The Promised Reality Check
I don’t feel like I need to tell you that ageism is real or that you have a limited career span ahead of you. You’ve been around the block a few times at this point. You know what’s what.
I am also not going to tell you that the sky is the limit, you can do anything you set your mind to, and you’re never too old. I’m sorry, but that professional rugby career is off the table if you haven’t done it by now. I do believe you can do a lot, and there’s plenty of time left to succeed (probably), but this wouldn’t be much of a reality check if I were to just give you pleasant platitudes and send you on your way.
So here’s the deal: You’re going to have to choose. Mind and body willing, you can catch up with that dream you’ve been chasing. Set that goal, break it down into smaller tasks, make a plan. But you can’t do everything. You need to be selective about where you spend your time and energy. This goes double or triple if you still have a kid at home or elderly parents that depend on you.
You’re going to have to pick just a very few things, and you’re going to have to focus. I don’t know about you, but my ADHD squirrel brain hates that. If I were younger, I would still have to focus on the goals I set, but I would have more time ahead of me to try on a hundred different hats. I don’t have that luxury, so I am going to have to tame that squirrel and get it running on the wheel.
If you’re looking for a book to read about picking the few things that are really important to you, perhaps the one I have seen mentioned most is Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less (affiliate link) by Greg McKeown. I have just started reading it myself, to be transparent.
Maybe I should start a book club…
… See, that right there is what not to do. C’mon, Squirrel, a book club? When do you propose we do that? There’s no free time for another project. Reality checked!
The Mia Experiment 