One of my day job buddies asked me about my goals in life several months ago and he appeared stunned by my answer. The truth is my long term goals have always been consistent but somewhat of a challenge to achieve. I once believed the "hamster wheel" approach was ideal because I could somehow reach my goals faster if I simply put my foot on the accelerator and pushed myself. The problem with this is missing out on all the day-to-day "good stuff" that can't be enjoyed when you're racing through life full speed ahead.
Part of the reason I have the number 808 in my blog title is to remind myself daily of the balance I'm striving for and my ultimate goals – work less and travel more. The 80 is for the 80 days of work and the 8 is for eight days off. I took a detour when our family relocated to the Midwest over six years ago and I got a new day job. Each year I get a little bit closer to the 808 target. My wife and I are exploring some really amazing places nearby and plan to expand our horizons as we accrue more annual vacation hours to our day jobs.
My day job buddy pondered my answer to his question about goals in life for a couple of weeks and came back to me to share how our conversation enlightened him about his own future. He's at the age where the "hamster wheel" can be a strong influence on personal choices. "Work less and travel more seems like a great life goal," he said. "I think I'm going to give it a try." I think he's got my number. There's always room for more people to join the 808 bandwagon. It moves slower than a hamster wheel but it's not about pace, it's about the quality of the journey. Have a great day.
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