It’s pretty wild that, barring some unforeseen apocalypse, we’ll get to the years 2030, 2040, 2050, and so on. I know it’s like — duh, that’s how calendars work — and maybe recognizing the future in decades is just part of maturing into a “real” adult, but… it just hits me sometimes that those dates WILL come at some point, and it’s a total toss-up as to what things will look like by then.

Of course, nothing is certain, and life is incredibly fragile and fleeting. But those momentary pauses to think decades ahead yield an important realization: What we do NOW matters. The technology we work on now, no matter how primitive or silly, will be what’s booming in 2040. The economic, climate, and political decisions that we vote on now will determine a lot of very charged, very delicate outcomes. Our relationships in the present will be tested by time and prove whether they’re meant to last, or simply serve for a season.

While focusing on the present moment is super valuable in and of itself, the (probably) inevitable future beckons us to think more carefully about how we’ll choose to advance. It can be daunting, but I think we owe it to ourselves — both currently and in the future — to be mindful of longevity and take actions that impact both the decades AND the days ahead.