Comments on: From Worthless Bum to Long-Jump Champion

By: Earl

Earl — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:12:11 +0000

Welcome James! Thanks for finding a place for me in your morning routine! I truly appreciate it and wish you a wonderful holiday season.

By: spyware defender

spyware defender — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:50:16 +0000

Awesome website! I’m so happy I stumbled here through google oing to need to add another one to the morning routine

By: Earl

Earl — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:45:51 +0000

Hey Si – Your driving to the store analogy fits perfectly. I just don’t want to join the group of people who create detailed 5-year (or more) plans, concentrate solely on that one goal they set way back at the start, and fail to experience life or make beneficial adjustments to their goals as circumstances change. Using your analogy, we also need to make sure that if we are driving to get the milk and the wife calls to tell you to buy an avocado instead of milk, we buy the avocado. Sometimes we are so set on the original goal that we fail to heed such signals and end up pursuing something that is no longer relevant or beneficial to us.

By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:53:45 +0000

I like limited plans … I do. I won’t lie to you.

I think a ‘rough’ plan is a good idea, as long as we keep in mind how much is out of our control, and how everything could change tomorrow.

Super detailed plans are just plain unrealistic because we don’t control nearly as much as we think, and we just get anguished when they don’t materialize.

I think plans should be like driving to the store. You have an idea of where you’re going and what you want to buy there, but if you run into heavy traffic or come across a closer store you didn’t know about, then sticking to the plan becomes counterproductive.

Hopefully at the end of day you still end up with the milk, even though not according to plan. Maybe you get some bonus cheese. Who knows.

By: Earl

Earl — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:40:20 +0000

Hey Walter – Thanks so much for adding your comment and welcome to the site! You’re right, the only way our map could be accurate would be if we only had one concrete, non-changing goal to aim for. But as life constantly changes us and given its unpredictability, our map must have the ability to re-shape itself many times during our lives. We need completely flexible maps to find our way.

By: Walter

Walter — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:25:03 +0000

Life is unpredictable. By making plans, we are only trying to make a map of our journey, but such maps will never be 100% accurate.

By: Earl

Earl — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 05:00:32 +0000

That’s the way life should be lived – discovering what we really want and then going after it. You’re an inspiration!

By: Jackie Rose (@letssitoutside)

Jackie Rose (@letssitoutside) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:48:21 +0000

By not following the plan and going to Indonesia, I discovered what I really want to study: International health and disaster relief. So that’s where I am now, working towards a masters degree and planning to spend a semester in the Philippines next year!

Here’s to the heart!

By: Earl

Earl — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:38:09 +0000

Hey Jackie! I think the best part of your comment is that you are following your heart. I love to read that – especially your decision to go to Indonesia instead of law school. Plans and expectations, they restrict us to the point of not being able to make such rewarding decisions as we see fit!

By: Ash

Ash — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:35:09 +0000

THAT IS AWESOME. You must have some amazing photos. Saw this comment come through in my email, since I was subscribed to this post, and just had to come back on to commend you. Super cool.