How Will a Bucket Influence YOU?

Image credit sxc.hu

Jeff Pulver tagged Chris Brogan to write a ‘Bucket List‘ post.

It’s about what you’d do if you had X months to live before you kick the bucket.

Chris, Merlene and others have some interesting thoughts about it. If you’d like to join the fun visualization, post a comment here or blog about it and share your link.

How about my ‘Bucket List’? How will the ‘Bucket’ influence my actions and thoughts?

About a year and half back, I listened to a recording of Steve Jobs’ commencement address at Stanford University. It was a stirring and inspiring presentation – and I read and re-read the transcript many times, then found an mp3 audio recording that I downloaded and still listen to frequently.

Of the many lessons in it, one is this statement that Steve made:

“I look at myself in the mirror every morning and ask: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And if the answer is “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

At the time I first heard this, I had been struggling with a major decision in my own personal and professional career. The decision involved leaving a ’secure’ position in a large University hospital, where I had established tenure and a senior position as Assistant Professor – but was stagnating in a professional sense.

The alternative was to launch out on a bold, yet risky path. To follow a long term plan that would, when it succeeds, let me help hundreds of children with heart defects every year – in a style and at a quality level not possible otherwise.

But there was no guarantee of success. And that’s the dilemma that had pinned me down for months.

Until I listened to Steve Jobs’ address.

That gave me clarity. And perspective. And urgency.

A few weeks later, I took the plunge. The 16 months since have been ‘interesting’ – but energizing and until now, largely successful in moving towards my goals.

Will the ‘Bucket’ influence anything I’m doing today?

I hadn’t realized, until I started writing this post, that the answer to that question today is “No”… because I’m already acting on that basis!

That realization is thrilling, and truly fulfilling.

Go for YOUR dreams.

But first, please share them here!