Two Lessons [in] Thirty-Eight Years

I just turned 38.  

Young by the standards of some (anyone over 50).  

Old by the standards of others (anyone under 20).

I’m a real contemplative person (if you hadn’t already noticed- ha!).  As such, I find myself to be even more so around my birthday and the start of a new year.  I try to make these thoughts really digestible by picking out 1-2 ideas/thoughts to focus on instead of 5,832.  Here’s the two from this year.  I hope they’re helpful.

1. The greatest gift I can give myself is a free schedule. 

2. Since losing my dad unexpectedly in 2020, my tolerance for risk is much higher- risk in adventures, finance, business, etc.

The one thing I can never find, buy, or create more of is time.  Even if I spend my free schedule doing nothing, it’s mine.  Having nowhere to be at any specific time is the freedom.  It’s lifegiving…and it won’t just happen.  I have to create it.  

Risk is sketchier.  We had Dustin from MTNTOUGH on the podcast this week and we talked about this concept and at what point risk crosses over into pure stupidity.

I won’t spoil the answer, but will say what my experience has been: I tend to rise to the occasion and do the work that makes the risk worth it vs waiting until I’m in the right position for the risk to make sense.  

“Many dreams [and ambitions] have died because people have been terrified to make a wrong decision.  Don’t [let yours] be one of them.”  

What I think changed for me when dad died was realizing that any consequence of risk is temporary.  I won’t be here forever.  I may as well find out what the reward feels like if I take the risk and it works out, right?

Fun question to throw in the check-in this week: 

1. What would you do with a day free of time and schedules?

2. What risk would you take if you knew it’d work out in the end?

Have a great week, everyone!

PS: We just released our pack-planning template in updated format if you’re interested in checking it out.  You can find it linked here.