The Day I Tried To Live

My fried Adam closes over $100 million in loans annually, and every time we get together he talks about how it’s all over next year.

I called him out when he did it again a few weeks ago, and he conceded that this is the mindset that keeps him motivated.

As a fellow world beater I get it. But as someone whose long-term pursuits cloud my daily satisfaction, it’s worth pondering as the year kicks off today.

I wouldn’t say I don’t enjoy my life generally, but the specter of everything unraveling haunts me every day. And yes this motivates me just like it motivates Adam, but is there a better way to stay motivated?

I’m just scratching the surface of that question after 44 years by trying to focus on appreciating what I have instead of fearing what I’ll lose, or worse, worrying about what I don’t have.

Fearing/avoiding loss and pushing for more is pretty normal behavior at work where the purpose is to compete and grow. But for those of us who are just a bit too absorbed in their work, this mindset bleeds into our personal behaviors and, too often, it’s all about what we don’t have.

Not healthy. It means your mind is somewhere else and you’re not actually living.

I hate this part about how my mind works, but I decided to make this first day of 2017 the day I tried to live.

I didn’t set my alarm, woke up to my wife’s better-than-a-restaurant omelet, went skiing in a perfect non-windy snowstorm, came home and had lunch with my wife and kid, and didn’t check email until 3:30 pm.

You’re like: WTF, you’re checking email on New Year’s Day?

Yes, as I said: I’m a bit too absorbed.

But still, waiting until 3:30 is damn good for me and I feel like I got to live today because the only real thing I was worried about was the title of this post. Then it just came to me as a favorite Soundgarden song blared into my ears while tearing up the slopes.

An inspiring day like today puts the question above — “is there a better way to stay motivated?” — in a whole new light.

Not that we can sleep in plus get the full dose of family and workout/outdoor time everyday. But if people like me, you, and Adam can just try to live each day instead of worrying about it all unraveling, I think we’d stay more motivated.

That’s the goal for 2017. Happy New Year…