We’ve all had pictures in our social media of individuals who have accepted the Ten Year Challenge (#10yearchallenge). I think for myself, and probably for a few others, the challenge could have also been called “Let’s see how much I’ve aged in the last ten years.”

Looking at those pictures has been a lot of fun, but it’s also caused me to stop and think. As I look at these timeless pictures, I have to ask myself, what advice would I give myself if I could jump in the DeLorean from the movie Back to the Future and spend a day with the 30-year-old version of myself?

The funny thing about asking myself this question is I realized that the advice that I would have given my 30-year-old self is honestly the same advice I am giving my 40-year-old self today. Here’s a sampling of that advice.

  1. You’re given 24 hours every day – make it count! The best way I can think of to truly make each day count is by being very intentional with each minute. Be deliberate in how you spend your time and with whom. How you spend your time is a choice and it’s your choice.
  2. You will be the happiest if you choose to spend much of your time with the purpose to build relationships and encourage the heart of others.
  3. You have many important relationships to nourish but none are as important as the one you have with Andrea. Cherish her and make sure she knows just how much she means to you.
  4. Be cautious not to allow yourself to get caught up in the thick of things. Remember rule number six.
  5. Keep giving Andrea a kiss and each of your kids a hug every time you come home from work. You are setting the bar for your children for how they will treat their spouse and what their expectations will be for how their future spouse will treat them.
  6. On the weekend, when faced with the option to stay home and catch up on things or go fishing, always choose to go fishing.
  7. As it relates to your professional endeavors, when it’s all said and done, and you are at the end of your life, you will never wish that you spent more time at work. However, you may experience regret if you didn’t give absolutely 100% towards the pursuit of professional excellence in the time that you did choose to dedicate towards your career. Never push in the clutch unless you are shifting to a higher gear, and always push for heights that make you nervous and require you to get out of your comfort zone.
  8. Last but not least, don’t ever give up on the Atlanta Braves. They are America’s team and they will be World Series Champions once again.

 

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