I am 70 this week, and I’m just warming up!

The milestone of turning 70 has nearly arrived, and I have always wondered what it would feel like. I am delighted to say that it feels good. I feel healthier than I have for a long time. I have the energy I didn’t expect to have at this age, and my business is growing and developing.
 
I love what I do, and my mindset plays a huge role in how I feel and act. I am extremely positive, and when things do go wrong, and they do, I respond by finding the seed of something positive in that negative situation. There is always a seed of something positive in every negative situation.
 
If you find that seed, you can move forward with something positive, and this makes all the difference.
 
Much of my time is spent being grateful for the good things in my life and the lessons I have learned from my bad experiences. When my thoughts are positive, my feelings are directly affected, and I feel optimistic and energised. This, in turn, gives me vitality and motivation and a desire to keep doing what I do well into my 80’s.  
 
 
Time Management
 
My time management techniques are crucial to living a healthy life. I am organised and work on the most important things that directly impact my business or me. I schedule time for lunch and mini breaks between blocks of focused work.
 
I don’t work in the evenings or weekends because I don’t need to, as I double my productivity during the working day by using these time management techniques, which work.
 
Because of my laser-like, undisturbed focus, I achieve 2 hours of productivity for every hour worked, and I achieve 8 hours of productivity by early afternoon. This is all down to outstanding time management applied consistently every day. I integrate emotions into my time management techniques, resulting in a highly satisfying, organised, productive day.
 
By finishing my day in an extremely specific way, I can fully relax in the evening, enjoying Julie’s company, eating a meal and watching box sets on TV, never once thinking about work. When I start work in the morning, I know exactly what I need to do, and that is when I start thinking about work again.
 
This time management style releases time for you to spend with your loved ones, and this is, for me, the most important thing you can do in life. I have read accounts of so many people who have become rich and believe they are extraordinarily successful but have missed their children growing up or have lost their partners. This is an abject failure in my mind!
 
I came across this article in Word for Today this week, and it resonated with me:
 
“A Christian psychologist writes: ‘Several months ago, I talked to a man who described one of the most painful experiences of his life. When he was seventeen, he was one of the stars on his high school football team.
 
But his father, a very successful man in the city, was always too busy to come and see him play. When the season’s final game came around, which happened to be the state championship, the boy was desperate to have his dad there.
 
The night of the big game, he was on the field warming up when he looked into the stadium just in time to see his father arrive with two other men, each wearing a business suit. They stood talking together for a moment or two and then left.
 
The man who told me this story is now fifty-eight years of age, and yet he had tears streaming down his cheeks as he relived that moment long ago.
 
‘It’s been forty years since that night, yet the rejection and pain are as vivid as ever. I was struck again by a father’s tremendous influence on his children. When he is uninvolved and doesn’t show love or care for them, it creates a vacuum that reverberates for decades.
 
My friend’s father died not long ago. As he stood by his dad’s body in the mortuary, he said, “Dad, I never really knew you. We could have shared so much love together –but you never had time for me.”’
 
If you’re a parent or grandparent, remember that children are a ‘gift’ from God. Treasure and enjoy them.”
 
 
Wow, this is incredibly powerful. Sometimes, we may underestimate our influence on children and adults when we are not present for them during crucial moments. Often, small gestures, such as witnessing their achievements or participating in celebrations, can make a significant difference.
 
 
Dubai
 
This afternoon, we leave for Manchester Airport and fly to Dubai tomorrow for a week to celebrate my 70th birthday on the 9th of February. I have chosen Dubai for the guaranteed beautiful weather and to enjoy activities and trips we have never experienced. I have been to Dubai five times to work but never had time to relax and enjoy the city.
 
We have things planned daily, including a speed boat tour, a meal to celebrate Julie’s birthday overlooking the Burj Khalifa hotel and the fountains, and a skywalk for me (definitely not Julie!).
 
On my birthday, we will tour the 7-star Burj Al Arab Hotel, followed by a meal in the hotel and a Cirque du Soleil-style show in the evening. On other days, we will take a jeep tour in the desert, among other exciting things.
 
I have had a picture of the Burj Al Arab Hotel on my Dream Board for over five years and have visualised eating inside the hotel hundreds of times. The picture of the hotel is from inside the restaurant, looking out at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel opposite. This image is essential as it represents us being inside the hotel.
 
 
A Dream comes true
 
We both remember the first trip to Dubai around seven years ago when money was really tight. We sat outside Jumeirah Beach, looking at the Al Arab and hoping to be inside the hotel one day. We watched the helicopters fly in with guests, and we shared a drink because we couldn’t afford a drink each!
 
It is a dream come true, and I have to say that I am rather excited about this trip and how it demonstrates the remarkable growth and improvement in my life.
 
I like to live life to the fullest, and I decided to celebrate my 70th this way because I am fit and well. Worldwide evidence demonstrates that the more positive we are, the mentally and physically healthier we are.
 
This is undoubtedly the case for me because I vividly remember when I was 60, living with my mum, single after two failed marriages, deep in debt, depressed, decorating to pay the bills, with low energy and poor health. I couldn’t see a future, and my thoughts went down a very dark path.  
 
I can’t believe that ten years later, I feel so much fitter, healthier, and happier because I have personally developed mental resilience, I have a very strong faith in God, and I am married to the love of my life.
 
 
Thoughts for the week

1. Do you spend enough time with the people closest to you?
2. If you do well, well done and please keep this up.
3. If you don’t, please address this issue. Work can take over your life, but don’t live with lifelong regret by missing the essential things which are crucially important.  
4. This week, think about this and see if you can start to carve out some time to be with them regularly. 

 
Well, that’s it for this week. Have a wonderful weekend and keep believing in yourself.
 
Warm regards

John