Time Passes … What Will Your Next Ten Look Like?

I just love when things like this happen.  It was 2p and I was scheduled to talk at 3:45.  I had a meeting scheduled at 3p and decided to wait down in the lobby of the Hyatt where I was speaking.

A few seconds before I sat down, I thought who knows what will happen – stay open to the possibilities.

Within minutes, my twitter friend T.C. Coleman showed up.

I had thought we were meeting at 3p, but she thought I said 2p and there I was.

Dave decided to leave to go to Nordstroms and buy clothes for our dinner out at Alinea (he’d worn the same shirt too many times and needed something other than jeans).

Minutes later, I hear my name and when I look up there’s a friend of mine from law school.  A guy who was one of my few good friends.

I studied a lot in law school.  So much so that I ended up graduating first in my class.  Maybe I studied too much!

The only friends I really had were in my 1st year small section.  Carter was in that group.

After catching up with Carter for a few minutes, I discover he’s a Professor.  A full, tenure track Professor at a damn good school – Notre Dame.  WOW!

That’s some serious stuff.

It’s been TEN years since we graduated.  It feels like it was yesterday.

In those ten years, Carter has worked at a big law firm, been general counsel to the Presiden’t counsel on Bioethics, and now he’s a Professor.  Oh, and a dad and a husband.

I’ve worked at a big law firm, built and sold my own law firm, built another 7-figure business, written a book, and appeared on television as a legal expert a number of times.

Holy moly, it almost feels as if it’s happening to someone else.

And then I look around at lawyers who have had the same job for ten years, or those who have had no job at all, or not started a business, or haven’t had children and I wonder what’s the difference?

How is it that Carter and I have had all of this amazing stuff happen in just ten years?

If you would have asked Carter if he end up a Professor, he’d probably tell you no way.

If you would have asked me if I would end up an entrepreneur, TV expert, author I’d have said no way.

We were going to work at big law firms and become partners.  Because that’s what top-tier law school grads do.

And yet we didn’t.  We each realized within months of beginning our big firm jobs that it was unbearable to be so miserable and we didn’t just want to live in the misery and complain about it until we got used to it.   So we left.

And you can too.

Just imagine where you could be in ten years.  It’s never too late to start something new.