Thus far, 2018 has been completely insane with activity. I started off my year jumping feet first into planning my daughter’s wedding reception for the small group of 1,200 people being invited to her May event. Along with those months of planning I gave several keynote presentations at conferences, was a judge for several business plan competitions, chaired a big University board spring conference, went on multiple business trips around the country to Palm Springs, Simi Valley, and a conference in Chicago, took two big international trips with boards I serve on to London, then back for a few days to attend my daughter-in-law’s graduation from college, and then right back to Europe to host another board on a trip to Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Vienna, and Budapest, which got me back less than a week before the big May 19th wedding event…I must have been out of my mind to then turn around and two weeks later host a trip to Lake Powell for my business partners and their families on my houseboat for a week! Just returning back home again late last Saturday night. What was I thinking…right?!!
Clearly I wasn’t really thinking…but maybe it’s a good thing that I wasn’t because otherwise I would never have done all the things I have done so far this year….heck I wouldn’t have agreed to do even half of them if I was thinking because it has been so much it’s been absolute insanity without even a moment to breathe let alone sleep… And yet when I look back at my life I have to admit I will remember the things I’ve done this year. I will remember the graduation and that wedding reception I threw…I will remember taking opportunities to serve others…I will remember every single one of those trips I took because of those amazing people I got to interact with on each trip…I will remember doing all of those things that I’ve done this year…
So absolutely I could have said no when I was asked to do many of those things (outside of the graduation and the wedding of course 🙂 ). And absolutely saying no to them would have allowed me to get more sleep, given me time to answer emails and return phone calls, helped me get those to-do’s done that have lingered on my list for forever and a day done. Of course saying no to the big things would have allowed for these other things – But let’s be honest – looking back at life what things will be remembered for having done them? The emails and the to-do’s and the extra time slept? That’s a pretty likely “no”….although getting some sleep sounds pretty darn tempting right now…but still a no on the memorable things scale…
As opportunities come up maybe ask yourself the question, “Looking back, what are you going remember doing?”
~Amy Rees Anderson
