"The US Declaration of Independence speaks of a self-evident right to “the pursuit of happiness” right up there with the rights to life and liberty. The people you lead also have that right. When you delay gratification for yourself, you do the same for them.

Enjoyment needs time. You can’t enjoy anything in a rush. Nor can you rely on reaching that future time when you can at last slow down to relish all the pleasure you delayed for so long. Life is too uncertain. Careful plans and savings may be wiped out by a hurricane, a flood, a sudden illness, or a stockmarket crash.

“But there isn’t time,” you say. “I have so much to do. There’s too much pressure right now. Maybe later I can slack off a little.”

Everyone has exactly the same amount of time available, so long as they are alive: 365 days each year, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. Add 24 hours each leap year. Every person has an identical time allocation. It’s how they choose to spend it that makes the difference."