Free Crab Legs
Good Morning,
Free Crab Tomorrow! Some of you undoubtedly recognize that slogan from Joe’s Crab Shack. It’s painted on the side of their restaurants. When my wife and I pass one we always remark that we need to go there tomorrow. The trouble is, tomorrow never arrives.
In the course of our busy lives, tomorrow can get lost in the execution of today. We soon discover that tomorrow already happened. We often talk about what we are going to do some day when less busy. I remember my dad saying that some winter, when he was less busy, he was going to organize all the family pictures. I bet my dad said that for 40 years before it finally happened.
What is the point? We all have only so much time to do just so many things. Options must be identified, choices have to be made, and some things must be taken off the list. Without making those difficult choices, there is risk to sacrificing all the things on the list. Is that a risk you are willing to take?
This is not as complicated as it may seem. Back to Joe’s Crab Shack. If I really want to eat crab, then I’m actually going to have to go there to eat it. It will mean going there instead of eating at home or somewhere else. But the fact is, until I decide that eating at Joe’s is more important to me than my other options, it will likely always remain an option for tomorrow. Obviously, the choice of where to eat probably isn’t that critical. But choices like how much time we spend at work vs. home, or whether you pursue a dream you have for your life have will much more gravity.
As we seek to make the most of our opportunities asking ourselves a few key questions can be helpful.
- How important is this to me?
- What am I willing to invest in or sacrifice to make this happen (in time, money, effort or personal growth)?
- What is the cost of not doing this?
- How will this make a difference in my life (and the lives of those around me)?
What these questions help you do is make choices with your eyes wide open. The answers can help you maximize your opportunities and minimize your disappointments. They can help tomorrow actually come to pass. And hey, you may actually get to eat some good crab legs!
One of these days is none of these days. Anon.
Live this week on purpose,
Ron Klopfenstein
