One of the things I’m most grateful for whilst being what I like to call FUNemployed, is the time I’ve taken to read more. Some of my reading is just for pleasure - I’ve particularly come to enjoy the Aubrey/Maturin novels, of which most people would know only the first entitled Master & Commander - although, the ones that have the largest impacts on my life have been management and self-help books.
Some of the most life-changing to me have been The Power of Habit, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.
All of these have elements that I hope to touch on in the future, but I’m most struck by something I read in the last, and most recent - Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. Greg McKeown writes:
The word priority came into the English language in the 1400’s. It was singular. It meant the very first or prior thing.
This was literally jaw-dropping to me. I don’t know how many times in my adult life I’ve heard the word or a phrase containing the word priorities, in the plural. But yet…clearly this word does not exist since priority is inherently singular.
Through university, and especially in my various professional lives (I feel as if I’ve had many), I’ve heard people refer to the plural. I’ve even used the plural myself many times and yet, how wrong I was and we are.
At the time I read this, I really had been feeling many things about what my next job would be in…if I even took another job. The alternative being to work for myself, to start my own business, and I’ve talked to so many people recently about doing just this - I always have ideas if you want to bug me about yours.
Well, what is it? What’s the one thing I could never forgive myself if I didn’t do? What’s the essential thing, my professional priority?
Motorcycles.
I know this is the answer. I knew it before I even finished questing myself. I’m tired of relegating my obsession for motorcycles to the back burner. It’s absolutely time to prioritize this obsession. No more excuses for why I can’t afford one. No more excuses for why I don’t ride to work every single day. No more excuses for not going to the track. No more excuses for not riding every single day. No more excuses for working in another industry when all I want is to work with motorcycles.
Why would I ever do anything else ever again?
Although, as I have written down in my personal mission statement, “My personal relationships come first”, my professional priority is motorcycles. It’s just about time to conduct my annual performance review of myself, and I believe I will be adding motorcycles to my personal mission statement as well.
In the newest book I’m reading, Will it Fly?, the first chapter is dedicated to answering the big question, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself designing and building motorcycles. I see multiple motorcycles in my garage. I see myself on two wheels on the track as many weekends as they’ll let me ride. I see myself writing about motorcycle design and engineering. I see myself motorcycle commuting to work. And most importantly, I see myself riding with the knowledge that my family depends on me, and is my life’s priority.
Josh S =P
Well, I’ve been meaning to put out my post about my motorcycle obsession…how it came to be and where it’’s taking me next; however, I’ve been having a hard time discovering exactly what it is I’m going for in that piece, so I’ve decided to write a little bit of a filler…hopefully this is the only thing I’ll have to write before that other one comes out, but glad it could also be motorcycle-centric. Cheers!