Monday, May 16, 2011

ARE YOU INVESTING IN YOURSELF TODAY?

“Never again clutter your days or nights with so many menial and unimportant things that you have no time to accept a real challenge when it comes along. This applies to play as well as work. A day merely survived is no cause for celebration. You are not here to fritter away your precious hours when you have the ability to accomplish so much by making a slight change in your routine. No more busy work. No more hiding from success. Leave time, leave space, to grow. Now. Now! Not tomorrow!”
- Og Mandino


What are you doing today to grow? Time is one of the very few consistencies in all of the earth. Each person on the planet has 24 hours in a day – no more or no less. How we choose to invest those hours will greatly affect us in the days, months, and years to come.

I’ve heard the quote that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year, but grossly underestimate what they can accomplish in ten years. Have you ever really thought about this?

One small step today, then another tomorrow, and again the next day add up to great change over the course of a lifetime.

Charles Stanley, one of my favorite preachers, repeats time and again: “Daily victories add up to a victorious life.”

Are you actively choosing the direction of your life? Or are you simply coasting through another day waiting for the weekend to arrive?

Stop and think about this today. Make conscious choices about your direction.

My challenge to you (and myself) today is to stop drifting through life simply doing today what I did yesterday. Do something different today – anything really. But, make it a conscious choice on your part.

Tonight when you get home, TURN OFF THE TV!

Instead, you could:
- write a letter or send an email thanking someone for affecting your life
- read an uplifting book
- go for a walk, a run, or some other exercise
- call an old friend or family member
- pick up a couple of $5 McDonald’s gift cards on the way home from work and mail them to someone anonymously
- make a list of goals to work toward
- have an honest conversation with your spouse and kids
- do something totally out of your normal routine

What I’m saying is to make a conscious choice about how you spend your day. Don’t go home and turn on the TV, sit on the couch, and do what you always do. Do something different.

Please…this is so important. Today is the first day of the rest of your life and, if you don’t live intentionally, you will wake up in a year and be in the same “place” that you are now.

Go…do this. It is so important!

Please leave comments below.

6 comments:

Murry said...

Good thoughts Jason. You may have to go back to basics and tell those who read your blog how to comment. I know at least one who is having trouble.

Michael Crosby said...

Hi Jason, just read your comment on Advanced Riskology.

So it brought me to your blog and I wanted to subscribe via my google reader, but I'm not able to.

I don't like cluttering my email, so I don't subscribe that way. You might want to allow subscriptions via a reader.

BTW, I really enjoyed your comment there. It is sad what you say and observed, but I would guess it has to do with different stages of life.

my email is mikefixac@gmail.com

Gutsy Living said...

Jason, I loved your comment on Chris Guillebeau's AONC. Are you going to Portland? Anyway, I so agree with you. We uprooted our 3 sons to Belize for a year when the oldest was getting in trouble in high school. This year in Central America changed me kids for life. Hope to meet you in portland at WDS. Sonia.

Jason said...

Thank you all for posting comments. Michael, I hope you are now able to subscribe through Google Reader.

Sonia, hope the WDS is great. I hope to go next year!

Jeff Randleman said...

We got rid of TV a long time ago. Most of our reasons were so that we could do things like you outline here, and spend more family time together. Thanks!

Jason said...

Jeff,
Thanks for the comment. TV tends to drain my productivity. I guess it's like most things...moderation.