You read that right. I’m asking you to jump ahead several decades and put together what you want to say to your friends and family. Crazy? Maybe. However there are three reasons for my madness. Let me explain.
We all look into the future. Yet rarely do we jump into the future and glance back. Think about it. If you observe things from the same angle you will inevitably miss things that are important. When you look at things from a different perspective though, you notice things you didn’t before. And that’s what I want you to do. Stop looking forward at your life and start looking backwards. What do you want to say to your audience? What do you want to accomplish?
What’s your flight path?
A pilot will never take off without a flight path. Why should you? Wherever you are in your career, pick a destination. DREAM BIG. Let your imagination go. Don’t stop to think about what you are writing and if it’s possible or not. Just do it. It’s important to do this because you want to know what to focus on professionally but also personally. If you don’t know, how are you going to notice when the perfect opportunity comes along or know who to ask for help along the way?
I’m a perfect example of this, when I was seven my oldest brother applied to college. Although I was too young to know what I wanted to study, I knew out of all the college descriptions I read in his College Guide Handbook, which one I wanted to attend. That school became my dream school.
As my family moved around, knowing where I wanted to end up kept me on the right track. It made taking the classes I didn’t want to take more bearable. There was a purpose. Having a target helped me stay focused.
The power of the pen…..and writing things down
My first year at college was a challenge. I got grades I never had and couldn’t get into the classes I wanted to. I was frustrated. One day I went to my dorm room, sat down on the floor and jotted down the things I hoped to do while I was in school. I wrote everything I could think of, from the classes I wanted to take; to the clubs I wanted to be a part of. When I was done, I put the notebook away and never looked at it again.
The day before graduation as I was packing my belongings away I came across the notebook. I opened it and looked at it. There in my own handwriting were my freshman year hopes and dreams. I smiled at myself. As I glanced at what I wrote down I was stunned by what I noticed. I had accomplished 75% of the things. I was amazed. There is something magical about writing things down.
Be Flexible & Adapt
Having a plan is important. Being flexible is even more important.
My goal when I joined one of my former employers was to learn everything I could and leave after two years. As the years progressed I got more opportunities and responsibilities. Leaving while I was learning made no sense at all.
You will accomplish your goals but probably not all of them. That’s fine. As the years progress your interests will shift and things will happen that will lead you to change. That’s normal too. Your retirement speech is your living document. You need to adapt it along the way. Remember you are a work in progress, just like everyone else.
