Sooner Than Someday
I’m just back from 5 days solo canoeing in the beautiful Temagami wilderness of Central Ontario. (You can see some pics here).
25 years ago I led summer camp canoe trips for teens in this area and said I would come back someday on my own. It turns out, in this case, someday is 25 years away.
I’d love to tell you more about the trip! It was amazing, challenging, beautiful, satisfying, and a time of deep reflection on my life. Returning to a place I knew at an entire different stage of my story and considering what has changed, what has endured, and where my life has gone in between was meaningful for me.
The strongest emotion was profound gratitude.
But most of you really aren’t that interested in hearing the details of a canoe trip you weren’t part of.
So instead, indulge me for just a few minutes while I encourage you to think about something you’ve always said you’d do “someday”.
Several years ago my wife and I were staying at a bed and breakfast for a nordic ski weekend and got talking to the proprietors. They told us they’d talked for years about getting out of downtown Toronto and starting a business of their own “someday”. Then they realized that someday wasn’t seeming to get any closer. Life goes on. We’re all busy enough just doing what we do. So they decided that it would have to happen Sooner Than Someday.
We were inspired to consider our own someday plans.
Within a couple years we made a plan and pulled our three young kids out of school, took leave from our jobs for 8 weeks, and headed out for a cross continental road trip to tour around California. It was tricky to pull together, and there were some far from joyous along the way, but it built memories for our family that we’ll have forever; and set an example we hope our kids will follow in their own ways.
Last August my wife asked me if I was serious about us getting a dog “someday”. I was, but it never seemed like the circumstances were quite right. 5 weeks later we added Rio to our family, and I adore her.
In February of this year, after a compassionate but serious talk with my doctor, I realized that my plan to get physically healthier “someday” was also staying out of reach. So I got some good advice, made some changes, and have recovered the vitality I thought was likely gone forever. Not easy, but consistent attention and effort, with lots of good support made it possible.
(I’m very aware that these examples might not appeal to you, or be attainable. I understand they reflect my own reality which has enormous privilege.)
My point is, someday isn’t going to arrive. In your family, your life, your leadership, your organization. We can’t do anything, or everything, but we can do something. But only if we do it Sooner Than Someday.
What have you been dreaming of? Putting off? Hoping would happen?
What could be possible in the raw reality of your story?
What would it take for you to be one intentional step closer to something you’d celebrate?
I’m no motivational speaker optimist who is going to say “If you can believe it, you can achieve it!”. There are tons of things we will never accomplish. Life just isn’t that controllable.
But I am learning that some of the things I’ve said were for “someday” can happen if I stop waiting for them and (with the support of the most important people in my life) get started on putting the work in to get on track.
If I can be the nudge for you that those B&B hosts were for us I’ll be excited to cheer you on.
What needs to be Sooner Than Someday??
Contact me if I can be helpful to you and/or your organization.
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