Life is About Playing the Long Game
If you’re ready to play the long game for your life, let’s coach together.
I can’t believe it, but today Dan and I are celebrating 18 years of marriage.
I have such vivid memories of standing in front of him, under the hot summer sun of California wine country, when we promised to be partners for the rest of our lives.
It was truly one of my most favorite days!
And? I had no idea what I was getting into.
At the time, I had zero doubt that I wanted to get married.
But what did it mean to actually be married? And how would being married change my life? No clue.
That’s one of the funny things about living life and getting older: Your perspective shifts.
You start to see how your decisions really do alter the course of your life.
One thing leads to the next, as they say, and suddenly you pick your head up and you weirdly and unexpectedly live in Richmond, VA with your husband and your 13 year-old!
The passage of time is the ultimate perspective shift.
So often we just set our sights on making a choice or achieving a goal – without thinking about how reaching it will actually change our life’s trajectory.
We make a decision… and then what?
It’s only with hindsight and the benefit of time that we can look backwards and say –
Choosing that college…
Declining that job offer…
Saying yes to the spontaneous travel plan…
Going on that blind date…
– was the decision that put me down the path to becoming who I am today.
Try This Out
Today I’m curious about the defining choices that have made YOU who you are.
Grab a piece of paper and pen, and draw a long horizontal line from left to right. Next, segment that line into sections based on the decades of your life (so, if you’re in your forties, you’ll draw five lines, with segments representing your life from 0-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40, and 41-today).
Considering each section, mark on your timeline the most memorable or important choices or decisions you made at different stages of your life. There are no right or wrong answers – and no requirement to choose a moment from each age. The idea here is simply to make your life’s timeline visible.
Then, when you’re ready, choose one of these decisions and reflect:
How did this decision influence the trajectory of your life? In what ways?
What did you think you were choosing or committing to when you made this decision?
What do you know now about the choice you made back then?
If you could go back in time and give your Younger Self guidance about this choice, what would you say?
What decision are you exploring right now? What might Future You know want you to know and consider as you make it?
What’s Next
As I hope you’re seeing, the decisions we make really do affect our lives in the long term.
I say this not to add more pressure to your shoulders, or create more urgency in your heart. But rather to inspire you to seize this moment.
Your decisions matter, not just for now, but for your future.
And if you’re feeling stuck, confused or unsure of what decision to make –
(or how to actually commit to it)
You owe it to your Future Self to get the help you need and make the decision that’s right for you.
It’s time to play the long game. And if you want some help, I’m here.
Onward,
