Each person has a fixed number of days to live; it is an abstract thought but one worth examining. Thankfully, we don’t know that number, but we have it nonetheless. Given that it’s unknown, let’s call it “X.” Think about a historical figure, Benjamin Franklin for instance, he lived 30,580 days so that is his X number. Other than instances of self-destruction, we have no absolute control over X. Even if we did, it would still be X.
“What good is knowing this?” you might ask yourself about now. You need to understand life does not last forever, at least here on earth. The argument regarding life post-earth, though interesting, is for another day. You also need to understand that you do not control X, as a whole, but you do control the individual days that make up your X. Franklin did not control X either; just like you, his control was over how he spent each day. Given the vast volume of work he produced, he did not waste many.
That is the point, it is not the number of days lived that matters, it is what you fill them with that holds value. Looking at it another way, wasted days do not add value to life, so why count them. That is where the title’s formula comes in; it calculates the days that matter by removing the days that don’t (Z). Now, some smart math genius will point out that my formula is overly complex and X-Z will accomplish the same thing. While that is true, people often refuse to believe simple things hold any value, besides “Life = X-Z” is not nearly as catchy.
How will you reduce the number of Z-days you have; are you one to sit idly by as more and more slip away? Another point, the closer you are to X, the more important Z becomes. We cannot have our Z-days back, once spent they are gone forever. The good news is no one can define for you what a Z-day is, that is something you must do for yourself. For some, simply reading may be enough to hold a Z at bay, for others reading may be the very definition of a Z-day. Some days are filled with work; they have value, though they may not be fun. A wasted day is one where you sit around bored for no reason. Think about that the next time you have nothing to do and reach for the remote control and have a mind-numbing experience. Wasted days are not limited to boredom; they include the days we allow petty obstacles to eat away at our time, obstacles like holding a grudge and allowing that to isolate us from the ones that care about us. Life is hard enough without making it harder on ourselves.
Regardless of what you do, avoid wasting a day in useless pursuits that, in the end, add nothing to the quality of your life. We will all have our share, for sure, even Franklin did, but we can reduce the number by simply doing things that matter. Think about what matters to you, spend your days on that. Keep your Z-days low. Remember, it is not about how many days you have, but how you choose to fill them.
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