Imagine if someone was to write your biography and this was to be circulated to your family, your friends, your Facebook friends, your mutual friends and across the inter-web.
What would it be like?
Would you be proud of it? Would others benefit from it? Would others be inspired by it? What impact would it have on others?
These are all very confronting questions. It makes you think if what you are doing, is want you want to be doing.
I’m not here to make you feel bad, nor tell you how you should be living your life. But what I will tell you is you own your life story.
If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? ― Steve Jobs
Forget what society tells you. Society today stereotypes how life is supposed to go after graduation… and it is a little something like this:
- Get a job
- Buy a car
- Pay off student debt
- Get married
- Buy a house
- Begin saving for retirement
- Have/Adopt kids
- Retire
- Have grandkids
- Die
These are great and they are all things that should and will happen, however the order is up to you. I personally would suggest paying off that student loan ASAP.
But these should not be your life – what about everything else you want to do?
Regardless, your life should be composed of goals as these will help inspire you to move forward across different areas in your life. These can be both short and long terms goals. For every short-term goal you achieve, you should feel one step closer to a long-term goal. An example of how this would look is something like this:
Long Term Goals:
$60,000 Salary
Short Term Goals:
Up-skill/Complete an Education
Get a Job
Build a Professional Network
Build a Reputation
Get a Promotion
Once again, the above is just an example. This doesn’t even need to be related to work. Another example:
Long Term Goals:
Run a Marathon
Short Term Goals:
Lose 10kg
Start a Regular Running Routine
Run 5km
Run 10km
Run 20km
Run 35km
These are all just examples, but you get the point.
I’m sure you have some area’s in your life you want to change, that you want to grow in?
The best way to do that is to set some goals.
Remember actions will always speak louder than words and in today’s world your word should always go a long way. Think about what legacy you are leaving. Not just in the long-term, but daily?
How are you completing the day. How are you impacting (positive/negative) others around you? When you finish work for the day. When you finish school for the day. When you have been out socializing. What impression, legacy and influence are you leaving?