I’ve never been fond of the phrase “Live like there’s no tomorrow.” I can appreciate the idea of enjoying life and making the most of your time but there’s gotta be a better way of saying it. To live for today only with no regard for tomorrow is an impractical message that proves itself false with each new day. All I can envision are crowds of people quitting their jobs, running the streets in their tighty whities, and waking surprised the next morning when the world hasn’t ended.

I’m proposing a new motto: “Live like your days are numbered.” Not only is it 100% true, but it helps illustrate life’s brevity in a way that has a profound impact. As one example, I’m currently 29 years old and might hope for 40 more summers in my lifetime (just a guess, but bear with me). I can easily think of more than 40-summers-worth of fun places to see and things to do, which is a huge motivation to get the most out of every summer.

If you find this perspective gloomy at first, I get it. No one likes thinking about how short life is. I promise you, though: when you can recognize that time is a limited gift, you’ll find a much deeper respect and appreciation for every single day.