Your (Near) Decade-End Kick in the Ass!

Today the Motivational Smart Ass becomes the Motivational Kick Ass. As in “Kick You in the ass”

That’s right folks, now that August is over, there are only four months left in the year. That means 2/3rds of the year is over. And, since this is 2009, that also means there are only four months left in the decade! That means that 29/30ths of the decade is over!

(Before you smart asses out there feel compelled to email or comment on the fact that “there was no year 0, so the decade will actually end at the end of 2010,” let me just say, “shut up.” I’m looking at the tens digit. Besides, our numbering convention is fairly arbitrary and many of our “important” dates – like January 1 – are only important because we choose to make it so. The new year could begin on May 31st and it would all be pretty much the same thing – except more awesome!)

Now that the weather is changing, kids are going back to school, and the Fall TV lineup is about to start, I think this is a good time for reflection. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you sally forth into the end of the year and decade. They may make you think, and remember: it’s never to late for a little course correction!

Reflections on the Year

This year…

• How much fun have you had? Life is too short. You don’t need to be having fun every minute of every day (and if you think you do, take a look at the next point), but if like so many people you looked at this question and reflexively answered, “Not enough!” then you need to take a look at your life and add some fun in. Not only does fun make life more enjoyable, but it will make you more productive and more able to handle the un-fun stuff when you have to.

Ask yourself:What can I do to add some fun into my life?




Sometimes you gotta take a look at yourself and reflect...

• How uncomfortable have you made yourself? No one likes to be uncomfortable. But the truth is that all of our growth, progress, and success is going to come after we push ourselves through discomfort. Don’t be miserable, but if you haven’t made yourself uncomfortable (in a good way) this year, you’re probably playing it too safe.

Ask yourself:What can I do to make myself a little uncomfortable?

• How much have you failed? This is similar to the “uncomfortable” point above. No one likes failure, and failing can have consequences. But if you haven’t failed, then you probably haven’t pushed yourself anywhere near the limits of your potential. And that’s just a shame.

Ask yourself:What can I try that I might not succeed at?

• How have you helped others? Whether it’s volunteering, working for a charity, giving advice to someone junior to you (when asked for!), or just lending a hand to a friend, helping others is a great thing. You’ll feel better about yourself, and remember: Karma’s a bitch.

Ask yourself:How can I help?

• How much weight have lost? I had to ask. You know you started this year with a goal of losing X pounds. How’s that goin’ for ya?

Ask yourself:Who wants to go to McDonalds! (ok, not a great question, but I’m not a fitness guru…)

• What did you let go of? Perhaps the most important one on the list. It’s easy to make a list of dreams and goals and actions we should be taking. What’s harder to see are the things we are holding on to that hold us back. it could be an activity, a habit, a person, a job, or simply a limiting belief. It’s hard to let go because a)we have been holding on for so long we don’t even realize it and b) we are afraid to let go. For the first point, take a minute now to think about all the things you regularly do and all the people you regularly see. Is there anything there you can let go of? For the second point, re-read the points above on being uncomfortable and failing.

Ask yourself:What should I let go of?

Reflections on the Decade

Ten years is a loooooooooooooooooong time. Think back to where you were, who you were, and what you were doing ten years ago. Think about the hopes, plans, and dreams you had. How does you current life stack up to what you thought it would be ten years ago? Chances are, it’s very different. Most plans don’t last ten months, much less ten years (Ding Happens!). It’s not important that you’re doing exactly what you thought you would be ten years ago. But it is important to look at why.

In the last ten years…

Ten years ago, this was the most highly anticipated movie ever. Sometimes things don not work out as planned

• What decisions have you made? Decisions precede actions. Over the last ten years you have made many decisions, and those are what lead you to this point. Are you happy with those decisions? Did they serve you in getting to where you wanted to go?

Ask yourself:What decision did I make that took me off course can I now correct?

• What decisions have you not made? Of course, there are probably some decisions you know you should make that you have not made at all. Some (like me) would say that that in and of itself is another decision. To quote my favorite rock band, Rush, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” Time doesn’t slow down or stop for anyone, and the decisions we don’t make usually leech or life away more than the decisions we do.

Ask yourself:What decision that I have been avoiding can I make today??

• What did you put off until “someday,” only to find that it’s years later and someday hasn’t come? I guarantee you that there have been some things that you have been telling yourself for years that you would do “someday.” Maybe when you have more time, or more money, or when other things are handled. Stop putting them off. The time will never be exactly right. But if you keep putting it off, time will eventually be up.

Ask yourself:What have I always wanted to do that I can start doing this week?

• Are you happy with the direction your life has moved in (and continues to move in)? There’s a difference between progress and activity. You have probably done a lot of stuff in the last ten years. But has it progressed you to where you want to go? You can’t change exactly where you are at this moment, but you can change direction in an instant.

Ask yourself:What can I do to change direction?

• How much weight have you lost? Had to ask again :-). Has this been on your “goal list” for ten years? I say either get serious or just let it go.

Ask yourself:I still can’t find that damn McDonalds… (see point above)

• What were you afraid of or did not believe you could do that you are now not afraid of or feel comfortable doing? There are many ways to measure growth and progress, but this is one of my favorites. If you can look back on something you were bad at, or didn’t like, or were afraid of, and now you feel comfortable doing it, then that’s growth. If you can’t think of anything, then maybe you should find some stuff now to start challenging yourself to grow.

Ask yourself:What can I commit myself to getting better at?

These are just a few questions to get you thinking. They will probably lead you to asking yourself and others some even deeper questions. This type of reflection is good to do more than once every ten years. Remember, the dates are arbitrary; every day is the end of another ten year span of time.

2/3rds of the year and 29/30ths of the decade are gone. What are you going to do to make the most of the last 1/3rd and 1/30th?