It’s the one truth we can all agree on.

And it even becomes truer the more we get older.

But despite it being true, our actions rarely reflect with it:

• Young adults (or teenagers) prioritize meeting their parents’ expectations instead of following what they truly love.
• Adults with their own families and with a demanding work prioritize earning money than being present with their kids.

Nothing’s wrong with it. We have to do what we have to do. We have responsibilities. And for others, it’s an obligation. It’s either they do them or others suffer.

So we figure out a solution: Catch up

Those young adults/teenagers who aim to meet their parents’ expectations believe that someday they’d finally do what they truly love to do. That they’d catch up. After all, their parents gave everything for them. It’s a no-brainer to give back.

Those busy adults who provide for their own families believe that they’re doing the right thing. And that maybe someday when they have all the money in the world, they’d finally have the time for their kids . That they’d catch up. After all, the money is for their kids’ future.

Very inspiring. I couldn’t argue.

But… can we really catch up?

That’s like saying we’ll go back to the past and do what we should have done before.

It’s like saying, “Yeah, I finally gave back to my parents. It’s finally time to do what I really love to do.”

Or, “Yeah, I did earn a lot of money. Now it’s time to spend time with my little kids (now adults).”

The reality is… there’s no such thing as “catch up”. I wish there is.

What we actually mean when we say catch up is this:

“I have to delay doing this other thing — no matter how important it is — because I am obliged to do this other thing first.”

One thing to always remember is that, there’s always a tradeoff. The “time” we spent on one thing is time we could have spent on other things.

So we must choose wisely. We must know our priorities.

When we’re aware of our priorities, our actions are aligned with the things that truly matter to us. To be aligned. That’s the whole point.

This precious little time we had. Everyone knows where we’re all heading to… Everyone knows.

Might as well live a kind of life we won’t regret on our deathbeds.

PS: I’m not faulting or judging anyone. If anything, I can relate. (Grateful for my friend Sai for reminding me this). My kid just turned 5 years old. And I’ve already given up a lot of things so we can have more time together. That’s my priority right now. And that’s what matters most to me.