I came across an Instagram post recently that made me stop scrolling. It was a carousel built around nine simple ideas: think bigger, move faster, be different, build systems, take responsibility, lead yourself, build real relationships, be strong and present, and ultimately, make this chapter your best one.
That last idea really stuck with me.
Maybe it’s because of where I am in my own life. Maybe it’s because I’m constantly having conversations with people who are successful on paper but still feel like something is missing. Or maybe it’s simply because the older I get, the more aware I become that time isn’t something we get back.
And that changes the conversation.
What Are You Doing With This Chapter?
It’s easy to keep waiting for the right time. Waiting until the business is where you want it. Until the kids are a little older. Until you have more money. Until work slows down. Until you’re less stressed. Until you finally have the time to take care of yourself.
Until someday.
But here’s the problem with someday: someday isn’t guaranteed.
I don’t say that to be morbid. I actually find it incredibly motivating. There’s something freeing about acknowledging that our time is limited because it forces us to ask better questions about how we’re spending it.
Are you building the business you actually want? Are you taking care of your body and your health? Are you spending enough time with the people you love? Are you present when you’re with them? Are you surrounding yourself with people who make you better? Are you still growing, challenging yourself, and having some fun?
And maybe the biggest question of all:
Are you building a life that you actually want to live—not just one that looks good from the outside?
Those are the conversations I find myself having more and more in my own life and with my coaching clients.
Because success isn’t just about accomplishing more. It’s about becoming the person who can handle what you say you want while still enjoying the life you’re building.
Discipline Matters. But So Does Design.
One of the ideas in the Instagram post was about building systems, and that really resonated with me.
I see this all the time with busy professionals and entrepreneurs. People often think they need more motivation when what they really need is a better system.
They need routines that protect their health, boundaries that protect their time, and habits that make the important things easier to do consistently.
They need a structure that allows them to pursue meaningful goals without sacrificing everything else in their lives.
That’s a big part of what I believe coaching should do.
It’s not about creating another giant list of things you’re supposed to accomplish. It’s about stepping back and asking what you actually want your life and work to look like—and then building the habits, systems, and behaviors that support that vision.
Because what’s the point of building a successful business if you don’t have the energy to enjoy your life?
What’s the point of being productive if you’re constantly exhausted?
And what’s the point of achieving your goals if the people you love rarely get to experience the best version of you?
The People Around You Matter
Another idea in the post was about building real relationships and surrounding yourself with people who challenge, support, and inspire you.
I couldn’t agree more.
We’re not meant to do this alone. The right people make us better. They challenge our thinking, call us out when we’re making excuses, celebrate our wins, and remind us who we are when we’re having a rough stretch.
And sometimes, they simply remind us to have some fun.
That’s important, too.
Your life shouldn’t become one giant performance review.
Be ambitious. Work hard. Build something meaningful. But don’t forget to actually enjoy the damn thing.
Make This Chapter Count
I don’t know exactly what the next 40 years—or however many years any of us have—will look like. None of us does.
But I do know that we get to decide what we do with the chapter we’re in right now.
We can keep waiting. We can keep telling ourselves we’ll get to our health, relationships, adventures, and dreams when things finally calm down.
Or we can start making some different choices.
We can:
- Think bigger.
- Take more responsibility for the life we’re creating.
- Build better habits and systems.
- Protect our time and energy.
- Lead ourselves before trying to lead everyone else.
- Invest in relationships that make us better.
- Be more present.
- Have more fun.
- Create something meaningful that outlasts us.
I don’t know exactly what my next chapter will look like, but I know I want to be intentional about it.
How do I make this chapter my best one?
That’s the question I’m sitting with right now.
And maybe it’s a question worth asking yourself, too.
Not next year. Not when things calm down.
Now.
If you’re an entrepreneur or busy professional who wants to improve your performance, health, habits, and overall quality of life, that’s exactly the work I love doing through Running Water Coaching.
In person in Folsom / Sacramento or online, wherever you are.
The Instagram carousel that inspired this reflection can be viewed here. View the Instagram post that inspired this article.