When Steve Jobs died, I was moved to write about my perspective on death and to share my personal experience losing people before their times. My father died when he was 26. My cousin (more like a big brother) died at 30. In the “Life Rolls On” post, I wrote:
The unpredictability of life has made me appreciate living more. Not living today to the fullest is wasteful.
A couple of weeks after that post, my brother Danny died unexpectedly. He was only 35. His death completed a trifecta of sorts for me, but also served as a harsh reminder of how right I was about the ‘unpredictability’ thing.
As you think about what you want to accomplish in 2012, think about things in terms of it being your last year. If 2012 were your last year, how would you want things to go down? Let’s assume you don’t have the luxury to quit your job and stop paying all your bills… how would your priorities change?
What strained relationships would you mend? What advice would you leave for your children? What contributions would you want to be known for? What would you want your obituary to say? You know, what unfinished business do you want to finish?
I don’t want to dampen your spirits on such a festive occasion, but I do think it’s worth suggesting that we all take a few minutes to look back on what we were able to accomplish in 2011 and decide how we’d like that story to change in 2012.
I’m glad to close the book on 2011. It wasn’t my worst year ever, but it wasn’t the best either. I’m optimistic about 2012. I’m glad I’ve still got a chance to make a difference in the world, and I realize that starts with taking care of myself.
Where’s your head at going into the new year? What do you want to accomplish in the next 365 days?
