Do you have everything you want? 

Probably not. But are you sure you would take it if it was offered to you? 

Jim Carrey said,  “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”

Resolutions are like Uncle Eddie from Christmas Vacation. They mean well, but they are a mess.

Much is said about living a life of purpose. But the assumption is always a long-term purpose, such as…

• Your career
• Your health
• Your values
• Your family
• Your spirituality

It’s better to have a purpose than not, no doubt, but it’s arguably even more important to continually specify your short-term purpose. Life changes rapidly, as 2020 has taught us, and its turbulence can often shatter our fragile plans. And if your identity and purpose is tied to specific long-term outcomes, you may feel lost when the storms of life invariably come.

Short-term purpose has saved me countless times. My life is nothing like I expected, but I love it and I’m happy only because I’ve continually focused on what I can do right now. Here are four examples:

I expected to get married about a decade ago…

I live alone with two meowskis.

If you want or need to do something in your life, make it fun, satisfying, or exciting. It’s a simple premise, and it works.

I know what you’re thinking—laundry isn’t exciting and you still do it as needed. But do you always take your clothes immediately out the dryer or do you leave them in for five days until you need something in there? You don’t have to answer that. And don’t ask me if I’ve done it.

In a 2004 basketball game, Tracy McGrady scored 13 points in 33 seconds to bring his team back for an improbable win.

It was historic. If McGrady scored at that same rate and played all 48 minutes, he’d have 1200 points in the game. That’s how ridiculous that stretch was.

When McGrady took the go-ahead shot with mere seconds left, there was no doubt it was going in. He was making everything, even low probability shots. But that’s only half of the story. The other team made several uncharacteristic mistakes in the final 30 seconds, including fouling a three point shooter and losing the ball to set up the game winner for McGrady.

McGrady’s momentum was so powerful that it affected both teams. And it began with one shot.