The Next Chapter

One year ago, I was in the hardest, most challenging, stressful and meaningful job of my life.  I knew what I wanted to do, I knew the direction I was going in.  I didn't know that within two weeks, the sky would fall on me.  As I recovered from this experience, I found a singular focus in my journey to Kona. This focus gave me purpose for most of this year.  As I persevered on the lava fields of Kona nine days ago, certain things started to become clear.  I knew that I was doing my last full Ironman for awhile (I've promised myself not to even consider another full Ironman until I'm 65).  I knew that going forward my training would be purely about my health and fitness.  I'll still race shorter distances, and I'll be working on my 5K speed, but that's because I like having a goal for my fitness endeavors.  That's only a small portion of what makes me who I am.  My next chapter will need to fit with my purpose and what matters most to me.  At the same time, I need to maintain balance in my life, which, being a workaholic, is something I've long struggled with.

Aside from focusing on my fitness, I've written about my focus on my wife and family.  Supporting my wife in accomplishing her dreams will have the highest priority in my daily life.  That must be my north star.  It was my epiphany in Kona, and it's something that I've definitely thought about over the last several years.  Why haven't I done it before?  Honestly, because my wife is one of the most selfless people that I know, and she will always be there for other family members without regard to herself.  If I don't take the position of making her dreams my ultimate focus, it probably won't happen.  Nevertheless, this is not a 24 hour a day role for me.  It's my highest priority, but definitely allows me time to focus on whatever else matters to me.  Which brings me back to that question.

I have a number of interests, which has long been my challenge.  I tend to take on too many things.  I've always strived to want to "make a difference." The internet and social media has altered the landscape of how we can be engaged on a daily basis, and this has fed into my desire to wanting to change the way things are, particularly as they relate to the health and wellbeing of older adults.  Fortunately, the greatest opportunity to make this difference has come my way in the past year and a half.  I'm the editor-in-chief of a major Geriatric Medical textbook.  It is an honor, a privilege and an opportunity to leave my stamp on the field that means so much to me.

Instead of monitoring social media in order to make my case for what I believe in, the time that I would spend on that, will be spent on my textbook.  Instead of looking for ways to influence the politics of healthcare, the time that I would spend on that, will be spent on my textbook.  This is actually quite simple.  Over the course of the next few years, this will be my single personal priority.  This is my next chapter.