I was talking to Ian Ybarra the other day and realized that, although my days and weeks are largely planned out, what about the long term planning? Sure, I can prioritize the little tasks but what about the big picture? Do I know what it is I’m doing and why I’m doing it? Yes and no. Who says I need to?

Timing is everything

On one hand, it’s nice to know what your goals are. Ian made an interesting point: he loves baseball. Sure, he could keep writing and maybe even do some speaking right now but in 50 years will he still be able to play ball? Not likely. Would he still be able to write and speak? Probably. So, if you had the two options which would you choose to do at this stage in your life?

I’m sure we all do the same kind of prioritizing every day. For example, I could sit here and keep working until 10pm or go to the gym now and work later. Given that the gym closes at 10pm it’d be wise to take care of that first. Can I metaphorically zoom out a few weeks, months, or even years and look at what it is I’d like to accomplish given my finite lifetime?

Some people argue it’s best to become an entrepreneur out of college. You don’t have a family and kids to worry about, you can spend an absurd amount of time working and if you fail it won’t be a big deal. On the other hand, if you were to wait and work for a number of years you could build your savings. With more money and more experience you might avoid a lot of hassle and issues that neophyte entrepreneurs would face. Which is the right answer? How do you know when its the best time to do _______?

Living one week at a time

So, as I sit here I realize I don’t have this issue, yet. Maybe I never will. I don’t have lofty goals and I don’t sit and dream about what I might be able to do: I just ‘do’. Similarly, Ben Casnocha says he, too, lives day by day and simply keeps taking on new opportunities. In fact, he cites one of my favorite quotes (remember I have a constantly updated collection of quotes here).

“We have a ’strategic plan’. It’s called doing things.” -Herb Kelleher, Southwest Airlines Chairman

People constantly ask why I take on so many projects, jobs, and so on. I figure opportunity shows up in so many places. By making myself readily available I’m not missing out on anything. Additionally, instead of having to actively look for new things to keep me busy and growing (and employed) I am more frequently approached by individuals looking for someone to help them. The timing has worked itself out; I’m no longer anxious about when and how things are going to happen.

With that said, it seems my strategy of “wandering” is paying off.