“Which is more important,” asked Big Panda, “the journey or the destination?”
“The company,” said Tiny Dragon. – from Big Panda and Tiny Dragon, a book by James Norbury
It hasn’t been an easy path, but in the last few years, I’ve found myself in an enduring state of contentment. At age 53, I truly feel like I’m the best version of myself.
“You’re thriving,” said my husband, Alan, a silent observer known for his succinct, two-sentence summaries. “You’re in environments where you can flourish and are amongst people who help bring out the best in you.”
Alan wasn’t wrong. During the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, I went through some rapid and unexpected shifts in my personal and professional lives. After the dust of these whirlwinds of change finally settled, it felt like a new dawn.
So, when my birthday rolled around, I decided that I wasn’t going to fret over my newest cluster of white hairs. Instead, I was going to embrace my age and celebrate life. To that end, I’ve launched what I call Project 53 – a collection of personal goals themed around the numbers “5” and “3” – to be tackled over the next 53 weeks.
Project 53
- Paint 50 x 3 hours.
- Read 5,300 pages.
- Write 5,300 words.
- Get rid of 50 x 3 things.
- Swim 53 km.
- Bike 53 km/week.
- Run 50 x 30 km.
- Do 53 hours of non-triathlon exercise.
- Spend 53 hours stretching and/or on recovery.
- Eat 53
bags of potato chipssalads. - Lose 5.3 kg.
- Do 53 fun things (big or small).
- Take 53 photos with 53 of my favorite people.
- Try at least 5 new things, 3 of which I’d be willing to repeat.
- Go on 5 trips of at least 3 days each.
- Attend or host/organize 5 x 3 social functions.
- Volunteer at least 5 x 3 hours.
- Donate $500 x 3 to charities that are important to me, or that are important to people who are important to me.
- Do 53 floor push-ups in a row to coach Greg’s standard.
BONUS (To ring in the next year): Do 1 chin-up.
Project 53 is about many things. It’s about goals and gratitude. It’s about being intentional with how and whom I spend this precious commodity of time. It’s about the journey, the destination, and most importantly of all – about the company along the way.
