What If You Started Now?

By Shazad

“Suppose that a god announced that you were going to die tomorrow, or the day after.” Unless you were a complete coward, you wouldn’t kick up a fuss about which day it was–what difference could it make? Now recognize that the difference between years from now and tomorrow is just as small.”

Marcus Aurelius. Meditations

If you had all the money, time, and energy you craved, what would you do with your time? What kind of person would you become? Many of us imagine a perfect moment or golden years when everything will be right for us to retire, work on ourselves, pursue a more meaningful life, and be content. Sadly, few have experienced this, despite many people reaching their ‘target’ in terms of time and money. Why is that? In my opinion, the biggest reason people fail to reach their ideal self is that they don’t truly plan their life in enough detail beforehand. Most people don’t imagine what their days will look like and how they will feel. They sort of know, but not truly.

The best way to prepare for an ideal chapter or phase in life is to actually map it out. Take out a piece of paper and write down things like when you will wake up, what events you will be engaged in, who you will meet, and when you plan to rest. Be clear about things and avoid being wishy-washy or childish. What will the flow of your days be like? Do you want to do some work in a part-time job or volunteer for a few hours a few times a week? How about traveling and meeting people? Where would you go, and who would you talk to every day on the phone? The good news is that you can start to enjoy some of the life you dream of today.

You can figure out what amount of time, money, and other resources it would take to be living the awesome life you dream of. It’s probably a lot less than you think and very attainable once you figure out how you want to spend your time each day. Make some space in your calendar and stop spending on things that don’t really matter much so that you can have both the time and wealth needed to start on the journey you imagine having ‘some day.’ When we become intentional about how we want to live each day, right now, we get to see the world differently.

When you do, you will notice that there IS enough time and there ARE enough special moments to enjoy despite having responsibilities and bills to pay. We are not simply here to work, pay taxes, and then perish. There’s got to be a better way than spending 40 years working from age 20 to 60 or beyond, and then magically having enough to slow down. We can and should plan mini-retirements along the way. Maybe that looks like a month off work every two years, or maybe it’s creating long weekends every single month and using those 2-3 days to do some exciting things you normally wouldn’t do until later in life? Find out when people with the hobby you love meet up and join them once a week or a few times a month. Schedule a special movie or game night with your buddies and make a meal out of this. Take 4-5 hours off your calendar and unwind with people you have been meaning to connect with over food and a fun event. Find out what you really enjoy doing and do those things BEFORE age 60 when you will officially be a senior citizen. You may not enjoy some of your favorite things then. Maybe your body won’t be able to do certain things like zip lines, skydiving, and dirt biking the trail in the nearby forest.

With time, we develop different tastes and can’t really experience the same pleasure as the younger version of ourselves. It’s important to realize and even anticipate getting older. Think about the joint pain, the loss of energy, and even the passing of some friends by the time you are in the 60-plus group. Life is long for those who make the most of each day. Unfortunately, it’s short for some who suddenly develop a serious illness or are tragically taken from us in some kind of accident. To become the kind of person you dreamed of and have the life you worked so hard for, it’s wise to take stock of where you are today and what you truly want out of your life.

Don’t be reckless about pursuing what you love because it’s not about spending your life savings on things or quitting your job when you still have people depending on your income. Be wise and deliberate about how you spend time and other resources so you don’t feel like you are going through the motions and waiting for “Some Day” to start living the life you always wanted. You can start now and meet your future self enjoying the moment and living on your own terms.

Live Awesome!

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