There's so much to do, but I just love being in my bed so much.
I'm not the type of person to fret anxiously about the moments in my life when I'm not being "productive," whatever that means. I don't believe in using the word "procrastination" to describe the periods of time when I'm relaxing or doing something cathartic. However, within me lies an increasingly prominent voice that ushers me toward more action, and it's because I have so many ideas and dreams that require a lot of work. How am I supposed to write a novel, invent and pitch a board game, make an extensive online video series teaching mathematics, record the fifty-two songs I plan on performing, and travel on every U.S. and Interstate highway in the country if I don't start now? I'm only going to be alive for so long! And how am I going to accomplish these things if I'm also investing time in a social life and perhaps starting a family?
This blog post is about goals. My current conundrum as a prospective twenty-five-year-old is to determine what my goals are for my life. I've gotten the basics down in my early twenties-- I have a stable job with a mellow stress level, and I have my own apartment and a car. The base levels of Maslow's pyramid are being decently satisfied; now I have to think about how I'm going to take my life to the next level. How do I approach my quest for self-fulfillment?
Those goals are lofty, aren't they? Just reading them over causes my eyes to widen just a bit. But I realize that I have a lot to try and give this world, and I really want to see if others will appreciate these offerings! How do I go about these things, though? Do I dabble in each interest from time to time, or do I dedicate distinct phases of my life to pursuing these dreams one at a time?
So far, I think I've been looking at one goal at a time, starting with the music. I want to finish recording the 52 songs I've devised for myself, 42 of which are original songs I've penned by myself. But other goals, like the traveling, are continual goals that I can't storm through all at once. Maybe I'll do the creative goals (music, novel, board game, math videos) one-by-one, and the others (exercising, traveling) will be continually realized throughout my life.
Note how I haven't even mentioned any career goals. I think that, for most people, part of adulthood involves realizing that you won't get most of your life fulfillment from your career, because, for the most part, the jobs that people want to be doing don't correlate well with the jobs people need to be doing. The things we need the most, as people, are the bare necessities: food, water, clothing, utilities, infrastructure, security, and health care. However, when we think of our dream jobs, we think of things that are more frivolous: art, music, comedy, athletics, and animal caretakers. Maturity and security comes with accepting that your job isn't going to be the most starry-eyed thing you thought of as a young child, and that that's okay! Sorry, five-year-old Paul; you didn't grow up to be a professional dinosaur rider.
But there's lots of fun, fulfilling things I can do outside of my work, because my job doesn't work me to the bone. When I get home, I still have the time and energy to pursue my non-occupational passions. And man, am I thankful for that. I'm releasing new songs on Soundcloud, and I'm exercising, and maybe I'll even record a video or two. What's more, I have lots of travels planned, including two distinct road trips during this fall alone! Reaching for these goals involves hard work, though, and I'm honestly not sure I'm up for the challenge (because this bed feels REALLY comfortable right now).
That's where investing time in my personal health comes into play. I need to make myself stronger mentally and physically so that I'm ready for ANYTHING. That's just it. I want to be READY. I want to feel like I've got the energy to push through any project that sits on my bucket list. So that's why I need to eat more responsibly and exercise more frequently. I'VE GOT SHIT I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, DAMNIT!
However, relaxing IS an important part of an individual's health. And I need to keep doing that too. Where is the appropriate balance? That's the biggest question of all, isn't it?
Whatever, fuck it. I'm going to figure this out. Though I'm not going to figure it out by writing about it, I am getting my thoughts together, to remind myself that I'm moving forward. I'm doing what I can, and I've got my whole life ahead of me to reach these goals.
- Complete the road sign collection by seeing all the Interstate and Federal highways, as well as three state highway signs from each state (420 signs in all!)
- Write a novel about the rock golem that befriends a young human girl and their adventures together
- Record and sing all 52 songs, including 42 original songs and 10 covers
- Complete the board game, including the rules and all the cards, and sell it
- Create over 200 instructional videos in a series introducing all people to mathematics in lessons that span from counting to early calculus.
- Maybe get a girlfriend at some point idk.
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