Making the Most of 40: My Plan to Attack the Next Two Years with Purpose
40 Isn’t the Finish Line—It’s the Launchpad.
I’ve got two years before I hit 40.
That’s 24 months, 730 days, which is a lot of time to build, grow, and push myself to new levels.
Some people see 40 as a finish line—like they’re supposed to have it all figured out by then. Not me; I’ll have double that left to live, and I want to win the long game of life.
I’m sharing my perspective and how you can do the same here:
40 is a milestone, a checkpoint, a chance to look back at what I’ve built and decide how I want to attack the next decade. Because the truth is, life isn’t slowing down. And if I don’t take control now, I’ll look up at 50, wondering where the time went.
I want it dialed in by 40 to ensure it’s maintaining and raising the bar to 50, not looking around at the big 5-0 and wishing I’d started 10 years earlier.
Four-Step Battle Plan
Time goes quickly, I think was from 2004, I was 17.
Step 1: Get Real About Where I Am Today
Before I can move forward, I need to be brutally honest about my situation.
My strengths, weaknesses, missed opportunities, and distractions have prevented me from achieving my goals.
The first move to moving this trajectory to one that is more in my favor?
A full-life audit.
I need to see what’s working and what’s wasting my time. I wrote about this in “Embracing Change: The Key to Thriving as You Grow Older” where I explained how taking inventory of one's life exposes blind spots and hidden potential.
Prioritizing What Fires Me Up
I’m asking myself:
What makes me feel alive?
What activities make me lose track of time?
What would I do every day even if I wasn’t getting paid for it?
I explored this in “Living Life on Your Own Terms”, which was about rediscovering the things that light a fire inside you. To make the next two years count, I must focus on what matters to me and disregard what I’m carrying around just because it’s what I used to do.
This was one of the reasons I sold my ownership share in the Fraternity of Excellence and transitioned to being a Lifetime member. I love what I built, but the requirements needed to grow it further were best suited for someone else. I had to ask myself, “Am I doing this because I want to, or am I doing this because other people want me to?” And I knew the answer, which allowed me to take action.
Step 2: Build a Blueprint for the Next 2 Years
Clarity without action is just daydreaming.
I need a clear vision of what life will be like when I reach 40.
Here’s what I’m doing:
Writing Out My Vision: This is my “True North”—where I want to be, what I want to build, and who I need to become.
Adjusting Habits: I cannot get to level 10 in life if I have level 5 habits.
Evaluating What’s Working: If something is no longer bringing me towards my objectives, it needs to go; this goes for behaviors and people alike. I must place my vision before everything else, and that will be the same for you.
Step 3: Move. Fast. Now.
Try New Things to Expand Range
I need to push myself into uncomfortable territory—physically, mentally, and emotionally. In my piece "Unlocking Photography: Taking the First Shot," I wrote about how, at 36, I decided to become a professional photographer—and I did.
“Smart thinkers are beaten by dumb-doers daily.” - Me
Before I turn 40, there may be other things I want to do.
However, I must always lower my guard to allow myself the opportunity to change and fail in my attempts to do something new.
Many people told me I should not take up photography and instead focus on other areas. If I’d listened, I would not have started on this journey, which has been profitable and personally satisfying for two years.
We must all be prepared to change our ways and be open to the idea that sometimes friendships, jobs, and hobbies are only meant to last for some time and not all time.
Step 4: Prepare for the Hits & Keep Swinging
Setbacks are coming—I already know that.
I’m going to get injured and sick, I’ll face financial hits, there will be disagreements with close friends and family, and failures, unexpected detours, and moments where quitting feels easier than pushing forward will arise; I know this.
I also accept this and desire it because this is how life works; it’s not meant to be a walk in the park. I do not want extra battles, but I welcome those that cannot be avoided with a positive and focused mindset.
Every completed challenge, every step forward—it all adds up.
The position in life I expect to hold when I am 40 requires effort, and attaining it will have been hard-earned.
The Clock is Ticking—Time to Go All In
I’ve got two years before I hit 40, and I’m making every day count.
This isn’t about a midlife crisis or a fear of aging, as I have no fear of getting old or dying (Read here for more). It’s about stepping fully into the man I was meant to be and using that milestone as a target for a timeline.
No matter what milestone you’re looking at 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, etc…
The above concepts apply to you; there’s no excuse to stop trying to build a life you love to live.
Set goals, adjust, and achieve them.
- Zac Small