39 and Counting

Another year gone by already! How can that be? This week I turn 39, and I'm finding that that magic number is doing a lot to focus my mind.

There are plenty of things I want to do before I'm 40 for the sake of vanity.

In the bigger picture, though, there are just a lot of things I want to do -- and hitting 39 is a sharp reminder that I'm not a kid anymore.

Here are three things that I'm focusing on to achieve my own "life balance" for the coming year. I'd love for you to share your own areas of focus in the comments at the end of this post.

1. Truly Giving to Those I Love. I pride myself on being devoted to my family and friends, but I'm reminded sometimes of how much I focus on the minutiae of daily life and my own worries at the expense of those relationships. This year I'm committed to showing my wife, children, other family members, and friends the kind of deep generosity of spirit that comes from a feeling of abundance. Rather than giving so much energy to day-to-day worries, I'm plowing more energy into the relationships that mean the most to me.

2. Fulfilling My Own Wishes. This may seem to be at odds with focus #1, but stick with me. I think that too many of us suppress our real, deep wishes -- to travel the world, write the Great American Novel, find true love, achieve world peace, or whatever it is. Maybe it's because we never admit to ourselves what we really want from life. Or maybe we've been frustrated enough times that we assume that our most cherished dreams will always be . . . just dreams. But it doesn't have to be this way.

This year, I'm pursuing my own wishes by emphasizing less negatives, more positives.

• Financially, this means less debts and more assets.
• In the context of my work, it means doing less of what I'm bad at and more of what I'm good at.
• In general, it means choosing less of what I dislike and more of what I like.
• In every case, it means being willing to say openly that I don't want to do certain things simply because I don't like them.

Sure, there are still unpleasant chores to be done in life -- that's how it goes. But it's better to go for the absolute minimum of these, rather than assuming that we need to shoulder so many of them.

This approach sounds simplistic, yet it's already helping me make better decisions about what to say "Yes" or "No" to in my life. That, in turn, helps me pursue my own deep-down wishes more of the time -- which makes me feel happy and fulfilled.

3. Improving My Capacity. I can't get any younger in the coming year, but I can get better. By the time I hit 40, I want to increase my capacity to do the things I care about. I want to write better, do my work better, and train my body better.

Above all, I want to improve my capacity to persist, because persistence trumps all.

That's what I'm focused on, here at the ripe old age of 39. What are your areas of focus for the next year of your life?

PREVIOUS ARTICLES:

• Set Your OWN Expectations
• The Top Five Things I Learned This Year
• Time to Get REAL

Tim Walker

Tim is a writer, marketer, and social media pro living in Austin. He joined CareOne's blogging team as a contributing writer for the Life Balance blog in 2009. As a blogger who has personally overcome debt challenges, he draws from his own experience to provide tips on living a balanced life and keeping fit. You can read more of his thoughts (on fitness and everything else) at his personal blog, What I've Learned So Far. Compensated Blogger for CareOne Debt Relief Services.

Follow Tim on Twitter; @Twalk or follow us by clicking here!