An Ultra Life

by Sue Aquila

This is a year of celebrations for me: my business is 15 years old, we’re celebrating our 15th anniversary in our relationship and my daughter graduates from high school to attend the college of her choice this fall.

Yes, I am smiling today. On one hand, I believe my life is really the result of a lot of luck. On the other hand, I have been fortunate to be surrounded by some excellent teachers.

Most of my closest friends happen to be older than me. Whether they know it or not, I tend to emulate the things they have done to be successful in their lives:

• Marriages/Partners - My friends stay married and work hard at their marriages. They believe that all things (including family and work) flow from a strong relationship. They put the one they love before all others. Period.
  
  
• Family - My friends treat their families with love, care, devotion and respect. In my extended family, we have family dinner every Thursday night to talk, laugh and eat. Now that my daughter is almost 18 (and has a life of her own), she knows that every Sunday night she is expected home for our immediate family dinner. No exceptions.
  
  
• Work - My friends use work as a means to explore other passions in their lives and provide the tangible rewards to fund their relationships and family.
  
  
• Health - My friends focus on their personal fitness by keeping their weight in check and being as physically healthy as possible. Triathlon provides me the opportunity to enjoy working out and to have a goal in competition.

I had a great unorthodox professor for a doctoral class in higher ed. He explained that although many people and organizations invest a lot of time and money in a strategic plan, they are worthless once they are completed. Everything changes.

I think of my life strategic plan like a train track. I have a direction I want to go and a parallel path framed by the tenets I have observed to live a life of value. These are the same truths we experience in our microcosm of triathlon:

• Time is your most valuable asset
• Have a plan
• Work your plan
• Consistency leads to success
• Keep your easy days easy and your hard days hard
• Embrace the pain but not the fear
• Love and humor improve everything
• You are surrounded by teachers

I have my first race of the season this weekend. As the short taper begins, I find myself in a reflective mood. I am hoping for lots of luck on Sunday but I am relying on all the lessons I have learned as I toe the start line. I have great teachers...

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