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Photo by Kyle Cleveland on Unsplash
In case you missed it, the apocalypse happened a few weeks ago. The end of days. The reckoning. It was a time to take a step back and reflect on all you’ve accomplished or failed to accomplish in your life. Even though the world was not torn asunder by explosions, the reflection on what life means can be meaningful.
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I for one was excited that the rapture was coming, because I thought I wouldn’t have to figure out how to find the time to write this post. Yeah... that didn’t really work out.
As funny as the apocalyptic predictions were, there are some sobering thoughts that should come of that moment of reflection when you’re looking to the sky to see if the meteor really is headed your way.
Think of this as one of my balanced lifestyle posts. It’s sort of a checklist for the next apocalypse. I’d like to ask you to reflect on a few important things.
What are your personal goals?
When we’re kids, we all have something we want to grow up to be. We’re grown-ups now. Most of us aren’t firemen, astronauts, or doctors. That said, the notion of goals shouldn’t be lost on us just because we’re older.
Have you ever sat down and put those goals on paper? Yes, I’m talking about the proverbial bucket list. Have you done it? Why not? Get started. Because if you don’t know what those things are that you’re dying to do, you might miss an opportunity as it presents itself in front of you.
Me? I’ve always wanted to write a book. If I didn’t have that on a list, I might not have learned about the publishing industry or paid attention when someone said they were a literary agent. Instead, it was on my list, and when that opportunity presented itself, pow! I moved with catlike reflexes to make it happen.
Are you making progress toward those goals?
Do you take your list out from time to time and see what you’ve done to move toward achieving your goals? Are you clear on the activities you should be participating in to hit specific milestones? Is your goal achievable or is it a pipe dream?
You can’t put off all the things you want to do and try to cram them in when you’re 80. You’ll break a hip.
Try to break those goals down into bite-sized pieces. Achieve a few things per year. Make progress. If the dream is a vacation to Rio, maybe take some steps like setting up a savings account, chipping in a few bucks from time to time, or researching travel sites to learn more. Big goals are an aggregation of little tasks. Start now. Track progress and success.
Are you enjoying the journey to get there?
As you move through life, it can be easy to be overly consumed by your goals. You can miss out on cool opportunities to enjoy yourself in ways you hadn’t considered as part of your path.
For example, I ended up at a crew regatta this weekend. It wasn’t the most carefully planned event in terms of my schedule. That said, it was important to my daughter. (She was the coxswain I referenced in this post that you should go read now.) It was fun. The other parents were fun to hang out with. We had a lot of laughs. I got a wicked sunburn. It was worth it.
Are you taking the time to enjoy those little detours in life to just experience things? Are you enjoying them when you experience them?
Get ready for the next apocalypse
Go write down your goals. Track your activities once in a while to ensure you’re making progress. Get a sunburn. It’s about the journey. To take the journey, you need a destination. Sure, we’re all worm food in the end, but I plan on being content and satisfied worm food when that big meteor crashes into the planet.
Published July 24, 2024, in The thoughtLEADERS Brief on LinkedIn.
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