There's a saying some people trot out: "On your deathbed, does anybody wish they'd worked more?" Or, for writers, "On your deathbed, will you wish you'd followed your dream?"
Frankly, on my deathbed, I think I may have only one regret:
The point is, on your deathbed, you're about to die. What we did or didn't do won't matter a lot then (especially if we can hire a nurse who's generous with the pain killers....). It will be too late to change anything.
However....IT MATTERS NOW!
The reason is matters now is that it's not too late to change how you're spending your time.
It's not too late to let the important people in your life know what they mean to you.
It's not too late to write your memoir so your children or grandchildren or even random strangers at some point in the future can read about what your life was like.
It's not too late to write your novel or screenplay or short story.
It's not too late to eat some ice cream. Hmm, how did that one get in there?
As we head into another New Year, it's a good time to think about these things (although it's always a good time to think about these things).
Going from thinking to doing, of course, is even better.
Some years ago I ran across a powerful approach called Zero-Base Planning. It comes from the business world but it's equally applicable to one's personal life. In the next few posts I'll cover how you can apply it if you want to.
In the meantime, here are some questions I've been considering and invite you to ponder as well (you might want to jot down your answers in a private notebook or secret computer file):
* What would you like to make more time for starting in the New Year (or tomorrow)?
* What would you like to spend less time on?
* With whom would you like to spend more time?
* With whom would you like to spend less time?
* If there''s a big "thing" (possession) that you really want, what will it bring you to have it?
* What might bring you greater peace of mind?
* Is there something you've been putting off for "someday" and you're finding "someday" doesn't seem to be getting any closer? If so, is wanting it just an old habit, or is it still important to you?
* What's a question that isn't listed here but that could be useful for you to answer about how you're living your life and spending your time?
Don't let any answers to these questions scare you. For now we're just playing around. Later we can decide what, if any, action we want to take.
