Patrick Pearson

If not now, when? (📢This may be the call to action you need.) When I turned 40 my dad—a man of few words—gave me a stern lecture. He said, “Whatever you want to accomplish in life, you need to do it now because you’re far less likely to do it in your 50’s or 60’s”. I took Dad’s words to heart and even created a mantra for the decade: “The time is now.” By the time I turned 50 I had completely rebooted my life: —Quit my 7-figure corporate job (with no real plan) —Moved the family to Boulder —Started & sold a company —Re-built my inner circle of friends —Climbed 5.13 (a long time personal goal) —Changed my haircut These are the types of bold moves that many people talk about but very few—maybe 1 in 100—actually make. I say this not as a brag but as a call to action! We’re all guilty of what I call “Someday Thinking”. We have a mental list of all the cool stuff we want to do Someday. The problem with Someday Thinking is that someday never comes unless you *make it happen*. One day you wake up and that someday list has turned into a list of regrets. Newton’s First Law says that objects at rest tend to stay at rest unless acted on by force. Humans are the same—our nature is to resist change, even when we know it’s desperately needed. This becomes exponentially more true the older and more established we become in life. It’s important to regularly ask ourselves… If not now, when? (And don’t BS yourself with lame excuses.) “But Kevin, it’s easier to make bold moves when you’re wealthy.” NOT TRUE! This issue spans the wealth spectrum. In fact, some of the most stuck people I know are absurdly wealthy. They are profoundly unhappy but “comfortable” (in quotes because they’re comfortable like a frog being boiled). They're paralyzed with fear and have millions of reasons ($) to maintain the status quo. I’ll close with 3 powerful reasons to stop waiting for Someday and build the life you want NOW: 1️⃣ Anything worthwhile takes time to compound. Like financial wealth, other aspects of a great life take years—or even decades—to build. Money can’t buy or even accelerate many of the things that make a great life. A simple personal example is my hobby (obsession?), rock climbing. If you want to become a good rock climber it’s much harder to do if you start at age 40. Same for most other pursuits. It’s never too late to do new things but… 2️⃣ Having great experiences NOW pays dividends for the rest of your life—a concept called *Memory Dividends*. It’s not just the memories, it’s the relationships, knowledge, and shaping of your worldview that create serendipity and sometimes change the trajectory of your life. The longer you wait to do cool stuff, the less time you have to enjoy the dividends! 3️⃣ Some things can ONLY be done during a certain time frame—a concept called *Time Buckets*. The prime example is kids—95% of the time you’ll spend with your kids happens before they turn 18. You can’t get that time back no matter how wealthy you are. What’s on your Someday list? And more importantly... If not now, when? 👉P.S. If you enjoyed this post would you please REPOST it? This message is important to me!