I’m three months away from turning 40.
That milestone has made me think a lot about my own mortality and legacy lately.
Life is long, but not that long.
Here’s a problem I see with many others and in myself that I think is critical to remedy to live the best life possible.
Moving forward while getting nowhere
Most people are passengers on the train of life.
The train chugs forward; life passes by.
The destination arrives and the passengers wonder, “Where did the time go?”
We’re all moving forward. But is it where we want to go?
A life of missed potential
Nobody has figured out how to live forever. The current average life expectancy in the U.S. is 79 years.
If you’re super healthy, have good genes, and don’t race motorcycles, you might live to 100.
That’s it. That’s what we have left.
Yet, you have something special in you, a unique gift you possess, unlike that inside anyone else.
For most, that gift remains hidden.
It’s buried under distraction, fears, and doubts.
Most people go through their lives fulfilling only a fraction of their potential.
I know too many entrepreneurs and other friends who’ve remained are moving forward like all of us, yet get nowhere.
Check your location
The solution to realizing your potential is to look up every once in a while and check the location.
Is where you’re at where you want to be? Is it where you thought you’d be?
If you’ve lost sight of the grand life you once dreamed of, the first step is clarify, once again, what you really want.
It’s not always a good idea to hang on to every one of your childhood dreams forever. (I think my dream job when I was in elementary school was a ninja…)
However, don’t stop reaching higher. You can still live a great, meaningful life.
To check your location relative to what you want, use the wheel of life tool. For each major area of your life, first decide what you want, what 10/10 looks like for you. Then score your current circumstances in each area on a 1 to 10 scale.
If you’re not where you want to be in an area of your life and you’ve been working a plan to get there for some time, change something.
This is where most people go wrong. Day after day, they get nowhere. Years pass by. Nowhere.
While you’re playing the game of life, don’t forget to look up and check your location every once in a while.
If you don’t like where you’re at, first re-clarify where you want to be. Then, act. Read a book, hire a coach, change your habits, get new friends, whatever it takes. Analyze what works and what doesn’t; do more of the former and less of the latter.
You’re not too late
All you have is this day forward.
You’re not too late.
The world is waiting for you to share your gift.
Don’t let another day pass by in which you don’t do something to create the life you really want with fiery urgency.
Steer your destination. Look up every once in a while and check if you’re on-track to get there.
Adjust your approach until you get where you really want to go.
—Matt