Achievement Archives - Blocks of Life

August 17, 2024July 1, 2024 by Pete Wiley

Every Moment is a Transition

Change is a good thing. But, sheesh, enough already.

Last year, I retired from a job I held for 36 years and am devoting myself to Blocks of Life full-time. I’m still in the midst of that transition, but I’m barely making the top five in terms of the transitions around me. My wife is retiring next week, my mother is turning 90 (also next week), and my son recently began his first full-time job. Needless to say, parties abound, and I’m just trying to keep up. Transitions are the specific manifestations of an evolving life. Although they can cause anxiety and are not always thought of in a completely positive light, they should always be celebrated.

September 3, 2022September 5, 2022 by Pete Wiley

Celebrating Milestones—A Time to Pause and Reflect

My family makes a big deal about birthdays. We decorate the house for my son’s birthday in July, and keep it decorated right through my wife’s birthday in mid-September (mine is in early September). Like many anniversaries, birthdays are just ways to count another year going by (and an opportunity to eat and drink well!). But milestones go beyond tracking time and having celebrations. For many, they have a deeper meaning. They honor an auspicious occasion and/or allow us to recognize the significance of others’ presence in our lives. They’re also great opportunities to take stock of our lives—where we’ve been and where we’re going. To me, milestones are important, and reflecting on them contributes significantly to giving my life meaning.

Vision. A woman being specific about her life vision and goals.

February 29, 2020June 16, 2019 by Pete Wiley

What We Really Want—Making Our Vision a Reality

When you think about what you want from life, what do you immediately see?Like anything we try to achieve in our lives, we will be much more likely to be successful if we are specific and intentional. Creating and continuously honing our idea of what success looks like is an important aspect of achieving our goals as well as developing goals that will make our lives meaningful. Most of us, if asked what we want from life, should at least be able to answer in general terms—raising happy, healthy children, providing for our families, happiness. But how many have a deeper or more specific answer at the ready—a vision for their lives and a path to making that vision a reality?

in Mindful / Proactive / Uncategorized 0 comments

May 11, 2019December 9, 2018 by Pete Wiley

Aspire

That little voice inside your head? What guff has that guy been feeding you now?

When you’re thinking about your dreams and aspirations, you might discuss them with your friends, your family, or your parents. These people might tell you that you can do anything you set your mind to, or they might tell you not to try so you won’t be disappointed. They may have your best interest at heart, or they may have ulterior motives.

But the bottom line is that they don’t know you the way you know you.

Throughout your life, you will get a lot of advice. Some of it will be awful. Some of it will be right on the money. Some will be unsolicited, from passing acquaintances, and some welcome, from people who know you well.

But none of it will be from the most knowledgeable perspective. That perspective is yours and yours alone.

in Open Mind / Proactive 0 comments

November 24, 2018September 14, 2018 by Pete Wiley

Goals

Are you doing what you want with your life?

Is your life what you expected? Are you accomplishing what you set out to do?

These kinds of questions are related to a more fundamental question: What are the reasons and motivations behind our life goals?

We all want to live a “good life,” but what does that mean? Success can mean vastly different things to different people, but there are presumably some common reasons that we each take our respective paths.

Some of these might include subsistence, happiness, fulfillment, having a legacy, or making an impact on the world.

What are the reasons for your life goals? What would success look like?

in Mindful / Proactive 0 comments