Ever said, “One day I’ll…?” How many times have you said that to yourself? It’s the little bookmark we give ourselves when we set something aside to do or say. Think for a moment about all the things you’ve ‘one day’d’. I wonder how many days are in that bookmark list. I have quite a few on my list, but I’m happy to report that my list is getting smaller and smaller since I retired from my corporate job. Suspicion tells me, though, that there are a good number of days on the list that will not see the light of day.

A couple of reasons to examine our one-day list. One—Are there things on that list that you could do right now that would enhance the quality of your life? Two—Are there things on that list that are no longer relevant?

We all have amazing and full lives. Sometimes circumstances dictate placing things on the shelf for a moment. However, when we do that, if your one-day thing is going to enrich your life, then it’s worth finding time to follow through. Take this example. Busy at work, an extraneous thought pops into my head about doing something special with my kiddos. The work day ends, I get home, I’m tired, and my dream about doing something special gets pushed aside. One day, I’ll do that. Fast forward a year or two, the kids are living their own lives, and my special thing was never done. That’s not what I intended!

On the flip side, let’s look at this. One day, I’ll walk the Camino de Santiago. Now that I’m retired and living my dream life, I don’t think that’s going to be in the cards. Instead, I’m walking on my treadmill, virtually anywhere in the world I’d like to go. I made a compromise. The one-day Camino bookmark is ready to be released from the list. No harm done.

So what do we do with all our one days? Here’s a suggestion. Set aside a vacation day (or two) to tend to your important one-day items. That way, your one-day dreams get some attention and feel less ignored. It gives you the opportunity to live your dreams—they don’t always have to wait 25 years and then disappear. Let’s be active with our one-day bookmarks!

Plans and Priorities

Image by Dmitrii Bardadim from Pixabay