I work with many clients who at some point in their careers and their lives have said, “Someday I will do…”, or “Someday I’ll get to it when I’m not so busy.”

“Someday…”

Many have come to me – lost; saying, “This is not the way life was supposed to have turned out”. So their carefully planned goals either got derailed when LIFE came in, or they have started to let life pass them by while they focused so tightly on their goals.

When setting short-term and longer term personal and professional goals with my clients, it never fails that a few “somedays” begin to weave into the conversation. That’s when I ask them to sit down and seriously begin setting goal dates for all the “somedays”. I ask them to make some plans for LIFE. LIFE is precious. Remember to LIVE and to feel ALIVE.

There’s a danger when we begin to fall into thinking that we have all the time in the world. We set goals and make plans and have the best of intentions. We work hard – for awhile. It’s not that we’re bad or lazy; we just lose steam or change directions. LIFE comes in and we didn’t plan for that.

Goals must fit in naturally to the way we live our lives. Ask yourself, how are your goals helping you become the kind of person you want to be? So you’re not putting your personal life on hold to meet your business goals and vice versa.

What have you done this past year to further define who you are and who you want to be? Are you keeping up with what’s important to you? Personally, at the end of the day/month/year, I want to be able to say I have done everything I could to be the person I want to be. I want to know I did my best, even if I just took one step.

My inspiration is my friend Rick. He’s the kind of person who lights the room up like a spark, shining support and positive energy to everyone in his radius. In chaotic times, Rick is like a calm, safe port where someone can pause and get re-centered.

When you ask him how he is, he will list off all of the ways life is treating him well – his family’s accomplishments, why he loves his job (“Mark, I’m living my dream”). Rick has taught me a lot about gratitude and about what’s truly important. Rick has taught me a lot about a lot of things.

The saddest part of this story for me is that I was never able to tell Rick just how much he enhanced my life. Rick had been battling cancer for over a year. Throughout his battle his positive attitude and energy changed very little. Perhaps because of that positive energy we all thought Rick would be able to win the battle for his life. Perhaps that’s why when I got the news about Rick’s passing I was truly stopped in my tracks. The only thing I could think of was – why? Why such a supportive and positive person? Why such a young man with such a young family? Why didn’t I take more time to tell him about the impact he had on my life? Why?

What I CAN do is honor my friend by telling you about the positive impact he had on me and to remind all of us that as far as we know, this is the only life we have to lead. Like Rick used to say to me, “I’d rather wear my body out from working, living and trying hard, than to just sit back and let time go by”. LIVE your LIFE.

Rick’s passing has brought a new sense of urgency into my life. I don’t want to postpone or procrastinate on the things that are most important to me – like family and dreams. And I don’t want you to, either.

Rick and his family can be proud of what he left behind. We all want to leave a legacy – what’s yours?

Thanks Rick.