Friday, January 30, 2015

Life

Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.

It’s paraphrased from John Lennon, but I think there’s some truth to this. A friend posted it in an interview he did. He mentioned that he doesn’t really make plans anymore, trying to just live life.

A little disingenuous, as certainly he has goals, and makes plans to move in some direction, but I get that he means he doesn’t make too detailed plans and doesn’t look too far ahead.

I’m somewhat the same way. I don’t have a ten year plan, or a five year plan, or even a 1 year plan. I have a few things I’m tackling right now (learning more C#, considering studying for a few exams, etc), but nothing formal. I don’t even have a good, formal workout plan, though I do really need one of those.

I’ve had a number of other plans the last few years, and what I find is that although I tackle them and move forward, things come up. Life changes. I have to adapt, and I do so. Right now my career is less important than:

  • my wife’s business
  • my daughter’s volleyball
  • my son’s cross country and knowledge bowl
  • my other son’s college if he needs help
  • my own health and fitness

Unfortunately, often my work, and the rest of my life gets in the way of career goals I have. Sometimes the items above get into conflict, and I have to change things. My workout plan may get shoved aside a bit when my wife’s or kids’ activities come up. However, to a point. If I miss a few workouts, I may miss some volleyball practice, or ask Tia to handle something without me, or take a day off work, or something else.

I also realize that I have too many goals sometimes. I need to selectively make plans, and let some things go. Right now I’m busy with a number of things, and snowboarding is falling to the side. That bothers me, but for that last couple weeks, other things are more important. I want to work on some software projects, but I don’t have the time, so I’m delaying those for months, perhaps years. I’d like to play basketball in a league, but I really don’t have that time.

Life comes along, and it’s always happening. Whether I’m making plans or not, but I want to make plans to do more in life. I also want to enjoy my life as it passes, not knowing how long that will be.

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