The plane calmly waited until the tower cleared her for take off. She roared to life, sprinted down the runway, and leapt into the air. She circled downtown Philadelphia for one last good-bye. I saw the Philly streets I ran down only hours ago. The sun’s autumn light washed her in gold. “What’s next? ” I asked myself as the plane chased the setting sun. What’s next?
The question lingered in my mind. I meditated over a month over it. There are many dreams to be fulfilled. As one dream comes to fruition, events inspire more dreams. I want to do it all. Chasing all my dreams at once will lead to certain failure. This, I know. I’ve done it before. It spreads my resources too thinly. Each dream does not get the time or nourishment it deserves. Little or no progress toward my dreams demoralize me and I stop short of any goals I set for myself. To avoid such demise, I prioritized my dreams based on importance, available resources, personal strengths and weaknesses, and the likelihood of achieving it.
I reviewed my goals, edited them, tightened their focus, and made them realistic. I measured them against my dreams to ensure quality and keep them authentic. They stretch my known limits without being impossible. A few dreams have been deferred. Some goals have been tweaked to create a full year of a life well lived.
