Why “Once in a Lifetime” Should Be More About the Lifetime

Rarely does a “once in a lifetime” experience meet your expectations. You build it up so much that it couldn’t possibly live up to those astronomical thoughts.

But sometimes, a mountaintop experience really does happen.

Last week, it was six days of nearly perfect weather in Scotland, 180 holes of golf on some of the oldest and best courses in the world, with three of my closest friends. For an avid golfer, that’s as good as it gets.

While I’m incredibly grateful and the memories will last a lifetime, I was also ready for it to end. I wanted to get back to my family. I wanted to get back to coaching. I wanted to get back to teaching. I wanted to get back to work.

That’s when I realized: “once in a lifetime” must be more about the lifetime than the once.

Too often, we live for the “once” more than the “lifetime.” We build our lives and careers around peak moments instead of falling in love with the journey that gets us there.

• It’s the couple who only want the wedding reception, not the marriage.

• It’s the athlete who only wants the Super Bowl, not the practice.

• It’s the entrepreneur who wants the exit, not the effort to reach it.

• It’s the family who wants the vacation, not the family dinner.

Enjoy the “once in a lifetime” moments when they come, I sure did. They are incredible.

But once they’re over, get back to doing what you’re called to do. Refuse to look down on the ordinary moments, because they matter just as much. And remember, “Once in a lifetime” must be more about the lifetime than the once.

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