The A-Game

As one becomes familiar with their job they know exactly what to do each day when they get to work.  If they are good at what they do they become proficient in all aspects of their job and before many years have passed they assume a professional aspect to their career.  Yes, the job becomes more than a job, it becomes a career and one becomes professional at it.  When we are at the top of our career we bring our A-game to the workplace on a daily basis because that is what professionals do.

      Now here we are 40 years in to the career and pondering retirement which looms ahead in the very near future.  What do you see?  Before you look to deep into that retirement world I am asking you to draw back and look at the trees.  Look at the years, months, weeks, and days before that big scenario Retirement.  What are you going to do in that time space prior to dipping into the wonderful world of Retirement?  Are you pausing?  For most of our lives we have lived with phrases such as “when I grow up”, “when I finish college”, “when I buy a house”, “when the mortgage is paid”, “when the kids are out of the house” and “when I retire”.

      It comes as a bit of a shock that in all these years our life has, perhaps, been passing us by.  Once in a while we are actually in the moment, enjoying the present highlight whether we are at a movie, play, party or family milestone but most of the time we feel our lives are somewhat humdrum and ordinary.  Some of us are more adventurous in our lives and will take on new things constantly but such folk are rare indeed.  While we are taking care of our every day needs it is very difficult to always appreciate special moments, indeed frequently we don’t even notice them. 

      While contemplating my 60^th year and my future I had a lightbulb moment and told myself that from now on I would be bringing my A-game to the rest of my life, not just to my professional life.  It’s not a new concept but it is a new approach.  Already rich in happiness, gratitude and appreciation what more can be brought into the A-game of every day life?  Time.  Making time for the new and valuable aspects of life rather than continuing in the humdrum.  Learning and pursing new things daily has become the new goal.  Not looking at the future, but looking at the day.

       That’s the A-game.