I was recently watching a video on YouTube and the subject of an hour interview, an ex-convict turned farmer, spoke a bit about the power manifesting your own destiny. Here’s the outtake (1:01:28):
I’ve never had much discipline when it comes to setting personal goals. First off, I’m not super competitive or ambitious by nature. I’ve had some good fortune in my life where many of the things I hold most important have fallen into my lap, almost by accident.
Second, I’m a bit of a “people pleaser” in my personal & professional life. My wife and daughter’s needs always come first, and maybe to my own detriment, so do the needs of my job. I’m generally not a great advocate for myself and just want people around me to be happy.
I’m not sure there’s a third specific example, but you probably get the point. I’m not a particularly strategic person, at least in my personal life. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, and I’m 47. To date, I’ve relied on hard work and the universe to provide, so envisioning the future in order to make it come true is a bit of a foreign concept.
But when I close my eyes and think about fishing, there are definitely some things I see myself doing in the future. Some near term and others long, but all worth jotting down. My version of the pictures drawn mentioned in the video above.
Live somewhere trouty
I’ve lived somewhere decidedly not “trouty” for the past 11 years. I need to change that. I want to fish more, for the fish I like to catch, in the kind of places I like to catch them. Living 8 miles, rather than 8 hours from a good trout stream is where I want to be. It’s where I want to settle down. More trees, less asphalt.
Have a grand adventure
Patagonia, British Columbia, New Zealand, Hokkaido, something big. Something far. I want an adventure where I’m doing nothing but fishing and experiencing my surroundings for more than a long weekend. No family responsibilities, no checking work emails, just exploring, fishing, and stepping outside of my comfort zone.
Get more fit
This one is totally on me. I’ve gotten distracted and lazy over the past few years. My metabolism is slower. My appetite and waistline is bigger. I love to hike in a few miles and wade fish. I love hopping over rocks and other in-stream obstacles to get that extra cast in. I don’t need six pack abs, but losing (more than) a few pounds and working on overall flexibility will go a long way toward keeping me mobile and in the water in the future. This is the most achievable, the earliest.
Settle in socially
Perhaps this dovetails with living somewhere trouty, but I’d like some local fishing friends that I’m able to see regularly. I have great fishing friends, all made through common interests and social media. We do fish in person, but due to geographic proximity, the frequency is irregular. I envision becoming a regular at a local fly shop, maybe being a member of a club or TU chapter, or just have a handful of buddies to tie flies with or grab a bite to eat with after a day together on the stream. While I enjoy the solitude of fishing, it’s been too long since I’ve really enjoyed its social aspects.
Okay, now that I’ve written them down, I don’t think any of those goals are crazy. Certainly, none of them are unachievable. I guess now it’s all on me, because this fishing future isn’t going to manifest itself…
Mike, think Europe for a big adventure.