|
|
This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Navigation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
The Pixel Punk Diaries |
Achieving Goals
If you've talked to me anytime in the past eight years, you are well aware that I am trying to save the world. I'm an idealist and I am determined to do all that I can to make the world a better place. Most of the time this means building great websites that help bring people together. I've been building sites for six years now and you would think that through all of that, I would've learned one of life's most obvious lessons: Things take time. No! I refuse to believe it! It must get done now!
I always try to do more than I am able to do. I usually run out of time before I run out of energy and passion. It gets dark outside and I eventually flop into bed, haunted by how much I have left to do. This has been my life for the past four years. I've prayed about this, and I'm beginning to understand that this isn't a healthy way to live, and something has to change.
So through most of this year, I've tried to make my life more manageable by choosing not to do new things. I say "no" more than ever. Even if an opportunity sparkles with excitement, I remind myself that I need to first take care of what's in front of me. This has helped me out, but I'm still feeling ill from being too busy. So I need something more.
Looking back, those backpacking trips gave me one of the most valuable lessons in life. Now I'm trying to change my attitude by applying a lesson I learned when I was in Boy Scouts. We would backpack the Appalachian Trail over a three-day weekend. Hiking twenty miles for a 12-year-old boy was hard enough, but with 40-pound backpack over my shoulders, it was almost impossible.
The trail itself was nothing more than a footpath that winded up and down mountains. There were no mile-markers or signs reminding us of our progress. We depended mostly on a trail map that gave us landmarks to help get an idea of how far along we were on the trail. Because some of those landmarks were miles apart, we often depended on backpackers coming from the other direction to tell us how far we had to go.
It only took a few backpacking trips for me to understand that those people never knew what they were talking about. They were as unreliable as the trail map in my pocket. There was nothing more devastating than thinking I was almost finished, only to find out I still had five miles left.
Looking back, those backpacking trips gave me one of the most valuable lessons in life. I never knew how much trail was left in front of me. I only knew that with each step, that was one step further away from my where I began that morning, and one step closer to my destination. Worrying about where I was in between never did me any good.
So I've decided that this simple lesson and attitude change can help bring joy back into my busy life. If you are struggling with the busyness of life, try taking it one step at a time.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
Matt Smith is the Director of Internet Ministries for Life Teen, an international Catholic youth ministry based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is the creative force behind Life Teen's cluster of websites that receive nearly 2 million visits a year. Since staring on MTV's "Real World" and MTV's "Road Rules Challenge", Matt has traveled the country speaking at colleges, universities, schools, and Catholic parishes.
 Read
More
|
 |
|
|