Sam Horn - Someday Is Not a Day in the Week: 10 Hacks to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life

The thing is, we think we have time.

B UDDHA

My dad thought he had time. His dream was to visit all the National Parks when he retired. As Director of Vocational Ag Education for the state of California, he spent five or six days a week driving hundreds of miles to high schools and county fairs to advise FFA (Future Farmers of America) students on their projects. He was an honorable man who felt a deep obligation to make an enduring difference for the people in his programs. He achieved that goal. But at a cost.

Dad finally took off on his long-delayed dream a week after he retired. A week after that, he had a stroke in a hotel bathroom. Dad never got to visit the Grand Tetons, the Great Smoky Mountains, Banff, or Zion. He never got to do what he had dreamed of doing his whole life.

I dont want that to happen to me.

I dont want that to happen to you.

I dont want that to happen to anyone.

The good news is, you dont need to quit your job, win the lottery, or walk away from your responsibilities to make your life more of what you want it to be.

There are things you can do right here, right now to be happier, healthier, and more fulfilled.

Im speaking from experience.

Three years ago, I took my business on the road for a Year by the Water.

It was a marvelous experience, but it wasnt the places I visited that stood out, it was the people I met. In particular, the people who told me, Someday Im going to do something like that.

The thing is, as my dad and millions like him have discovered the hard way, someday is not a day in the week.

As Paulo Coelho says, One day you will wake up and there wont be any more time to do the things youve always wanted. One Day or Day One. You decide.

I hope this book is Day One of the rest of your life.

I hope the adventures and insights youre about to read inspire you to realize that today is the only day you have for sure and you choose to live accordingly.

I hope you choose to stop waiting and start creating the quality of life you want, need, and deserve nownot later.

The world is not made up of atoms; its made up of stories.

M URIEL R UKEYSER

If you enjoy reading inspirational books like Wild or Eat, Pray, Love, youre in the right place. Its reassuring to read someones story and realize, You mean Im not the only one who has struggled or who has felt like that? It is motivating to see how other people have been able to get clear on what they want, overcome challenges, and change their lifefor good.

Thats why every chapter in this book starts with a story, a story from me or from people Ive met along the way. People who live in small towns and big cities. People of all ages and all ethnic and economic backgrounds. People who realized the clock was ticking and decided to do something differently instead of wait for the proverbial someday that will never come.

An engineer named Bob said, Stories are nice but Im a left-brainer. I like spreadsheets and blueprints. Do you provide a process we can follow to make this easy to understand and apply?

Good question, Bob. After reviewing my lessons learned and those of the people Ive interviewed, I realized there are steps many of us have taken to make our life more fulfilling.

I call these steps Life Hacks, based on a colleague who modeled how hacking can tap into proven best practices, expedite results, and offer a shortcut to success.

Dave Asprey was a three-hundred-pound computer whiz. He was a genius at his job but was a frustrated single guy. No matter what diet he tried or how hard he exercised, he couldnt lose weight.

One day, he had an epiphany. If I can hack computers, I bet I can hack my own biology.

You may know the rest of that story. Based on his research, Dave discovered the health-improving powers of pure coconut oil. He created BulletProof Coffee, which has grown into a global empire with a podcast and an annual summit. Dave is walking, talking proof of what can happen when you hack what isnt working and create something that does. He is a vibrant entrepreneur, father, and husband who loves his life, family, business, and good health.

I thought, If Dave can do it, so can I. And so can you.

A real decision is measured by the fact that youve taken a new action. If theres no action, you havent truly decided.

T ONY R OBBINS

The Ten Life Hacks, reflected in this books ten sections, are actions you can take to create a more fulfilling life, sooner, not later. Please note: These hacks are a framework, not a formula.

Im not saying that if you do all of them, happiness is guaranteed. That would be hubris.

I am saying, These are happiness dots Ive collected, connected, and curated that have helped me and others improve our quality of life. Im sharing them in the hopes they might be of interest and value to you. Please take what resonates with you and works for you.

Remember those coloring books we had growing up where you drew between the numbered dots to see what emerged? The picture became clearAha. Its a cat!as you connected the dots.

Thats what I hope happens with these Life Hacks. As you read these chapters and act on the Hacks, the dots will connect as to how to create a more authentic life. A clearer picture will emerge of what you want your life to look and feel like. It will, all of a sudden, make more sense.

LIFE HACK 1:EvaluateYour Happiness History

LIFE HACK 2:Generate a Today, Not Someday Dream

LIFE HACK 3:Abdicate Outdated Beliefs and Behaviors

LIFE HACK 4:Initiate Daily Actions that Move Your Life Forward

LIFE HACK 5:Celebrate Whats Right with Life, Right Here, Right Now

LIFE HACK 6:Affiliate with People Who Have Your Back and Front

LIFE HACK 7:Integrate Your Passion and Profession

LIFE HACK 8:Negotiate for What You Want, Need, and Deserve

LIFE HACK 9:Innovate a Fresh Start

LIFE HACK 10:Relocate to Greener Pastures

Has first baseman Don Mattingly exceeded expectations?

A REPORTER

Id say hes done more than that.

Y OGI B ERRA

If you want this book to exceed your expectations, keep a pen in hand so you can make notes in the margins and answer the questions in the Readers Guide at the back of the book. The more actively you involve yourself in reading this book, the more likely you are to turn your intentions into life-changing results.