One Final Shot: 15 Opportunities That Are Going Away Soon

You have all the time in the world until your world suddenly doesn't have much time left. This year might be your last chance, so here are 15 things you've got one last chance to do.

First up, change career fields. We seem to be at a breaking point here. Across different industries, we're seeing thousands of people being laid off or being prepared to be laid off; they just don't know it yet. There are reports that Amazon is actively making the work environment miserable, forcing employees to quit rather than firing them so they can avoid the bad press. In tech, the phrase of the month seems to be "job cuts." The gaming industry is one of the fastest growing entertainment districts, and it still didn't manage to avoid the seemingly inevitable layoffs. All in all, it seems like this might be your last chance to consolidate your position professionally. Now, of course, we don't know what will happen for sure, but we do have some predictions, which you'll hear about this Sunday.

Get in shape. Realistically, it takes about a year to get in something you can confidently say is in shape, but the longer you wait, the longer you need to achieve that. And when the world is demanding more and more of your time and attention, you suddenly find yourself in a place where you have to sacrifice a lot to have the time and energy needed to get healthier. You've got access to the most advanced medical care known to humankind up to this point, yet very few people can actually afford to access it, and it's not about to get any easier.

Buy a home. Slowly but surely, the vast majority of people are being priced out of the housing market. A normal job barely affords you a decent place to rent, and currently, there are no signs that this is going to change anytime soon. At the rate we're going, owning anything would be out of the question for most people. You'll have to be either extremely valuable to a company or own the entire thing in order to also afford your own place. The dream of owning your own sanctuary is deeply personal; it's a place in the world that's uniquely yours, but in this extremely challenging market, the list of ways to make that dream a reality gets shorter every day.

Play it nice and cozy. Compare your average day pre-pandemic to your average day today. Chances are it's a way more hectic, chaotic, and uncertain vibe, if you will. It seems off, like something isn't right. Well, you might be on to something, my friend. The name of the game slowly transitions from nice and steady to go hard or go home. There isn't much time left to ponder or daydream; the world is moving too fast and changing too quickly for you to do that.

Visit your dream destination. If there's a place you've always wanted to visit, chances are it's already changed a lot compared to your image of it. Whether it's the environmental impact or political and social changes, chances are your dream vacation only exists in your mind. Add in the Instagram versus reality effect, and your list of dream destinations gets even shorter. That's not to say there are no cool places to visit left, but they might not remain that cool for much longer.

Reconnect with old friends. Before life gets even more hectic, take the opportunity to reconnect with old friends. These are the people who knew you before the world told you who you should be. We often lose touch with those who once played significant roles in our lives. Reach out, reminisce, and rekindle those friendships. You never know what doors these renewed connections might open or what comfort they might bring in times where you need it most.

Live abroad. The transformation from tourist to local is extremely interesting when you become a part of a new place and you get accustomed to a totally different way of living life. Your perspective changes a lot. The main thing you realize is that there are way more ways to experience life. Some people commute for hours each week, some people go surfing each week, and some people go hunting. These are totally different experiences, yet they're all considered normal in that particular part of the world. These kinds of things teach you that there's way more outside of the bubble than you've created around yourself, and it makes you more courageous, more adventurous, and more confident in figuring stuff out.

However, the responsibilities that come with life are only growing. It never gets easier to do such a thing unless you manage to win the game.

Start that project that's been on your mind for years. Technically speaking, you can become successful at any point in your life because you only need to be right once. Realistically speaking, you grossly underestimate the time it'll take you to be in such a position and the real likelihood of success. This might be the last chance to put things in motion if you want to actually get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. You see, 10 years go slowly when you're building something and really fast when you're doing nothing.

Make a huge bet, and by this we mean putting all of your effort toward a single goal. Not betting your house at the casino. There are very few decisions that hugely impact your life and the quality of it, but by far the most impactful one is what you decide to do with your productive hours and where you choose to deploy your full attention and effort. You see, your productive hours and undivided attention are slowly going down. You don't become more efficient and more productive by nature; you only become that once something bigger than you is forcing you to act that way. And since it takes around 7 to 8 years for a bet like this to pay off, how many bets do you still have in you?

Do something meaningful just for you. Taking care of a garden, writing a book, creating a work of art, fostering an abandoned dog—all of these things only have meaning for you. They're meant only for you and your soul, but if you don't do them when your soul asks for it, you eventually forget about it, and they lose importance. Only to find out later in life that you've been missing out.

Learning a hard skill. You see, there's no such thing as being too old for this crap. You eventually get outdated, especially if you're not used to learning new stuff on a consistent basis. And in the moment we're in right now, this might be your very last chance to set the foundation of a solid hard skill. The reality is there aren't that many people who can confidently say they are proficient at doing something palpable, and in that same reality, those people will eventually get cut off. It might be a smart idea to make sure you're not becoming a part of that group.

A big break to reassess the situation. Sometimes the only way to see things clearly is to take a big step back and look at your life from afar. For some, that means taking a sabbatical; for others, it might be a month-long vacation to a quiet place. We found it extremely beneficial to take these opportunities whenever we could, but there are times to reevaluate, and then there are times when you need to commit.

If you can afford to take a step back to see things from a different perspective, then my friend, take it.

Find your North Star. There's great power in believing in something bigger than you. We're not talking about God here; we're talking about something that's within your reach but far enough away that it will take serious effort to get there. An ideal, a way of living, something that really makes you excited for all of this effort to be worth it. You need to give it meaning.

Be authentic. Everyone looks the same until AI models came along—looking the same but asking for less. There might come a time when being truly authentic is a huge advantage, impossible to replicate. It's time to fully embrace what makes you you. Your personal story, your individual thoughts, and your unique way of seeing the world are a part of your strength. Double down on what makes you tick because chances are you'll find other people with the same itch.

Finally, experiment. In an ideal world, every position should have the freedom to experiment with different ways of living life or earning a living. Unfortunately, that's not the reality we're living in, and the option to experiment with different stuff is a true luxury. If you have it, consider yourself lucky and take full advantage of it.

Now, a bonus for sticking with us until the end: living up to your full potential.

All right, so sit down with yourself and ask the following question: I have 100% potential; how much of it am I willing to take advantage of? 20%? 50%? Maybe? Or what would my life look like if I took advantage of the full range of my abilities? If the answer is 100%, well, it's time to get to work, my friend. Write "100%" in the comments if that's your answer to the question. We'll see you back here on Sunday.

Alexir, take care.