Is “Someday” A Real Day?
Today is the only day where you can create dreams!
How often do you say or hear someone say they will do it “someday”?
Someday is everywhere in our thoughts and our words. However, someday does not exist.
It’s just a mental parking lot for our plans.
Leaders should focus on those “someday” items and ideas. Some of our best opportunities exist in our “someday” actions.
Lesson to Learn
We want to make an impact. We care deeply about accomplishing our goals and outcomes.
Our daily grind can be all-consuming.
When do we dream about what could be? We save that for “someday.”
Someday can be a holding place for what we may really want to have, do, become, travel to see, etc. Making the time for those “someday” things often seems nearly impossible — especially right now.
This stops us from tackling our “someday” tasks at work and home.
Unfortunately, someday will never come, and those beautiful hopes, dreams, and opportunities will never become real.
Taking our “someday” thoughts, wishes, and dreams seriously can transform our lives.
Answer for Me
I have a “someday” list. If we are honest with ourselves, most of us do.
Years ago, I decided to rename it so that I would keep it “top of mind” and find both small and more significant ways to start working on it.
These are my Life Goals.
When I began to examine the “someday” items, I realized that these critical aspects of my life were just on hold.
When I relabeled them and reviewed them daily, they started to happen. A quick daily review allowed me to begin to see my dreams become reality.
Some of my most significant life moments have evolved out of my “someday” list.
One item that found its way onto my “someday” list was learning to fly fish.
I would watch fly fishermen in awe. It seemed so appealing to me — and complicated.
Once it was on my “someday” list, now named “Life Goals” list, I found a way to take the first step.
I visited a local fly fishing store. I talked to the owner, who was an avid fly fisherman. He offered a course in learning to fly fish. I signed up, learned, and now fly fish every year in the spring and early summer.
It now seems so simple to me. Until I moved it from “someday” to “Life Goal,” it was never going to happen. As I look back, so many beautiful things in my life occurred because I made this specific change in how I looked at my “someday” thoughts and dreams.
Action
What do you have on your “someday” list?
If you don’t have one, make one right now. Except, call it your Life Goals List.
In doing so, you will immediately get clear on what you really want. This clarity can help you begin to make what is on your Life Goals list happen.
Next, take the first step — even if it is minimal. This gives you momentum!
One strategy I use to help me process my dreams and hopes is to ask myself, “What’s the ONE Thing I can do, such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”
I find one thing to work on that allows me to achieve my Life Goal.
(I learned this by reading an excellent book titled The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.)
Then, celebrate bringing your “someday” item to life!
Daily Habits
Once you have a Life Goals list, review it routinely — at least once a week.
If you want to speed up your process, do it daily.
Your brain will begin to find ways to make your list a reality. You will see opportunities, find friends or colleagues to help you, or determine the best way to move forward.
We can do amazing things with our lives if we only believe we can, identify what is vital, and take our first few steps ahead.
Use today to begin realizing what you have put off for someday.
Someday will never happen — unless you start today.
Do you want more insights?
To learn more about leadership, visit me at www.macny.org.
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