My Next 30 Years
“My Next 30 Years”, by Tim McGraw. Have you ever heard this song? If not, I suggest you do so. Just as Tim did in the song, I’m going to list a few of my goals for you now. Oddly enough, Tim has already covered a couple. Originally, I wanted to list them from most to least important, but once I started writing, I realized that this is a life change, and they all kind of go hand in hand. I’m creating a calendar of reminders to help me keep track throughout the day. If I do not accomplish a given goal, I am the reason. I can blame no-one else for my laziness. This goes for each and every one of you reading this blog also. If you have set goals and haven’t accomplished them yet, get to it. Remember, “only you can prevent forest fires!”
1.) Get healthy.
This is my number one. I’ve had a few years to get my act together, but I always fall short of this one. I’ve wanted to get in shape for a really long time, but I’ve been holding myself back due to lack of self disciple. Let me tell you that eating fast food and being a couch potato is not a substitute for cooking a healthy meal and exercise. It’s just not… It may feel better in the short-term, but long-term, it’s a killer… Literally… Once I get my bad habits under control, I’ll be a lot better off to finish the rest of my goals.
2.) Be a better daddy.
I don’t think I’m a great daddy to my kids. I see fathers on TV taking their kids to the park, stores, playing with them, etc… I don’t feel I do any of that consistently enough. I’m mainly there to tell them “NO!” I want to turn this around. My kids deserve better than that. I need to teach them what I know. I need to mentally be there for them, not just physically. I’m hoping this will help with my daughters attitude as well. I think she is demanding attention, not getting it, and acting out. If I can retrain the way I think at 28, I’m sure my wife and I can retrain they way a seven and a two year old thinks.
3.) Save money.
This goes along with getting healthy. I’m taking my lunch to work, drinking my Shakeology on the bus ride to get there, getting rid of costly bad habits, and just be conscious about what I’m spending. Just like how the calories add up in my post “Life Savers!“, money spent adds up fast also. Guess what doesn’t add up when you’re not paying attention to the money you’re spending! The money in your wallet, because there will be none left… This is a bad feeling that I don’t want to have anymore. I need to get a grasp on my money. Our money. Think about this… The billboards and signs on the side of the roads. The commercials on TV. The 18-wheeler with a slogan driving next to you on the highway. The scratch-offs at the corner store. What are their main purpose? To separate you from your money… I don’t want to be a fool for their shenanigans anymore. I like money, and absolutely hate being without it. Instead of spending money on pointless items and things that aren’t going to help me succeed, I’m going to invest money into things that will, which brings me to my next point.
4.) Finish school/Self study.
I started an Associate of Science degree a while back at a community college in my area, but “life happened” and I didn’t finish. I want to complete this degree and continue on to a Bachelor of Science. A friend of mine told me that the degree will open up so many more opportunities, and I don’t want to run out of opportunities. 🙂 As far as self studying, I’m currently working on personal development. I’m reading books like “The Slight Edge”, “The Compound Effect”, and I’m about to start “The Linchpin”. My wife and I have also signed up to be Beachbody coaches, so we’re both working towards building a flourishing business as health instructors.
5.) Improve guitar skills.
Or lack there of… I have 4 guitars and don’t know how to play a damn one of them. I know a few intros, a scale or two, and a few cords, but at the moment, I can’t even play a full song. This wont help me out career wise, but it’s a better past time than getting stoned and playing video games or aimlessly surfing the net.
There are more that I can list, but as I said originally, they all kind of go hand in hand. Without describing the details, I’d like to add: learning Spanish as a second language, calling and visiting family more often, improving on attitude, getting out of the house more, etc… The list could really go on and on. I really need to focus on forcing the bad habits out so the good habits will take their place. This is what I’m going to do with my next 30 years. Or better yet, the rest of my life. What about you?
