The most tell-tale sign that your life is susceptible for a turn to the worse: You are not clear in what you want in four areas; your fitness, your relationships, your being and your business.
Hear me out.
Tonight, my wife and I took the kids up to Brighton, UT to play in the snow.
No skiing this time, but we did a literal hike in the snow around what was once called Moyle Loop; it’s basically right next to the Silver Lake Nordic Center and being a block away from the resort it has some of the coolest ski cabins in Big Cottonwood Canyon.
It was a fun trip down memory lane. Here’s why..
Back in 2010, my family and I lived for 5 months in the cabin in the picture above. The memory for that time between Septmeber and January has a unique feeling when think about it. It carries a haze of nostalgia that flares up like a rash any time we are in that canyon.
As I reminisce, I remember that winter was the worst pre-season winter in something like 20 years.
I recall a 12 hour stretch where it snowed 53 inches. That was on the heel of 46 inches in 48 hours. On the heel of 36 inches in 24 hours.
As you can imagine.. 
We were buried.
Not in some cutesy, “it’s fun to say we were buried” type way, but literally under the snow. The picture to the right (which was taken today) looks like a Christmas card compared to our plight in the snow that winter.
Our front door was unusable because it was under the snow.
We could not use our deck because it was impossible to open the doors to get out to it.
We had one way to exit the house; through the one car garage door that we continually dig out of.
It was so gnarly (plug to my supplement sponsor for Rules of Success Gnarly Nutrition ????).
Our truck and SUV were constantly being dug out of the drifts, just to get our son to school.
Walking around in the snow this afternoon reminded me of other aspects of my life at that time. Aspects that get overlooked in the shadow of living in an expensive cabin 100 yards from the Millicent Express Lift.
Things like..
– My fitness sucked back then. Little did I know it, but the way I was treating my body would result in finding a cancerous tumor a short year and a half later..
– My finances were on the verge of collapse. Burning through cash to support a lifestyle that was irresponsible at best.
– I didn’t know it then but my stubbornness and how I ran my company would eventually result in a disolved partnership. The ramifications of becoming a dinosaur in a market would shortly come to a head. We had started as a disrupter in the market. We went out like a slaughtered sheep.
The facade of my life was enviable. I had challenges to overcome, sure. I just didn’t know I didn’t have the tools or clarity to pull out of the mess.
I am reminded that I recognized none of these things that winter.
(Hey! Being buried in the snow is somewhat metaphorical after all! *sarcasm font*)
Anyway, inspite of all that, the trip up to Brighton today was fun and I have fond memories of that adventure 5 years ago.
Here’s the lesson:
It is a MUST and I am thankful that I am in a better place in all the important areas of my life.
I wasn’t then. So many of my challenges came about as a result of neglecting my body, my connection to God and my key relationships. Even my bold financial choices created a consequence I didn’t see coming.
I was unclear on so many things.
Having said, visiting an old stomping ground with a clearer mindset is always a good thing.
Back to present day. Next month we change scenery again for the first time in 5 years. Reliving the journey 5 years go, and now 5 years later, I am full of gratitude. I am clearer in my direction than I’ve ever been. It wasn’t a miracle, just the blessing of small things done every day.
It works people.
So, to wrap up I’ll leave you with this one simple truth..
If you don’t have a target, how can you get there?
What’s your target? If you don’t know change that as soon as possible.v
