Is Time Running Out On Your Dreams?

The past few weeks have been crazy. I finally had my big vacation in Maui and had a blast scuba diving with sharks, power hang-gliding and zip-lining across big ravines. I had such a great time that it didn’t really bother me that I had a mound of work waiting for me when I returned.

I had a plan and followed my timeline to meet all of my deadlines. Everything was going smoothly. But then my aunt passed away suddenly, and all of my work was placed on hold again. I flew out to Detroit to pay my respects to this wonderful woman and be with my family.

After sleeping on an air mattress, I’d wake up at 4 a.m. (with the time difference, that’s 1 a.m.!), work out and head to the local coffee shop to get an Internet connection. Then I’d attend the funeral activities and try to get a phone signal at night by hanging out of the window!

It was an emotional and stressful five days. I was trying to support my family and take care of the needs of my clients. To top it off, I just started working with a new customer and had three major deadlines coming up the following week.

When I finally returned home, I was anxious to get back to my regular office surroundings and crank out the work. But wouldn’t you know it? Even though I pounded down the vitamin C, I managed to come down with a bad cold. Oh, well … the show must go on. After all, I’m a driven woman. And if you are a female business owner, I’m sure you can relate.

But all these crazy days combined with great joy and then great sorrow made me stop and think. Life can end unexpectedly at any time.

With this in mind, are you putting off your dreams, or are you taking steps to make things happen?

I actually have a sign next to my desk that says “no excuses.” After all, it’s easy to fall back on things like the bad economy, a busy schedule, being tired, etc. But when you make excuses, it just causes negativity and stops positive action.

Are you a procrastinator? If so, you may run out of time before you know it. And wouldn’t it be sad if you didn’t try to pursue your dreams for a better life just because of negativity or fear?

To break out of your rut, try to do something to work toward your goals every day. Tape a photo of your family members, dream house, vacation – whatever motivates you – near your desk. And for extra inspiration to help you get moving, check out the advice on this site and others:

American Writers & Artists Inc., Guy Kawasaki Blog, StartupNation.

Now, I don’t mean to sound negative. I just want to give you a little life reminder to help jolt you into action. After all, anything can happen at any time, and I don’t want to have any regrets. How about you?

By Melanie Rembrandt