“What will you remember more in 10 years?”

A phrase my close friends have probably grown sick of me repeating at times of debate over a proposed action.

However, it truly is a way I make the majority of my decisions.

I hold to the opinion and belief that all we really have in life are memories and experiences, and a person’s life in the end is really just a collection of these. So, on that train of thought the goal should not to be to amass the most wealth, live the longest, or otherwise. The goal should be to amass the greatest number and variety of experiences that you can, in the time you are given. It’s all about putting yourself in situations which are more likely to lead to memories and experiences.

Call it stupid, short-sighted, or anything else you may please, but I think it is the best way to live.

It’s not just about radical things such as taking a big trip overseas, or doing some ‘epic adventure’.

Its about everyday things and on many scales.

For instance, your sitting at home watching TV and you get a text of a friend heading to a bar. Now, your pretty tired and are really enjoying the film, but I would propose to think ‘what course of action at this moment in time is more likely to leave me with a true experience or memory in the future?’

Sure, the majority of the time that trip to the bar isn’t going to leave you with a life changing night. However, it sure has a better chance of doing so than that re-run you’re watching.

Taking it a step further, let’s say you do go out, and are having a good time and the prospect comes up to drink another drink and go to a bonfire at a kids house you really don’t even know to well. Your pretty tired still, and don’t really know the guy that well, so your inclination is to pack it in and call it a night. But again, which course of action is more likely to lead to a great memory? I would say the fire.

Sometimes, admittedly, this can lead to trouble or circumstances you would have rather avoided. An argument can be made that drinking a ton is more likely to lead to a more adventuresome night, and in turn remain more memorable in 10 years. Very true, however, sometimes this can come back to bite you in the ass with some stupid decisions.

That being said, I still hold the benefits outweigh the negatives in the long run, and even bad memories are memories.

So next time you have to decide whether to get in that car and head out, or remain with the constant, I hope you think “What will I remember more in 10 years?”