Have you ever sat and thought about what really matters to you in life? Not just things you like,
places you like to go, nice people, or even hobbies or interests. I'm talking about the really important stuff. The kind of things that when people meet you, they can tell what you live for.
Super deep, I know. But I am actually not trying to be sarcastic, because over the last few months I have been thinking about exactly that. What really matters to me in life?
I have been joking with friends and family the past few weeks about my turning twenty-five years old on the 12th of this month. My go-to phrase has been "Yep, twenty-five. Time for my quarter life crisis." It is all fun and games of course, as I consider myself to be doing fairly well at the moment, in the big picture.
But what has really been on my mind is what have I done with my life up to this point? I mean sure, I've spent most of it in school and college, so that's not such a big deal. I've been in the work force for about nine of those years now, and I've learned several trades that can pay the bills and provide a comfortable living. But after gaining a solid education, which has been rewarding in and of itself, the critical thinking skills that I've developed keep pointing my ever wandering sights inward, rather than outward and upward, as I so often prematurely desire.
You see, I am a "creative type". It is a fairly common type of personality, nothing too special about it. There are lots of us out there, and we all share one extremely important trait that is as important to us as the air we breathe: we HAVE to make things. Anything, and many things.
Most people are content to simply buy something at the store, take it home and use it, replace it when it breaks, or go get it repaired by someone else. Simple as that, no strings attached.
I, on the other hand, would die if I attempted to live that way. Oh, you may be laughing, but it really is that bad. If I could not make, build, construct, design, or any other host of synonyms that denote creative ventures, I would cease to exist.
Maybe not in physical form... but my soul would die.
The sad thing is, this happens all the time. They're the ones at the office who always submit the suggestions that no one ever reads. They're the ones who attempt to make office life fun, only to be the butt of the next meeting telling everyone how they can't personalize their own work areas. They're the ones who always have the next million dollar idea, and everyone just labels them as crazies.
Now, I'll be the first to admit, I've driven my friends and family mad on more than one occasion by bringing up another zany business plan or model that I was just sure was gonna be my big break. I've met my fair share of failures and defeats, and I've eaten round after round of Humble Pie when investments backfired.
But all of those things, as inspiring to ME as they may be, do add up over time, and not in the best way. I have a garage full of scraps and junk and left-overs that mark failure all around me each time I head out to go to the one place I really hate to be: my JOB.
Don't get me wrong. I am lucky enough to say that I actually, for once in my life, enjoy the work I do. It is the best of two worlds for me for now, as far as working for someone else is concerned. But each day I spend earning someone else money is another day that passes me by to be building my own legacy that I will someday (hopefully) pass on to my kids.
Which brings me back to this thought: What REALLY matters to me in this life? What do I want to accomplish, what goals do I want to achieve and by when, and where do I see myself in 5, 10, 15 years from now.
Well, I can tell you I've thought about all this before, but never in a manner regarding value. You see, I'm a huge podcast addict. And every moment I get the chance to tune-in and learn something new or listen to an interview of someone who is just going out there and killing it, I'm there. I'm so there!
Well, recently on one of the new shows I discovered that is geared specifically towards entrepreneurs, one of the guests talked all about adding value to your life.
Well, what did that mean, VALUE? Net worth? Relationships? Retail? (Lol)
In a nutshell, she summed up the idea of focusing on building your SELF VALUE before attempting to start selling value to the world. Let me explain.
If you'd never thrown a football in your life before, and a pro Quarterback offered to teach you for an hour all about how to throw a football, that QB would have outrageous amounts of valuable information for you, wouldn't he? His experience and expertise in that specific field would be so valuable, in fact, that people would (and often do) pay dearly just to have a chance to talk with the man.
The same is true for those of us in day to day life. Some are painters, some are carpenters, some are mechanics, etc. All of these things are learned skills or trades, and the more expertise one has in that field, the more value they add to their job/work/company. It is the same reason businesses host leadership conferences, send their employees to workforce days, etc. Why? Everyone wants VALUE in their life.
Well, being an entrepreneur, I myself am always on the lookout for valuable business ventures. Most, as we've discussed, turn out to be a flop, but at least it was fun right?
That's where things start to get a little blurry.
Up to this point in my life, I've been ok when things fell to the side. Another biz failed? Oh well. Some other venture up in smoke? Saw that one coming. But someday I'll do something worth while...
Well, I have a family now, a mortgage to pay, car payments, and all the other wonderful fees and taxes life throws at a married man. Like I said before, I'm doing alright as far as the usual lifestyle goes - but what if I could be more?
Now without getting too existential on the whole topic, what if, like our QB, I had focused on one business, one area of study, one trade, one anything this whole time I've been tinkering around with too many things, and I was now an expert in that field. People were willing to pay for our QB's expertise, right? Is it safe to assume then that we might be getting paid for our expertise? You bet it is!
But here's where the rubber meets the road. There are a thousand people out there right now, right as you read this, who are doing exactly that. They are churning out content left and right, creating so called "value" in their brand and marketing, but all for what? For a few thousand bucks?
Hear me out, I like money as much as the next guy. Trust me, it comes in handy ha ha. But is that ALL I want to create value in my life for?
No, I want people to know that when they're around me, I genuinely care and want to help them succeed in their own journey as badly as I want to succeed in my pursuits. This, to me, is where the value really starts to kick in.
Over the course of the past few years, I've spread myself too thin. There's simply no other way of putting it. I've tried to deny it for a good while, and if I had all my time to myself, I could probably make it work, but that's just not reality friends.
You see, I love all my hobbies and projects and ideas, but the truth is, all of it has started taking over my life, and instead of owning a business or venture or what have you, they own ME. There are only 24 hours in each day, and I've had to come to grips with what really matters to me, and decide to leave the rest behind.
That said, I've whittled what I want to accomplish over the next 5 years down into 5 categories. That may sound like too much still, but hear me out.
- WRITING: In the first place, I love to write. I've started a million books, never finished any of them, and most have either been deleted or thrown away. Sad story, but true. BUT - I can blog to my hearts content. I know it's not quite the same thing, but for me it does fulfill the same need to create writing that I can claim as my own, and it will help develop regular writing habits for (someday) when I finally do decide to write my own book. AND I will only be updating THIS blog, in particular, so I can focus on making this blog all it should be, both valuable and enjoyable.
- READING: I am an avid consumer/student, and I love consuming written content. However, in the past few months, I can count how many books I've actually picked up on one hand. That's pathetic. Readers are leaders, so let the library collection begin!
- PODCASTING: This venture is actually already underway, and is my first OFFICIAL show on iTunes! Super pumped about it, the show is hosted by my buddy Sam and I. Only a couple episodes into at this point, but it will be a weekly show, so stay tuned. (If you're into podcasts :)
- HEALTH/FITNESS: This has been a big one for me lately. I drive rigs for a living, and quite frankly, it is as bad as it sounds. I am thankful to have a well paying job, but man do you ever spend some long hours not doing a thing but using your eyes. Eat, sleep, and drive. But no more of that, I am joining my local gym and kicking my butt back into shape! My BMI ideal is quoted at 170, so that's my goal. I am still sore from yesterday as I type this, but boy does it ever feel good to feel that burn again! Can't wait for more! Check them out HERE.
- FAMILY: Though last, it is certainly not least. Of all the things that have suffered over the past few months, my family life has been hit the hardest. I'm not proud of that fact, and I intend to permanently repair this relationship. All is well, no worries; but my time and focus on everything else has robbed my own of precious time with hubby/daddy, and my son who seemed an infant just yesterday will be one year old in a matter of weeks. I cannot, WILL NOT let anymore time pass to make memories with them working on things that will still be there tomorrow.
It's not an exhaustive list, but it feels complete to me. I will have my five "important" zones covered, from consumption to creative outlets, as well as health and family. These are the areas I want my life to focus on over the next few years.
Of course, nothing is set in stone at this point. I may tweak a little here and there as my schedule allows, but I am definitely RE:Focusing on this core set of values in my life!
If you'd like to share any tips or advice with me, feel free to share in the comments below. I love to hear from everybody, you guys make it all worth it. If you've made it this far reading this post - you deserve a t-shirt. Thank you for your time, any feedback would be appreciated.
Until next post gang,
Yours Truly,
Levi
