Whenever I make a commitment for a specific period of time, like my 4 years of college, for example, I like to think about where I might be at the end of the commitment. Four years is going to pass me by. No matter what. And, unless I die before the time passes—which I never hope is the case—I will arrive at the other end of the journey. The question always in my mind is who will I be at the end of the journey?
Tomorrow, November 3rd, we will begin a 4-year journey. Take a moment to consider where you are now. Are you in school? Are you about to begin an adventure of your own? At the end of the next four years, 2024, where do you picture yourself? What kind of person do you see yourself as four years from now? What I love about this exercise is that it forces me to consider the decisions I am making right now. Are those decisions congruent with the person I imagine four years from now.
One of the reasons time starts to move more quickly as we age, is that we live our lives in these huge chunks. We stop living day to day, moment to moment. Instead, four years of college goes by in a blink. The first four years of our employment, and then a promotion for another year. We get married and change jobs, another 5 years go by. All of a sudden 10 years have passed since we graduated from college. Unless we are very deliberate about how we spend our time, days can slip by us. Try to be mindful each day and make sure your values, identity, and your goals are supporting you in getting to the vision you have for yourself in the future.
