It would be safe to say that almost none of us ever starts out on a journey with no idea about where we are going. If we are not sure about the route, the destination is plugged into our GPS, and off we go.
But what about our life destination, that long term perfect scenario that we dream about? Do we have the coordinates for that so that we not only arrive there someday, but know we are there when we get there?
The truth is most of us are linear and we tend to think short-term, moving forward along a line to the next house, the next car, or the next job. We are considering today, with all that a day can bring. The idea of pondering our long term destination isn’t even on our radar screen.
I know something about this. For the first part of my life I was hurtling headlong to a destination that I could not see or identify. My goal was to make as much money as I could today, and then wake up tomorrow and do it all over again. I was on the treadmill, running hard but not gaining any ground, really. I made enough money and reached all of those short term goals. But, there was still something wrong somewhere.
When I arrived at the Halftime Institute and began to take a deep dive with a coach to guide me, I came to some startling realizations. I was wholly unprepared to even talk about what I thought might be ahead for me in my second half. I had spent so little time considering it that when I was asked, I had to go off and think about it for the first time.
If most of us are in the same boat as I was, is it any wonder that we live such unfulfilled lives on the whole? The congruency that happens when we know who we are and where we want to go combined with the daily activities to get us there, produces real joy. Any other scenario only leads to burnout and a joyless life. Money can’t fix that. I know firsthand.
Last week, I shared 3 Critical Must Haves for a Successful Halftime Journey. This week, I want to share the remaining two with you.
First, dream a little about your ideal life and then create some long term metrics that can help you get there. Ask yourself, “If my life turned out perfectly, what would the elements be?” That does two things. One, it helps you see what really matters and what could be. Essentially, it gives you the impetus to lean into what you most value, but it also helps you let go of things that are not as important. There are often things that you and I have been striving for that complicate the transition to what’s next. We must start to loosen our grip on them if we are to finish well. Let’s de-clutter our lives from the things that might be keeping us from getting where we need to go.
Second, once you create long term metrics, you can create a road map to your destination. That map consists of 6 areas to address that will make the destination and the road to get there clearer.
They are:
- Action Areas
- Desired results
- Capacity requirements
- Primary obstacles
- What will I do?
- Who can help me?
With your long-term metrics and map in hand, you are on your way to what will be a fulfilling Life II.
Don’t forget that the two elements mentioned above must work in concert with the previous 3 Critical Must Haves that we discussed last week: A Personal Board of Directors, A Mission Statement, and Coaching.
After 20 years of helping men and women transition successfully through the often tumultuous season of halftime, we’ve learned that having a coach and a personal board of directors around you and in your corner greatly (and I mean greatly) increases your chances of success. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, we are so pre-conditioned to focus on the short-term and to be head-down in the hum drum of life that we rarely make time for determining the long-term plan and how to get there without the support of others.
There’s a reason why I’ve called these the critical must-haves for a successful journey: we simply don’t see success when you remove any of these elements.
So, what will you do?
How important is finishing well to you? If you’re serious about having the most fulfilling and impactful second half possible, get serious about working through these elements.
And let us know how we can help! Our team at the Halftime Institute gets up every morning thinking about who we can support through a successful halftime journey and how we can do that well. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you would like to enlist the help of a Halftime Certified Coach, or enroll in one of our Programs.
Wishing you all the best for a second half with no regrets!
