Working for the Weekend
I'm going to assume that you've had a Monday - Friday job that you hated. If not, you've at least been in school before and "longed for the weekend". When Friday afternoon rolls around you can't wait to escape. Everyone is asking each other "what are you doing this weekend?" and you have been thinking about your answer since Wednesday.
(Believe me, I've been there.)
If this currently describes you, then you have probably put your life on hold. You are sacrificing the precious time you have on this planet to do something all week that you dread every Sunday evening.
If you always have "a case of the Mondays", how are you supposed to feel most alive?
Since when is trading five days of pain and agony to get two days of freedom a good trade? A preschooler wouldn't accept that offer.
Sure, I know that having a job or career is practically a necessity in this day and age (and believe me, I'm not advocating that you drop off the face of the Earth and go "find yourself"), but at least find work that you makes you feel alive.
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." - Howard Thurman
This doesn't mean that you just lock yourself in a room, make a list of all the things you are "passionate about", and choose the one that sounds most fun. (I'm pretty sure that playing Call of Duty, watching the Olympics, or sitting on a beach reading novels isn't going to pay the bills.)
What it means is that you don't settle.
What it means is that you spend your downtime moving closer and closer to your ideal life. We're talking baby steps.
Excuses
One of the biggest struggles that I hear from people is that they don't have the time to make the changes in their life that they know they need to make.
If this describes you, I'm calling you out. (You've been warned.)
Show me someone that says they can't find one extra hour every day to put towards changing your life for the better and I'll show you a liar.
Simplify your life. Start saying no. Minimize your commitments.
Then use that extra time for action! Not "unwinding" in front of the television. Not reading more books or blog posts for ideas. Not listening to podcasts or watching TED talks for inspiration. A-C-T-I-O-N.
If you want to be a writer, then write. If you want to be a photographer, take photos. If you want be a _______er, then go take an hour and _______ your heart out. It really isn't much harder than that.
You might find out that you actually hate doing this thing that you've dreamt about being while you were stuck in yet another boring meeting at work or staring at red brake lights during your commute. But, you'll never know until you try.
Your Homework
Here's my challenge for you this weekend.
Whatever it is that you want to be (actor, pianist, surfer, etc.), spend as much time as you physically can doing it this weekend.
I don't want to hear excuses. (You can catch up on watching the Olympics on Monday.)
There are always 1,000 reasons not to do something. Successful people choose to act anyway.
Have a great (and life changing) weekend.