What to do with 1564 weeks?

What is “average”?

Let’s try a thought experiment. How long does the average person live? Notwithstanding I don’t know what the “average” person is, if we just use this measure, how many years do you think this “average” person would live for? How about we agree on 80 years old. And if said person was to live to the ripe old age of 80, how many weeks would you guess this is?

Go on. Have a guess. Without Google and without a calculator. Off the top of your head, how many weeks? I have been reading a new book called “4000 Weeks”, and yes, if we live to 80 years old, we will have 4000 weeks at our disposal.

The problem is, many of us have already used up a large portion of these 4000 weeks. A decade ago, (a decade? Seriously, a decade??), I wrote a blog about it being “Half Time”, and as I turned 40, what changes did I want, or need to make in the second half, to use a football analogy.

Past the half way mark

I am well and truly in the second half now. As I turn 50, and using 4000 weeks as an average (total) length of my lifetime, I now have 1564 weeks left. This feels scary. It feels way too short. And it feels very real, reminding me of one of my favourite quotes, “memento mori”. Literally, remember we die, but more abstractly, I see this as a stark reminder to live. Being acutely aware of our guaranteed demise brings into sharp focus for me the need to live a life of purpose. A life of adventure. A life that I look back on at the close of my 4000 weeks and say, “yeah, I am happy with that”.

This is the reason I do this blog on an annual basis. Or at least, annual-ish. We are in the second week of January already and before we know it we will have Easter eggs adorning the shelves in Woolworths. I reflect on the year that has just passed, and look back at what my intentions for the year were. Balancing the books to determine whether I achieved what I set out to achieve, and if I have in fact lived the last year in the way I wanted to live it.

What is left to say abut 2021 that hasn’t already been said?

2021 has again been a year that we didn’t expect. We said this about 2020 and I genuinely thought the world was starting to turn the corner. Then, along came Delta, and more recently, Omicron, and suddenly it feels like Groundhog Day. Countries are closing down, not opening up. COVID cases are going up, not down. And we are back to wearing masks indoors. 

And yet, the year has been very good to us. The absolute highlight being April when we took ourselves off to Margaret River and eloped to the forest. I could never have predicted how perfect the whole experience would be. Staying at the Empire Spa Retreat in Yallingup for 3 nights was a great way to relax and enjoy the big day. Vasse Felix was the ideal place to celebrate the nuptials the day after with a delicious degustation lunch. And the best hotel in Australia, Como The Treasury was the absolute perfect place to celebrate our mini-moon.

We were on the move, again

The year started in the cottage that had been our home for some months. A home that we had grown very attached to. Lazy Sunday afternoon BBQs in the back garden became a highlight. Sadly, our landlords returned from Queensland and we had to move once our year rental was up. Thankfully, we didn’t have to move far. We are actually on the same road, except we had to move back to apartment living. You may remember the washing machine debacle, the very week we moved in. I don’t think I will forget it.

The long awaited travel sabbatical

In terms of travel, it is now pushing on 3 years since we were last allowed to leave Australia. This continues, with Western Australia still locking out the rest of the world, and locking us in. We had planned my big 50th celebration over Xmas in Queensland and this got cancelled a week before we were due to leave as a result of the ever changing border restrictions. Thankfully, Mrs C is very organised and within minutes we had a new plan. Three nights on Rottnest Island over Xmas, and two nights in the port city of Fremantle for New Year.

We have managed to get on a plane this year, having a great holiday in Broome, north WA, and a fabulous road trip around Tasmania, somewhere we would both like to spend more time. We have also taken the opportunity to explore even more of this vast state we live in. Western Australia has so much to see and we have spent many (not enough?) weekends in Margaret River. This truly is our happy place and I suspect there will be much more of it in our future.

Winter is not that cold over here in the west, but weekends in picture postcard little country towns Bridgetown and Nannup allowed us to witness the changing seasons with leaves on the trees turning a beautiful golden brown. It also gives us the opportunity to book a cottage with an open fire and spend the evening relaxing with a bottle of red wine. Perfection.

With our state premier (dictator) promising to catch up with the rest of Australia, and open our borders in February, we have renewed hope that 2022 will be the year we finally get on the road for our travels. Just a slight delay of two years, but the best things come to those that wait.

I became a professional coach

Whilst we have been waiting to travel I have been continuing with my personal development. In the last year I have been deep on a journey of discovery and learning, training to be a professional coach. With a few remaining activities to complete, I should soon be able to apply for my Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential with the International Coaching Federation. This will be a massive milestone for me and something I will be very proud of. It is too early to determine what comes next after this.

On the education front, I have been at university, studying for a Graduate Certificate in Organisational Coaching and Leadership. At the time of writing I have about 6 weeks left before I complete this. As much as I love learning, and will continue to learn, what I have discovered is that I don’t like academic writing. Something that is critical to being a university student. A good reflection and this gives me pause for thought before I commit to any future courses.

What comes next?

What I am happy to commit to is that we will continue to enjoy life. Despite the restrictions we are all facing across the world, we know how fortunate we are and are very grateful for the opportunities 2021 provided to us. Life is not something that eventually happens to you. It is what happens now. In every moment. The present.

“How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives.” – Annie Dillard

The next time we speak, the world may have changed again. For us, or against us. Time to embrace complexity and see what emerges. Either way, I am excited.