Rich in 80 Summers

CONTEXT

Your future self called from 2030. You’re 5 years older than you are right now, and you have a couple regrets.

Not about the promotion you didn't get or the investment you missed. About the Sunday family dinners you skipped. The phone calls from your parents you didn’t answer. The things you forgot to tell them.

On average, we get 80 summers. But we don’t get 80 summers with all the people we love—particularly our parents.

Tim Urban shared this in the most important article I’ve ever read. He created a brutal calculation of how many times you'll see your parents as an adult.

Let’s say your parents are 68? You’ll statistically get 12 more summers with them.

12. That's it.

We schedule everything else in our lives with precision—meetings, deep work, workouts, even our grocery runs. But somehow, the people who matter most get whatever time is "left over."

Here's the uncomfortable truth: You have fewer summers left with the people you love than you think. And your future self is desperately hoping you'll do something about it today.

METHOD

1. Protect time in your calendar

Open your calendar for the rest of August right now. Create a recurring time block for at least one of these:

• Sunday dinners (or video calls) with parents
• Weekly one-on-one time with your kids
• Monthly date nights with your partner
• Quarterly trips to see long-distance friends and family

We all know it's not in the calendar, it's probably not happening. Treat your closest relationships with the same respect you give your clients at work.

—

2. Apply the "proximity principle"

We see people who live in our city 10x more than those a flight away. If possible, live closer to the people you love most.

Can't move? There are ways to get creative. One friend of mine books the same weekend every quarter to visit her parents. Another schedules regular video calls during her walk home from work.

Physical distance might not be a choice. Emotional distance is.

—

3. Choose your life partner wisely.

I saw an Instagram post recently that said. “I’m too picky? This is the person who’s going to help me through the death of my parents and the birth of my children. You’re not picky enough.”

Find the person who keeps bettering themselves and growing with you.

I wrote a LinkedIn post called 3 actionable tests to choose your life partner (and it went viral). The Traffic Test is my favorite.

And here are the 4 traits of the modern power couple. (If you meet someone who does these 4 things, marry them immediately.)

—

4. Practice "presence over presents"

Your parents don't need another gift card. They want you to come visit. Your kids don't need more toys. They want you to put your phone down.

Try this: For the next conversation with someone you love, put your phone in another room. Notice how different the interaction feels when you're fully there.

Whenever you feel frustrated with your kids, imagine a future when they’re grown and you don’t get to see them often. I call this the “Back-In-Time Method” and many of you said this post was the most useful thing I’ve ever written.

—

5. Don't let things go unsaid

Tim Urban writes: "Despite not being at the end of your life, you may very well be nearing the end of your time with some of the most important people in your life."

Make a list of three people you care about. Next to each name, write one thing you've been meaning to tell them but haven't. Then pick up the phone.

‍

CLOSING THOUGHTS

The most successful people I know aren't just rich in money—they're rich in relationships. They understand that time left together is the only currency that really matters.

You’re in the “good ol’ days” right now. Why not make the most of them? I wrote this LinkedIn post about my four tiny, 1-minute habits that help you notice all the good, little parts of your day.

Starting today, try one small thing:

• Call someone you love and haven’t chatted with in a while
• Hug your kids for 10 extra seconds before going to work
• Take your dog on the long route
• Tell your spouse something you've been meaning to say

Because here's what those charts don't show: It's not about the quantity of time left. It's about how well you use it.

Your future self is counting on you. I’m wishing you a wonderful rest of the summer with your favorite people in the world.

Much love,

Jade

‍