The Have-Dones
If there is one piece of advice I should give to future generations, having learned it the hardest way, it is perhaps this: Carefully distinguish the things that you want to do from the things that you want merely to have done, and be cautious of the things that are only and solely the latter. Granted, some things we would like to have done we may also like the doing. We may enjoy the writing of a novel and at the same time like the idea of having done it — and having been paid for it. Some things we don't especially like the doing of, but we would like to have done them for the sake of some specific benefit we expect, like a greater freedom or skill or knowledge it will buy us. But beware what we would like to have done mainly so that we can say that we did it, tell ourselves we checked off a box, or for the sake of the prestige we think it will gain us. These things are empty. Exercise this caution because you should arrange your life to whatever extent possible around doing ...
