Midlife Awakening

Start here

one percent

The cavalry isn’t coming. The quantum leap probably doesn’t exist (pun intended), and likely doesn’t matter to your daily life anyway.
 
Your progress in any pursuit depends almost solely on the tiny decisions you make about how you either spend or invest your time and energy every day.
 
So you don’t think it matters much whether you invest an hour to read that book or spend the hour playing video games today? If you can get just 1% better every day in some category of your life, in one year, you will have improved about 3800% in that category through compounding. 1% a day is an approachable goal, even if you are feeling a bit beat down. Invest your time wisely.

Vision

Vision without action is merely a dream.

Action without vision just passes the time.

Vision with action can change the world.

—Joel Barker

Back to it

I am back in Atlanta this week.  I did not get to travel in December, due schedule issues, family medical issues, and of course the holidays.

I missed the camaraderie of my team here, and the change of scenery I regularly enjoy for a couple days once a month.  It has been a good trip so far, as I got to meet some new team mates, visit with some old team mates, and talk with people I have not had a chance to lately.

I am 2 days into this trip, with 2 more to go before I get home.  As good as the trip has been, I miss seeing and talking to my kids every day.  I guess this is a little bit of a foreshadowing of what its like when kids leave home for college or to their own place as adults.  Things get a bit quiet, and they don’t need you as often, or as much.  Even if this is the normal pattern in life, it does leave a hollow pit in me, as I realize the truth that my children will grow up, get independent, and leave.  I hope that I have done enough and they have seen enough to know how much I have always loved them and care for them, and how much I want them to live their dreams.  All I can do is hold hope about this and try to express it to them when I am with them.  It seems unlikely that I will know for sure if I have done well as a father until they have launched into their own lives, begun to chase their dreams, and decide for themselves how much a part of their lives I will be.