expectancy Table he referenced is fairly correct, I will live to be 80.5 years old, which puts my date of death (based on my birthday of November 16, 1977) at Sunday, May 16, 2058. As of today, I have 18,492 days (or 50 years, 6 months, +51 days) left in my life.

Guess I better book that birthday trip soon.

Comments

[dairy queen]

Hey... just remember 18,492 sounds pretty darn good compared to how much you've already accomplished in your (almost) 10,950 days already.

PS. if you need help remembering that, you should consider doing a side list of things you've already done that are pretty spectacular. sounds corny + trite but when I was doing my list of life to-do's, I was looking on the 43things site for ideas and so many of the things people had on there, I had already done! really makes you feel pretty accomplished!