36525 days to live

This is when I decided to calculate the approximate number of days that I had left to live. I took the life expectancy of the average male in Canada in 2005 and it gave me approximately 15600 days left to live.

This is when I started to count mine 15600,15599,15598,15597.

It made me realize that I had already lived 14326  days. I had lived about half my life already …….behind me , bye bye …..I will never see those days ever again.

I WISH I HAD KNOWN THIS EARLIER…

This was a  shock to me because there was so much more I wanted to accomplish.

Who wants to have regrets on their deathbed?

My first reflex was to see how I could influence the number of days I have left. So I decided to invest more time in exercising and eating better. I made a list of things and places that I wanted to see, visit and do before my life is over. I checked how I could incorporate my list of dreams and projects into my  personal dashboard.

These are the kind of things I could change quickly without much thinking.

What do you intend to do with your time left?

I started to identify my most important goals that I really cared about. The kind of things that if I were on my deathbed, I would  regret not doing.

So I made a list of all the activities and projects that I really cared about.

My original list had 114 projects and goals to accomplish.

Now with a wife, young children and a business to run, where would I find the time to accomplish all these goals?

This is when I started to count how many potential days that I had left to live. When I fully realized that my time is limited, that is was impossible to do it all, that’s when I fully grasped the concept of priorities. Before I would prioritize some minor tasks and would fail to prioritize some significant goals.

So I decided to set some goals that I have been procrastinating about for too long and set a deadline with a clear and measurable objective. That was the easy part.

Then I had to find a way to measure the results and the progress.

So I created a spreadsheet and built myself a personal dashboard. I was already using a dashboard in my business and I was measuring the desired results. So I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try it in my personal life.

That was another easy part.

But how was I to be certain to accomplish my goals? I had to create a sense of urgency. To remind myself constantly of the brevity of life. The fear of not being able to accomplish my most important goals is a strong motivator. I also tried to set a deadline to get myself to move it.

When was the last time that YOU asked YOURSELF ;

“WHAT DO I REALLY WANT?”

                       and

“HOW BADLY DO I WANT IT?”

I started to really think about this subject in the summer of 2005, I was doing fairly good in each area of my life. (a happy and balanced life)

I was on my holiday and I started to think about what I have accomplished so far.

I had a good quality of life in every way, but it dawned on me that something was missing.

At first, it wasn’t clear what it was.

I realized that I could accomplish much more, not to impress others anymore, but for my own personal satisfaction.

Some of the first questions that I asked myself were:

What more can I do?   Or     What else can I do?

What would I have fun doing?

The answer was …..a lot more.

Then came another question …

How much time do I have left?

At 39 years of age , it was a bit too late to want to become an NHL player or a baseball superstar . Even at 18, the odds are extremely low.

Nor was it realistic to become a rock star even if I love music.

I mean, it’s not impossible but the odds are extremely low.

What are my strengths, my natural abilities and my favourite interests?

What can I start at this point in my life and with the time that is available to me?

What can YOU start in YOUR life?