EDITORIAL – On a recent trip to Hawaii, I overheard a conversation an elderly couple was having with the flight attendant. For their 60th anniversary, their children had given them an all expenses paid, two-week vacation to the Island of Oahu. It would be their first time in Hawaii, a place they had always wanted to visit.
Like you, I’m sure, I thought their story was touching and being sent to Hawaii was a truly thoughtful gift from their kids. I hope they had a great time there. I really do. But, I can’t help but think about how much more they would have enjoyed it when they were younger.
I mean, let’s face it, climbing to the top of Diamond Head, swimming in Haunama Bay, or even just walking along the beach at Waikiki are all things most 80-year-olds are not going to do. And while there may be many legitimate reasons they never went when they were younger, I can’t help but wonder if they’re simply victims of what I call the “One Day I’ll…” Syndrome.
“One day, I’ll…” How many of us have spoken those words only to have them never come true? I know I certainly have. “I’ll do it when I graduate from school,” or “When I pay off all the bills,” or “When the kids are grown,” or “I’ll do it when…”
Basically, what we are saying is that we are going to do “it” once things are just right. But, that day usually never comes. It’s not that we don’t intend to follow through. We do. We just allow life to get in the way. Life is funny like that, huh?
Before we know it, a day turns into a week, a week into a month, and a month into a year. In no time flat, we are ten years down the road, wondering what happened to all of the time.
A great example of this is the story of the eighty-five year old couple that had been engaged since age twenty. They’d come to a young preacher and asked him to marry them.
He replied that he’d be glad to, but had to know one thing: “Why did you wait so long before you decided to tie the knot?”
“Well,” they replied, “We were waiting for everything to be just right before the wedding, but after sixty-five years, we’ve come to the conclusion that, that day will never come.”
As funny as that story is, it’s amazing to me how many people actually live their lives this way. What I’ve found though, with very few exceptions, things are never going to be perfect. There will always be some wrinkles. That’s just life.
So, if you are waiting for everything to be just right before you set out on a goal, you’re likely to be waiting a long time. Usually, it’s best to follow the advice of Nike and “Just do it.” Is there more to it than that? Sure there is.
But, I can tell you from experience, nothing, and I do mean nothing, takes the place of taking action. Without it, nothing happens.
Well, there you have it. Those are my thoughts on the “One Day I’ll…” Syndrome. Now, I’d love to hear from you. What are your thoughts about it? Let me hear from you in the comments section just below. Thanks!
