What happens when you reach 42 years old and you have pretty much accomplished your goals. Clearly you didn’t have enough of them. It’s time for the quick reinvention, time to build a new list.
The new list can’t be an incremental growth to the last one. No studies in minutia like lowering my marathon time by 2%. Although 3.5% weight gains are acceptable.
What are the big themes in Merrill 2.0? It’s kind of like being the president in the second term when you are thinking about how will history teachers explain your legacy. To be morbid, do I really want my tombstone to say “He was in better shape than other people his age” or “His clients got a crap load of coverage?” Probably not. That can be in paragraph nine of the Times obituary.
I am not saying I need to start from scratch. I do have skills, however niche or obscure you would like to classify them.
I can write a press release on the impact of next generation open source application servers and make it almost interesting. I can run 8 miles every other morning and describe it with the same level of enthusiasm to the same people at the same time every other day. I can hold the attention of a room for at least 3 minutes before I get bored of hearing myself talk. I can discuss the benefits of Creatine for two straight weeks without buying it at the GNC across the street.
In short I have useful skills that can be transferred to important tasks. Monumental tasks.
Like what?
2 comments:
This is my favorite post in the so-called Merrill life. By any measure short of the Kennedys, you are a major success, yet you strive for more. There are studies that people in underdeveloped countries are happier than in developed ones. Why? I've heard two theories. The first is that they are too busy scrambling around making ends meet to stare at their navel and wonder what might have been or could be. The second is that their options are much more limited so they can more easily obtain their maximum potential. So you get the three squares, $3 lattes and to sing three times a lady by lionel richie every thursday at karaoke night but you're also tormented by horatio alger. The best of both worlds might be to embrace the idea that this is as good as it gets. Contentment has always seemed a little underrated.
While 42 years old is and ideal time to take stock of yourself and create new goals, surely this is not the first time you have done this. I have to believe this version will at least be Merrill 3.1, or Merrill SPX by now.
How will the new Merrill use the proven skills and achievements of the the older version to make his mark?
Post a Comment