My First Year with a Lifebook

20 Apr My First Year with a Lifebook

Posted at 00:00h in Lifebook Members Share by admin

2014. I will always remember this year — my first with a Lifebook.

Never have I focused so intensely on what I want out of life and how to get there. Thank you John, Missy and the entire LB crew for the inspiration, support, and tools to reach higher and dream bigger. Here are a few highlights:

My wife and I are loving life, going on date nights, and plotting fun adventures.
My son turned 2 and I get lots of quality time with him.
Our company crushed it in so many ways. One of my business partners also experienced Lifebook.
My salary and freedom increased.
I saved more.
I joined Toastmasters and spoke in public.
I blogged.
I helped a handful of young designers sort through career decisions.
I helped organize a TEDx event.
I got out of my house and connected with my community.
We travelled and spent extended time with family and friends.
My mom attended Lifebook.
I found perspective and peace of mind in our decision to live in California, away from my immediate family.
I sleep more. I became a morning person, rising at 5am every day.
I joined a gym.
I maintained an exercise routine during various stretches in the year.
I made and drank more healthy smoothies than all previous years combined.
My energy level is up.

There were also growing pains. I got in and out of an unhealthy business relationship, I struggled to establish a meditation routine, and I was much less romantic than I intended after Lifebook.

I also began the Lifebook Leaders journey, but failed in fully committing to start my chapter. I stopped joining the calls. More time passed and more guilt festered. After the TEDx event, I let many days go without a plan and started to coast and lose focus as 2014 wound down. I swept it all under the rug to be revisited before the new year.

During the winter break, it was time to reevaluate. And despite being proud of everything that was accomplished, here I was like last year, feeling a bit lost and disappointed — having a hard time shaking that “Groundhog Day” feeling of being on a treadmill with time whizzing by.

I consumed countless articles and took many walks — racking my brain to connect some new dots for greater meaning and purpose. Weighing myself down thinking I need to leave a massive positive dent on society for my life to matter. All this got me was a headache. Time for a different approach. Let’s put all this change the world stuff to the side for a minute. Why so serious? What would be the most FUN goal to achieve?

One of my primary goals last year was to learn guitar well enough to perform a song with my wife, who is an excellent guitarist and singer. A big part of what attracted me to Diana in the first place was her musical talent. Our partners usually offer insight into our own aspirations. Another year has passed and I failed to pick up the guitar. I find it so easy to talk myself out of it, but I know years from now I would regret not trying. If I’m honest, it’s the one skill and talent I admire most and wish I had. All the money and positivity in the world won’t change that.

2015. Here we are. Right now, Lifebook Leaders doesn’t fit. It feels like starting a second career and my career focus needs to stay on the company I’m already happy and fortunate to be a partner in. I also need to love myself more fully before I can confidently lead others down this path. I need to live Lifebook more. I want to reconnect with the VIP community. This year, I’m going to bite off fewer new goals and double-down on the systems already working. I’m going to put changing the world on hold for a bit, along with the guilt and pressure from carrying that burden. It’s time to work on a single skill I’d like to learn, have more fun, and play.

In the spirit of simplifying things, I found it helpful to put my 2015 goals into 4 areas. Mind, Body, Heart, and Soul.

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