Closing My Project

There’s a Lyle Lovett lyric that so true for me: “it ought to be easier when you know you have to go.”

For the past several years The Lifelong Project has been incredibly good to me. I’ve been fortunate to have the time to ponder the importance in and of my life, to wrestle personal demons, and to prioritize goals. I’ve stared into the abyss and can attest that the abyss does stare back. I’ve learned about myself and made myself vulnerable by openly sharing my thoughts, weaknesses, and introspection here. I’ve changed my life not by applying the principles of project management, but by taking persistent action to do the next right thing.

The Lifelong Project has afforded me the honor to share my message with thousands of people through seminars in the United States and in Europe. I’ve talked about my views on life with people from all around the world and have been blessed by Tibetan monks, ministers of small and large churches, and even the Pope. The real blessing, however, is from the individuals that have hugged my neck, shared their stories, and became my friends through this simple, little book.

But I’m no one to tell anyone how to live their lives. I’ve only wanted to share what’s worked for me in the hopes that others will profit from my lessons. I’ve achieved that goal and much more. Over the past several years I’ve identified the essential elements I want in my life for the remainder of my life. My heart’s desires are probably similar to yours; you and I aren’t so different. For the past several months I’ve been processing what’s important to me into ten values that shape my purpose:

• For my family, my son, and myself to have abundant joy.
• I want lasting, wholehearted love.
• To win the friendship of people I admire.
• Choosing to freely give with joy without expectation of reciprocation.
• Doing work that’s worthy of my time, talent, and abilities.
• Living void of judgment, within boundaries, and without expectations of anyone but myself.
• To control what I can control – myself and how I react to others.
• To accept that disappointments may come, will come, but life is not perfect; I am not perfect.
• Letting go of the past, living in the present, and to know the future is unknown.
• To have the love of others, the respect of others, I must first have the same for me.

But about that Lyle Lovett song… It’s time for me to go. It’s time for me to move onto other endeavors. I wrote The Lifelong Project for no one else, but me. While I’ve been thrilled with the responses I’ve received, the message was always for me. I’m closing this project and shifting into, in management terminology, operations. The Lifelong Project works. I’ll occasionally update this blog, but not with the same frequency as I have in the past.

So what’s next for me? I’ve been secretly working on a new book that will be published in September. It’s a book in the same vein as The Lifelong Project, but with more of a bite. It’s a book about why so many people are unhappy in their lives because they’re unhappy with their careers. My new book is titled Vampire Management: Why Your Job Sucks. It’s a biting look at what creates (or steals) personal fulfillment, how you spend your waking hours, and life among the undead. More details will be coming soon.

Thank you again for your contributions to this effort, your prayers and hopes for my life, and for allowing me to share my stories, thoughts, and goals.