Whether it’s because I battled cancer a few years ago (and thank God, all is well) or because the kids are grown, or because they’re now in the business, I’m not sure… But lately, I’ve become deeply aware of my own mortality. I’ve come to terms with the reality that I only have so much time left here.
Now, that may sound heavy, maybe even morbid. But I don’t think it has to be. It depends on how you look at it. Because what really matters isn’t how many years we’ve lived or what’s behind us, it’s how we move forward with whatever time we have left.
I had to wrestle with that question not too long ago: Do I still want to do this? We just celebrated our forty-fifth event. Talking to attorneys every day about their businesses. Convincing people to do something they don’t always want to do. It’s not easy. So I asked myself: is this how I want to spend my time?
The truth is, Maria, my E.C.I.B. (East Coast Italian Bride), and I are in a fortunate place. If we’re disciplined with our spending, we don’t have to work for income anymore. So what do I want to do?
After some honest reflection and a powerful little exercise I’ll share with you, I realized that this is exactly what I want to do. I don’t want to retire. As long as my mind is sharp and I can put a few meaningful sentences together, I want to keep doing this work. I want to keep being a part of the E.A. Nation (Entrepreneurial Attorney Nation). Because it gives me energy. When I finish an onboarding call with a new client, I’m buzzing like I just drank five cups of coffee. I love watching someone begin a journey I know will change their life.
And that’s how I know I’m right where I belong.
The Measuring Tape Exercise
Take a look at the roughly 100-centimeter measuring tape included on this page. Tear or cut it out. That tape represents 100 years of life.
Now how long do you think you’ll live? Not how long you want to, but realistically. Or maybe not even realistically, just how long would you want to live if you still had your mind, your strength, your mobility?
For me, I picked 88. That’s my number. Tear the tape at 88. What’s left beyond that? Gone. Doesn’t exist.
Now, find your current age. For me, it’s 55. Tear the tape again. That’s the life you’ve already lived. You can’t get that back. It’s gone.
Then, fold what’s left into thirds. Tear off one third because that’s the time you’ll spend sleeping.
Look at what’s left in your hand. That little piece… that’s your life. That’s what you have left.
No more screwing around.
It’s a sobering sight. But it’s also freeing. Because now you know what’s left. You can see it. You can feel it.
So what are you going to do with it?
Two Questions That Change Everything
First: What’s the one thing you’re not going to waste time on anymore?
And second: What’s the one thing you’re not going to wait to do?
For me, I’m done wasting time losing my temper. I yelled at my daughter-in-law the other day, someone I love dearly, over something completely unimportant. I was wrong. I apologized. She forgave me. But it broke my heart. So I’m not waiting to work on that anymore.
And on the other side of that, I’m not waiting to do what I love. I know what I want to do. I want to teach. I want to build. I want to help people who help people. That’s what I was made for.
If you’re not sure what that is for you yet, that’s okay. But don’t ignore the questions. I encourage you to set aside some time and really think about it.
The $500 Million Thought Experiment
Now imagine this: you play the lottery, and you win. You walk away with $500 million after taxes.
No limits. Nothing you can’t buy. Private jets, vacations, homes in every country, cars, jewelry, staff… everything. You can buy it all. You can do it all. You don't have to do anything if you don't want to. And you could do anything you want at any minute.
But… you still have this much time left.
What will you do with it?
If finances are not a challenge and you had everything, what would you spend your time doing?
Because even after you have everything, the only question that remains is why you’re still doing what you’re doing.
The Answer Was There All Along
When I was 18, I wanted to be a motivational speaker. But I didn’t think it was realistic. So I went into the funeral business instead, it was the only rope I had left to pull myself out of a hole. Funny how life works, because that’s where I discovered I loved serving people. Years later, through this company, I realized I actually am doing what I always wanted to do, I just took the long way to get here.
So now, I’ll ask you:
If you’re not doing what you want to be doing, what are you doing?
And if you are doing what you want to be doing, then do as much of it as you can. Enjoy it. Balance it. Make peace with the bad days and appreciate the good ones.
Because life is too short and this little piece of measuring tape we have left is shrinking every day.
So don’t waste it chasing things that don’t fulfill you. Don’t wait to fix what matters. Don’t wait to start what you’ve always wanted to do.
Find the work and the people that make you come alive.
And then spend what’s left of your tape doing exactly that.
