By Shazad
“Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day. The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time.” Seneca
We don’t usually think about it and when we do, we shudder, panic, and generally avoid the topic as much as possible. It’s the question of “How does this end?” and it can be about your job, your professional career in a sport, your business, or your existence here on Earth. You need to think about the End Game to know where you are ultimately headed. It’s going to come one day so why not plan for it as best you can?
Everyone gets injured in sports which causes them to quit or take ‘early retirement from the one thing they have probably been focused on for 15 years or more. Those athletes with successful mindsets, good educational foundations and habits are able to pivot to another phase of life without being depressed, broke, and hopeless. Become like a successful sportsman who knows his days are numbered and the last day of competition for him or her could be as soon as age 30! This could be 10 years or less playing time in the sport they love.
But I’m not an athlete of any kind, you say! Doesn’t matter, the end of days is coming for us all. It can be in mid 50’s when older people at a company are cut because the Sr. Management wants younger talent and cheaper labour. It could even happen in your own business where you are forced to step down from the top job due to personal health issues or perhaps family responsibilities. You could also be voted out in favour of someone else the Board of Directors wants to run the show for the next 10+ years. It doesn’t matter how strong you think your current position, title, job or status in life is. You will face the end so just prepare for it.
What are some of your hobbies and things you wish you had more time for? How many of them can be translated into a coaching/teaching opportunity to help others like younger generations while giving you an opportunity to do what you love? How good are your communications skills today and where could you improve? It could be video calls that is your weak point or perhaps public speaking. Whatever it is, work on that now. What is your current level of savings and debt? Could you handle a pay cut or losing your job/business right now?
By thinking about the inevitable end state we are all heading to, we can be mentally, physically, and financially prepared so it’s less of a shock to our life. We can’t always control the ending, whenever it happens, so don’t think that’s what I’m suggesting will be possible. Doing something about that last day through planning and revising the plan once a year until you need to put it in motion, saves you a lot of stress, time, and energy. It may still surprise you when that unexpected injury or shuffling of staff in your department happens. Isn’t the planning worth the effort and uncomfortable process of thinking about it right now so you are not completely caught off guard? Make time to have an honest conversation about what the various Endings look like in your life and then spend the required energy to make them as positive as possible. It is very likely that they become new Beginnings and Adventures for you to celebrate instead of any kind of last day at all.
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