| big idea: why wait to get old to become experienced? i want the experience of an old man while i'm still young. and i think i've figured out a way to get it: collapse the timeline. most people don't take that many risks or have that many new conversations or read that many new books or take that many new travels. by engaging in these and other experience-building pursuits at a dramatically accelerated rate, i figure i could get 10 years' worth of learning and lessons in a quarter of the time. just collapse the timeline by doing more important stuff faster and sooner. just stay focused and committed. just put more living into each of your days.
we all get the same allotment of time. each of us gets 24 hours each day. the sad fact is that too many among us spend too much time doing unimportant things. living reactive lives. saying "ye! s" to activities they should be saying "no" to. drifting like a piece of wood in a river, moving in whatever direction the current happens to be moving on that particular day - all because they did not make the time to think about their priorities, about their dreams and goals. and to note what they want to make of their lives. people have lost 20 good years this way. seriously.
by being clear about what you want out of life, you heighten your awareness around what's most important. with better awareness comes better choices. and with better choices you'll see better results. clarity breeds success.
so don't wait until the end of your life to become experienced. collapse the timeline. get clear on what you need to experience to have a fulfilling life, and then start doing it now. meet cool people. visit neat places. read deep books. seize opportunities. fail often - it reflects an increase in your reach and risktaking.
who cares if you win or lose, so long as you get another experience to add to the inventory. even the saddest of time! s make your life richer. benjamin zander, the conductor of the boston philharmonic, shared the following line from his teacher, the great cellist gaspar cassadó, in his wonderful book the art of possibility: "i'm so sorry for you; your lives have been so easy. you can't play great music unless your heart's been broken." the more experiences, the better the life. the person who experiences most wins.
robin sharma is author of the greatness guide (jaico)
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