In my book, The Blueprint to Age Your Way, there is a form that asks you to describe your perfect day. How would you use your time? The point of this is to document your perfect day if something happens to you and you are suddenly unable to verbally convey this information.
The reality is that you are probably so accustomed to designing your day based on needs that this exercise stops most people in their tracks. It’s far too rare to have the luxury of filling your day with solely what you would like. But, why not give it a try? Go ahead and put it in writing. Pretend you have a day free of obligations and can spend it any way you wish.
Write down what you would do and post it in front of your face. How are you living your life in comparison to your perfect day? If there is some overlap between your ideal day and what your life looks like, then you’re doing well. If there is no overlap, then it’s time to take inventory.
What is preventing you from living life as you would paint it for yourself? Too many obligations? A schedule that is out of control? If that’s the case, then it’s probably time to have a heart-to-heart meeting with yourself. Most assume that there are plenty of years to do what they want. But, life offers no guarantees. In my decades as a nurse, I’m witness to the frailty of the human body.
Regrets are painful, especially those that we cannot roll back the clock and do over again. Even if you only do one item on your perfect day list, that’s a start. Maybe next week or next month, you can add in a second item. As a friend of mine, (author of The Magic of Change) Kent Cummins, wrote: “Life is a cafeteria plan. Fill your tray carefully.”
