Things a person can accomplish in 10,000 days:
Learn to talk, walk, get dressed on your own, learn math and reading and writing, go to school and get a high school diploma, a college degree, a job.
Meet the love of your life, get married, have children, and live the dream.
See people pass away, see new people born, see things that are difficult and no one wants to ever experience but see how those things bring people closer together.
See wonderful things that are shared between friends and family, make memories that last a lifetime and tell stories that will live on past a lifetime into the next generation.
Today I am 10,000 days old.A lot can happen in 10,000 days and its impossible to list it all. All the good and the bad, all the things learned, accomplished, experienced, enjoyed.
I wonder what the next 10,000 days will bring? I hope only more of the same - some hard times which cannot be avoided, but overall good things, and I look forward to it. Watching my children grow up and learn, expeirience their own first 10,000 days of life.
Things I wish I had accomplished in my first 10,000 days of life: actually graduting from college instead of just going forever and never getting a degree. Spending more time outside instead of inside, even if its just sitting on the porch listening to the birds. Spending more quality time with my husband instead of slipping into the daily routine and letting too many of our days together slip by without meaningful conversation. Learning more about things around me, like gardning and the best flowers to grow around our house and the best ways to take care of them. Learning more about the people in my life, instead of making small talk about the weather.
The beauty of the list of things I wish I had done already is that there's nothing on that list that I can't start doing right now, right this minute, so that when the next 10,000 days passes, I can look back and know that I did what I wanted to do.
Things that I will do in the next 10,000 days: Get my diploma. Make my time with my husband and children more meaningful and less routine. Plant more flowers around our house. Get to know the people in my life that I don't know very well, like grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins, and especially the people that are in my brother and sister's lives that are important to them. Go camping or hiking or playing in the sand on the beach or playing in the mud in the back yard a lot more often.
I know there are a lot of people out there who have accomplished a lot more in 10,000 days than I have, but I don't care - I've done enough to feel fulfilled and happy and I certainly can't ask for more than what I have today. I feel fortunate and blessed and there are a lot more things on the list that I'd like to do in the future (go to New York, see a ballet, go on another cruise, spend a week in Door County just driving around looking at the scenery), but those are side dishes to the main course, as far as I'm concerned. The main course - parenting my children and taking care of my husband.
What things have you accomplished this far in your life, and what's on the list of things to do in the next 100 days? Or 1,000 days, or 10,000 days? Are the things on that list main course items, or side dishes? And why haven't you done those things already?
I challenge you to really think about what you are going to do in the next 100 days - not just what you HOPE to do or WANT to do, but WHAT WILL YOU DO? Make a list, maybe even put just one thing on that list, and then really do it. What is life without direction and goals? And I'll put on the website here a new countdown clock - to 100 days from now. Write something you're going to accomplish in the next 100 days. And 100 days from now, write how you accomplished it, not WHETHER you did it, but HOW you did it. Because I know you will.
4 comments:
As of today, I have 723 days to go till I reach 20,000 days. I reached 10,000 days on May 21st 1982. I had been married 3 1/2 years, we had been in our house about 2 years and we had ourselves a wonderful baby girl. My wife became pregnant with our 2nd baby girl shortly after that date. Since then, in my second 10,000 days, I have tried to be the best father and husband and provider I can be. I've made some mistakes along the way, but overall I am pleased and happy and satisfied with my relationships with everyone in my family. I was successful enough in my career that I now have the freedom to help others in our family in some very unique ways. I was a construction manager on a large dairy milking parlor project, I have built a huge geneology database which has led to many family reunions that would not have happened otherwise, which led to my meeting uncles, aunts and cousins I would not otherwise have known, I have seen my son give a beautiful eulogy at his father's funeral and watched my daughters provide him loving support through it all. I have experienced the joy of walking down the aisle with both my daughters on their wedding day, I adoped a son, I have the blessing of knowing the happiness of grandchildren coming into my life, I have known the sorrow of telling 2 sons that their fathers have died. I have helped my sister out when she needed it. I have taken the time to be a friend to some elderly loved ones, and I have been honored to be pall bearer at the passing of many dear family members. I have taken time to walk the woods, smell the outdoors, enjoy time on a lake with friends and family.
(Please know that most of the places above where I used the word "I" should really read "Michele and I" I have been so blessed to be loved by this woman and to have her family as an example of how to live and love and cry and laugh together. Many of the times when I might have been going in the wrong direction, that she has adjusted my course to where it should be. We currently have been married 10,711 days...and counting)
In my next 723 days to finish my second 10,000 days I plan to do more of the same. (I am currently engaged in such an activity working full time for one of my daughters, but I hope this isn't for all of the next 723 days) I will be a major part of my grandchildren's lives and continue to be a good father to my children. I want to be healthy enough so that I am always physically and mentally able to do the things I've talked about so far.
I don't have a list of things that I feel I want to do before I die, but I know that life will keep throwing unusual things my way to keep me sharp and on my toes. The opportunities are always there to try something new or help someone out when they really need it. You just need to be really listening and really seeing the world around you and then comes the hard part... Deciding to do something instead just sitting there. So the next time you have an opportunity to really do something that counts, give yourself a kickstart and go for it.
PS Thanks AmyMay for the wonderful blog entry.
In the next 100 days, I plan to train someone on how to do the dispatch job that I am currently doing.
I plan to make a keepsake toy for my grandaughter's first Chirstmas and first birthday.
I was very impressed with your 10,000 days old entry Wow. You should be a writer. I am 20,000 plus days old and I would love to be your age again. But I have three wonderful kids and a very special granddaughter. Sophia is officially 4 years old. Today, the 14th is her birthday. We talked to her on the phone tonight. She sounds so grown up. What a weet little girl she is- we are so glad she is in our lives. She spent Sat. with Thad and Mel. They carved pumpkins and went to McDonalds for her birthday. She had fun! Well hugs and kisses to Archer and sweet little Shelly. So glad she survived her scary fall last week. I'm sure it was lots worse for mom than for her- Remember sometimes the Lord tells us to slow down and enjoy life in his own way. Love you all lots. Aunt Patti
My goal for the next 100 days is to spend more real time with my kids, not spending time with them but giving them only half my attention - I am going to give them more attention because they deserve it. And I also want to read to them more.
Post a Comment