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The average American spends on an average day:

• 3 hours watching television.
• 1 hour in the car.
• 7 hours sleeping.
• 7 hours working on the weekdays (or recreational activities on weekends)
• 1 hour eating.
• 2 hours doing household chores.
• and lives to be approximately 80 years old.

That leaves 3 hours of actual free time a day (note that the above estimates are actually conservative).

Taking all that into account and crunching the numbers, this is how much ACTUAL FREE TIME you have left assuming you are:

20 years old:

2014-02-15 00:00:00 GMT+00:00

30 years old:

2013-10-20 00:00:00 GMT+00:00

40 years old:

2011-08-15 00:00:00 GMT+00:00

50 years old:

2010-05-15 00:00:00 GMT+00:00

“This is your life, and it’s ending one second at a time.”

Do NOT take time for granted.

We think we all have the time in the world when we know we really don’t. It seems like just yesterday we were fooling around in high school and college. Our time after school seemed to have been a blur with the job, marriage, house, and kids. Our kids grow up so fast that it seemed like just a week ago, you were gently placing them in their crib. It’s ironic how we value the things that have expensive price tags, but when it comes to the things that are free in life (arguably the most valuable), we always take them for granted.

Don’t get caught in the trap of tomorrow.

When I get that job, then I’ll _________

When I get married, then I’ll __________

When I pay off the house, then I’ll _________

and the all time favorite:

When I have more time, then I’ll ___________

The best time to follow your dreams is NOW.

You’ll never have enough money in the bank.

Your business plan will never be perfect.

Your situation will never be perfectly resolved.

The best time to follow your dreams is NOW.

Not on a rainy day, not on the weekend, not when you have “time”, but NOW.

Break the routine

People live like hamsters in a cage. They get on the play wheel and start running like crazy, all the meanwhile wondering why they’re not getting anywhere. They stop spinning the wheels once in a while (weekends), only to get back on the same wheel the following Monday.

The possibilities we face on a daily basis are endless, but we allow ourselves to get caught in a repetitive cycle everyday. We talk to the same people, we do the same work, we eat the same foods, we watch the same shows, we tell the same jokes, we laugh at the same stories, etc. It’s time to get off the wheel and dare to venture out the cage and see the multitude of experiences and opportunities life has to offer you.

Become great

Become great. Do not settle for mediocrity. Follow your dreams and if you don’t have one, make one.

Trees grow as tall as they possibly can. They bear as much fruit as they possibly can. They grow their roots as deep as they possibly can. They do all this naturally, without so much as a whimper.

How much MORE should you, a sentient being, equipped with the most advanced piece of technology in the known universe between your ears, strive to do and be all that you desire to be?

It’s like people grow an inch and just say that’s it. No more growing. I’m content with being a sprout that can easily be stepped on.

If you’re not growing, you’re dying.

Dreams are the spice of life. It makes people’s eyes sparkle. It’s what makes them jump out of bed early each day, as opposed to other people who crave to stay in the sweetness of slumber in a futile attempt to escape the reality they so desperately loathe.

Do something right now to take action toward your dream. Do something NOW like:

Write it down

Write your dreams down in order to plant them in rich fertile soil. (the following analogy of planting seeds in soil was inspired by James Allen)

Ever wonder why writers are able to write such good screenplays? It’s because they simply write. They don’t keep it in their heads (or keep the seeds of the great screenplay in their hand). They write it down (plant it).

Because their brain is free from having the dream stuck in their head (their hands are now free of holding the seed), they can use their hands to nourish the seed (till soil, add water, pull weeds, etc). Getting your dream out of your head and onto paper is extremely important for those reasons. (you can also read my post on Why You Should Write Down Your Goals.)

But it’s not enough to just write it (plant it). You’ve got to:

Take action

It’s not enough for you to plant the seed of your dreams and cross your arms and hope it will grow. You’ve got to take consistent action.

Nourish them with water and fertilizer. (visualize your dreams already achieved, take action everyday, even if it’s something little)

Pull out the roots. (keep negative thoughts out)

Keep your plant away from animals who feed on the budding leaves. (people will tell you that you can’t achieve your dream in order to kill it. Don’t listen to that bull.)

Expect them to grow.

You don’t plant seeds and watch them 24/7, nervously biting your nails and hoping that they will grow. You know they will grow as long as you take good care of them.

As long as you take constant care of the seed of your dreams, they will grow. It’s inevitable.

We may get discouraged because we don’t see any results early on, but the results are happening. The seed is germinating and putting down roots within the soil. You just don’t see it. It’s preparing to shoot through the soil and grow as tall as you want it to be.

Describe your seed (dream) in great detail and plant it TODAY. It will never grow if you keep it clenched in your hand waiting for the right time. Grab your head with your hands and look down. Dig a hole. Place your seed. Cover the hole. You’re on your way now.

What’s holding you back? It’s only you. All you. Not your parents, boss, teachers, mentors, etc. All you. Only you.

So take action today.

Action will always triumph over constant analysis of information because when you take action, you accrue experience and knowledge from the get go, rather than try to figure out every possible scenario via paralysis analysis.

Don’t ask yourself “What if it doesn’t work?”

Ask yourself: What if it does?

Taking consistent action everyday (even it if is small) will yield results. Just look at the Japanese and how they implemented the philosophy of kaizen to produce the quality automobiles we all enjoy today. It would’ve never happened if they just tried thinking of coming up with the best design and analyzing it to death and taking no action until they did. When you take action, you learn far more than just through analyzing.

You may feel like you’re experiencing failure along this journey when things don’t go your way but remember that:

Failure is not to be feared. It is to be revered

The moment you decide to follow your dreams and take consistent action toward them, they come true in that moment. As long as you decide where you want to go, and keep on heading there everyday, you will get there.

Sure, you’ll make a wrong turn every now and then, but all you have to do is stop and ask for the right directions, or buy a map and figure out how to get back on track. Failure is just a sign that you’re on the road to success. There’s no such thing as failure. Only results.

Live with no regrets

To regret is one of the worst feelings one can have. It causes you to spiral into thoughts of what might have been, if only you had, if only you took that shot, etc. As you lie on your deathbed and ponder how you spent your precious time on this earth, will you regret it?

Now you have a new lease on life and the clock is ticking.

20 years old:

2014-02-15 00:00:00 GMT+00:00

30 years old:

2013-10-20 00:00:00 GMT+00:00

40 years old:

2011-08-15 00:00:00 GMT+00:00

50 years old:

2010-05-15 00:00:00 GMT+00:00

The time is yours to spend but just remember:

Waste time and time will waste you.