You see it every day on Facebook.  Your friends are out doing cool things.  Traveling the world, getting out, enjoying life.  Their stories are being told through their posts.

You see it in what they do outside of work.  They rebuild classic cars, knit or quilt, take awesome photographs, go to concerts, pro sports, and other events.

They build small businesses around their interests.  They drive for Uber of Lyft.  Maybe they are dog walkers.  Their kids take care of the neighbors’ cat and collect the mail when they’re on vacation or babysit.

We are a country of doers.

We don’t like to just sit around and let Father Time pass us by.  We have to be in the game.  Getting our wins, and accepting failure as just another way to learn and grow.

We spend money pursuing our passions and bringing home the bacon.

And we do most of this 90% of the time on autopilot.

Decisions you’ve made years ago are playing out every day.  Your destiny is largely already written by your habits that will get certain results.  If you come home every day and go for a run you will stay fit.  If you’ve committed yourself to a healthy eating lifestyle and surround yourself with food that supports you in that effort, you will many times stay healthy.  If you have that hobby that drives you, you will often become an expert in that field.  In your job or business it is the same way.  You are getting really good at it and that drives future business or your career.

So today I have a few questions for you to ask yourself.

Are you on the right path?

Everyone is on a path that is designing their future.  Is it the right one?  Is the destiny you are creating one you’re proud of?  What will they say about you when you’re gone?  Did you make a positive difference in others’ lives?  Did you contribute to the best of your abilities?   Did you use God’s gifts wisely?

Take a few minutes to look inside.  When you reflect back on what you’ve done over the last year, how proud of your accomplishments are you?  How have you grown?  How have you impacted others’ lives?  Are you doing what you are meant to do?  Is it a great story?

If you’re building a great story then you’re probably on the right path.  If not, now may be the time to change the path you’re on.  If you are on the right path, or you’ve decided on a new path, let’s jump into the next question.

How do you get more from your journey?

So you’re on the right path or jumping into a new one.  How do you make the most of it?

Many people are living lives of quiet desperation.  They are just getting through the days and weeks and years.  They have no plan for themselves.  They are putting in their time, waiting for retirement (that they’re woefully unprepared for) and just sleepwalking through life.

By now you’ve chosen not to be one of those people.  Life is too short.  But are you getting the most from your life decisions and the path you are walking today?

If you have a hobby or passion you pursue, how can you get more from it?  Is there an event you can work towards that will showcase your knowledge or talent?  Is there a goal you can set for yourself to take your skills to a new and exciting level?

Is you getting the most from your career?  Are you in the right job?  Is it building the skills you need to progress your career?  Or are you stalled?  If stalled, could you take on new responsibilities or projects that would build your future you and move your career in the right direction?  Are you building the relationships that will be necessary to draw from as you become a leader in your field?

Do you have a side business that you’re using to pursue your passions or just pay some bills or to build that vacation fund or pay off some debt that’s been dragging you down, or building up that rainy day fund or that house down payment?

Getting the most out of everything you do requires you first recognize that your life is about, setting goals to support it, and then viewing opportunities and challenges through that lens.

The key to getting more out of your life is to first treat it as something that must be developed.  It can’t be just an afterthought.  And once you do treat it that way, you’ll find the opportunities to learn, grow, build a career or business, and reach your financial or fitness goals will become much more attainable.

And when you do that you’ll be building an amazing life story.  One you’ll be proud of and those around you will acknowledge and support.

Need help uncovering or optimizing your story?

Check out these resources.

What does your personal brand say about you?

Are you a doer?

How can you be more interesting?

Need to get out of a dead-end job?

Still need more help?  Contact me and we’ll figure it out together. Or subscribe to my ezine for weekly insights.