It’s amazing how fast time flies. It seems as though only yesterday I walked out of the Navy after 15 years of service. That was over 15 years ago and it’s a blur. In that time I’ve worked a few jobs and built a business. The years between age 30 and 40 went fast. 40 and 50 was even quicker. Now I’m into the next decade and it’s only moving faster.
When I was in 6th grade, we had a clock in the back of the room. My 6th grade teacher Ms. Ufkes had a sign that said “Clock watchers beware…time will pass. Will You?” Time is passing. What are you doing with it?
I use a model in some of my workshops called The Life Odometer. It looks like this:
Each spoke represents a year and it goes to 100. I have them mark the following milestones:
- The age you were when you started your current job.
- The age of 67.
- The age of 81.
- Your current age.
I then have them shade in between their current age and 81.
67 is the average retirement age. 81 is the average age people die. The question then is: What are you going to do with the shaded-in years?
If you like, download that graphic and do the same exercise. Many folks I talk to just look forward to retirement. If it follows the data, that only leaves them 14 years before they die. Now you may live longer. You may work longer. What won’t change is that each year, a year will pass.
If this depresses you, then get busy figuring out what you want to accomplish in the remaining time. Don’t put off that savings plan, that career change, or starting that business. All of us are always one step away from death, but aside from that, we probably have some time left on the clock.
This week, figure out how to best use that time.
Time will pass…will you?
