Life is a Journey

Anytime an incident like the recent one in Omaha occurs, it reminds me just how fragile our lives are. Tomorrow seems inevitable, but there is no guarantee that any of us will be here for it. We must plan for our future and have goals in mind, but do not forget to live today. Life is truly a journey.

One of my favorite quotes is from Martina Navratilova. She has experienced much success in her life as a result of hard work and perseverance. She once said that “The moment of victory is much too short to live for that and nothing else.”

It is important to balance living for today with planning for your future. Everyone should have a set of goals that encompasses all aspects of their life. What do you value? Where do you want to be in 20 years? What do you want to be doing?

My list of values includes:

• My environment – where do I want to call home?
• Financial Security – what do I need to feel secure?
• Education – what am I interested in learning? What areas do I want to improve upon?
• Health – what activities do I expect to be able to do 20 years from now? How do I want to feel?
• Career – what kind of work do I want to be doing?
• Family and friends – what will these relationships be like in 20 years?
  
  After you define your values, you should be able to link specific goals to a value and then identify the steps required today, next week and next year to reach these goals. Like any big project, some goals can seem overwhelming, but remember your life occurs one day at a time. So take a step each day towards that goal and eventually you will arrive. In my next post, I will break down one goal as an example.