We have so many ceremonies around the firsts of things. We celebrate, we make promises, we create hope, we imagine the possibilities. We have far fewer around the lasts of things.
But the lasts are important. Putting a final bow on things lets us see them for what they were, in total. To measure our choices, and thus learn from them. To grow, and to say goodbye in a way that means something.
Pluck the good from your year, and tell stories. Look at your challenges both lost and overcome, and let yourself live in what you wrought. Don’t just count down the seconds until it’s all behind you. Cherish those seconds. Do one last thing – whatever it is. Whatever you resolved to do this year, get in one more rep. Paint one more stroke, write one more word, do one more push-up. Treat seconds as if they were years, because years are only seconds.
And there will be a last one. Don’t let it slip by so easily.
The Opportunity Machine 