Live Your Best Life
“Don’t be afraid your life will end; be afraid that it will never begin.”
- Grace Hansen
Your path has taken you to this point in your journey. Are you where you always wanted to be? What’s next? What’s your next step up the ladder? Your next move along your personal or professional path? Your life after you retire? What’s next?
In my case I had chased, what I thought was, my passion. To win a Super Bowl. After that I had always told myself that I would retire “when I was done”.
“Done” for me was when I had no more mountains to climb. I knew winning the ultimate prize “had” to be it because all of the championships before hadn’t filled me like I thought they would. I knew that winning the biggest game in my domain would fulfill me.
You know the story - we won the Super Bowl - and less than twelve hours afterwards – while sitting on the plane waiting on the tarmac, I was working on trying to win another one. I never really basked in the enjoyment of achieving a life dream.
When I sat back, on the plane, and looked around, coaches and players were celebrating or recovering from celebrating too hard. I was working on a program that wouldn’t be used for four months. At that moment I knew I was done … with that task.
I guess I could have made the grand gesture and just quit right there and walked off the plane. But I didn’t because I needed to figure out what my “WHY” was.
“Why” as in: Why am I on this earth if it wasn’t to win a Super Bowl?
With some deep thinking, I eventually figured out my plan over the next several months.
I could have left the profession after the Super Bowl. I would have retired at 51. I had to make sure this wasn’t just the normal fatigue after a long season. I used this time to think about what LIVING MY BEST LIFE would look like.
Eventually I came up with a list.
LIVING MY BEST LIFE meant:
1. Writing every day
2. Reading every day
3. Motivational Speaking
4. Helping others along their path
5. Being outside as the weather allowed
6. Setting MY schedule every day
7. Living in a warm place (so I can be outside)
8. Writing a book
9. Traveling where and when I want
10. Being PRESENT with my family and friends
Long story short. The time I took paid off. I have accomplished every item on my list. AND I’m working on my second book.
I am LIVING MY BEST LIFE.
What About You?
What’s your BEST LIFE look like? What’s on your list of things that you NEED to do in order to LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE? Make that list right now. Then look at it. What will you have to do to accomplish that list? How long will it take for you to be prepared to live that Best Life?
When I made my list, I used four anchors. What do I love? What am I good at? How can I continue to follow my passion (of helping others to achieve their Best Life)? Where do I want to Live My Best Life? You might want to add a fifth anchor: How can Living My Best Life be profitable? (Ikigai)
Take your time. Think it out. But when you come up with your plan … move forward!
It’s Up to You
When we have a plan, we have something to work for. Write that plan on a piece of paper and put it on your bathroom mirror. Each time you look at the mirror you will see two things:
· YOUR plan
· The person who is responsible for accomplishing the plan.
It’s totally up to YOU. If you aren’t moving towards your plan, the only person you can blame is the person who you are looking at in the mirror. If you are accomplishing the steps to make the plan real, it’s the person you are looking at in the mirror that needs to get the credit. Trust yourself. You can do this!
You control the course your life will take. You GET TO go from where you are now to where you want to be. Or you can just keep going to work - putting off your plan until you get to the end of your time.
If you choose to set your course, based on your plan, it will take hard work and perseverance.
If you just want to let “life” take its own course, then you are at the mercy of what other people want.
You can’t have it both ways. Either you take control or not.
It’s only your BEST LIFE we are talking about. It seems simple. Either work to LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE or you can SPEND your life working for someone else’s Best Life.
Move or Die! It’s up to you.
Have an amazing day!
