You, in 10 years

Recently, one of my dearest friends turned 50.

In a text exchange wishing her happy birthday, I dropped a photo from 10 years ago, on this same friend’s 40th birthday.

It made me reflect on how much has happened and changed in the last 10 years. How much has revealed itself.

There’s a saying:

“We tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a day and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year.”

How about 10 years?

In my experience, we tend to way underestimate what we can do in a decade.

In the last 10 years, I have:

• Moved cross-country twice (and am preparing to do it again).

• Lived in five homes in four states.

• Had 11 jobs (more if I count small freelance projects).

• Started four businesses.

• Wrote a book, started a podcast, and built an app.

• Gotten a dog.

• Ran, swam, biked, hiked, paddle boarded, kayaked, lifted, walked, stretched, breathed.

• Learned to bake bread and play pickleball.

• Began, nurtured, redefined, rekindled, and released relationships.

• Transformed limiting beliefs and forgiven myself (work in progress).

Your turn: Over the last 10 years, what has occurred in your world? Make a 10-in-10 list—10 things you’ve done in the last 10 years.

It doesn’t have to be a list of accomplishments. It can be experiences you’ve had, challenges you’ve overcome, or decisions you’ve made.

Do you like what you see?

Great.

Do you wish you hadn’t spent so much time on something? Wish something was on the list that’s not?

Great.

Maybe it’s hard for you to remember what you’ve done. Or maybe your last decade was about simplicity and rest so your list is shorter.

Great.

The point isn’t to judge yourself for what you did or didn’t do over the last 10 years. It’s to notice so you can ask yourself the all-important question: What do I want to create from here?

Picture yourself 10 years from now. What do you imagine that version of yourself will want to have experienced?

My invitation is to start taking steps in those directions. There’s no action too small.

In a way, my friend’s 40th birthday feels like a lifetime ago—most things on my 10-in-10 were unthinkable to the person I was then. In another way, it feels like…. HOW did 10 years already pass?

The moment to start closing the gap between knowing and doing is now.