One of my favorite quotes is from Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland, who so insightfully shared, “If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.”
So profound. And so true. If I do not have a destination, then I can just put one foot in front of the other and keep walking. Who knows where I will end up and what I will experience? Many people live their lives this way. More so today than ever before, only because we have so much more to distract ourselves with, and much that most people distract themselves with helps to shape their minds—often not in the way that is most supportive to them.
But when you have some vision of your future, it gives you clarity on how to focus your time and energy in life. And as I shared in a recent email, we are driven to do so when we realize that life is finite and that it can end at any moment. For those who realize this, fear is not their driving factor; rather, the preciousness of life is—the desire to create and do something meaningful in life.
But we don’t need grandiose plans for our life. We can start simple by creating some very simple goals that will give us some form of a life plan. As we approach the end of the year, I’d like you to do this simple exercise.
For these three categories in life—physical, mental, and spiritual—write down one vision you have for each of them. Let me elaborate.
If you were to look years into the future—say you are 39 years old this year—and you were to look 50 years into the future, how do you envision yourself in these three categories at 89 years of age?
For example, at 89 years old, do you see yourself being able to walk independently without any external assistance? Can you sit cross-legged on the floor? Can you walk long distances and, if so, what distance are you able to walk?
Whatever it is you envision yourself being able to do, write it down. Just write one thing down. Be clear, be specific. Don’t say “flexible.” What does that even mean? Are you a gymnast? A yoga teacher? We have to be specific. The mind works better with specificity. Remember this: vagueness is a clear sign of ambiguity, of a lack of clarity.
So, I would say, for my physical goal, that at 89 years old I would like to be able to sit cross-legged on the floor for at least an hour without any discomfort. Sitting cross-legged is driven by my goal to meditate, which I do seated cross-legged, in pursuit of experiencing the Self within. You can see now how a physical goal can be driven by a bigger goal. But if you don’t have clarity around a bigger goal or a purpose in life, that’s okay. Start with just the physical goal.
Close your eyes, look into the future as an older you, and see what you envision. If you struggle to do so, then look around you for examples. Look online for inspiration. Once you have clarity around your vision, you know what to work toward. The goal is not achieved at 89 years old, but along the way. You know what to work on. I often sit cross-legged on the floor to practice doing so. When I speak at events, I sit cross-legged on an ottoman or bench. I can do so comfortably for hours because I have been practicing for decades. So, I am on my way to being able to sit cross-legged comfortably for an hour at 89 years old.
Now, do the same for the other two categories as well.As you write these down, remember—it’s all about having clarity of the future which then allows you to wisely discern how to focus your finite time and energy each day. And when you can do so consistently, the byproduct of this is that you begin to live a more purposeful life. A happier life.
