Sit down with a journal or piece of paper and sketch it out:
- What does your ideal life look like at age 80?
- Who are you with?
- Where are you?
- What are you doing?
- How do you feel?
- What does that imply about how you need to live today?
Here was what I imagined as my ideal life at 80-years old:
- Healthy mind and body
- Relaxing on a sunny porch
- Smiling wife at my side
- Children chatting with us
- Grandchildren playing in yard
- Friends walking over for a big dinner
Note that most of the items on my list have very little to do with money or financial wealth. They are things that cannot be bought, things that are earned through consistent behaviors and actions.
This thought exercise can have a powerful impact on how you live your life in the present. It forces you to begin with the ideal end in mind. Beginning with the ideal future end in mind allows you to reverse engineer what is important to focus on in the present:
- Want a healthy mind and body at 80? Exercise your mind and body daily.
- Want a smiling wife at your side at 80? Be a loving partner daily.
- Want kids who choose to be around you? Be a supportive and caring parent daily.
- Want good friends who you share laughs with? Be a loyal friend daily.
Remember: Your daily actions, habits, and behaviors shape your future. Small things become big things.