save for later paradox

how presumptuous of us to save it later as if tomorrow were already ours that line has been sitting with me for a while because we do this constantly you see something useful an article a recipe a workout a piece of advice and you just save it for later and in a weird twisted way saving it feels like progress it feels like you've taken an action but the thing is you haven't saving is the thing that you do instead of engaging with something the save button will give you a small hit of having dealt with it which is exactly why you never go back to your saved the task will feel closed and our brain files it as done and this is how you end up with hundreds of saved posts you'll never reopen a reading list you'll never read courses that you'll never start and this is not because you're lazy but because the act of saving something will have quietly satisfied the urge that would have made you actually do something but there is something underneath this too saving for later assumes that there will be a later it treats tomorrow like a thing that you already own the fix is almost stupid either engage with it now or let it go if a thing is worth saving it's usually worth 10 minutes today later is where good intentions go to die and later isn't promised anyway