Zero Latency
- Denzel WashingtonImagine you're on your deathbed—and standing around your bed are the ghosts representing your unfilled potential. The ghosts of the ideas you never acted on. The ghosts of the talents you didn't use. And they're standing around your bed. Angry. Disappointed. Upset. 'We came to you because you could have brought us to life,'they say. 'And now we go to the grave together.' So I ask you today: How many ghosts are going to be around your bed when your time comes?
Zero latency.
This is a term that I came up with to describe the concept of minimizing the time between a thought and its execution.
I'd say it's a superset of preventing procrastination; not only do you work on your day-to-day tasks and life necessities as soon as they cross your mind (and therefore get a lot done), but any creative inspiration you have, you take action upon.
If I'm considering flossing* tonight, me going to floss right now is zero latency. If the thought of doing some math question crosses my mind, I should go do that question. If I'm thinking, "Wouldn't it be cool to make this project?", then I should go ahead and build that project.
My goal is to approach thought latency that is infinitesimally small.
*Ever think about how flossing is the ultimate litmus test if you're a disciplined person? I guarantee you that every person that flosses every night is disciplined. There are no consequences to not flossing once in a while, but there is certainly a difference between someone who flosses every so often and someone who flosses every day. Same as there's a difference between someone who does X goal every day versus someone who does it most of the time.