When a project concludes, there is a natural opportunity for evaluation. This is because clarity always comes at the end. And in some cases, the evaluation cannot be avoided.
Take for example, a sports team. At the end of a season, the team has either won or lost. If they have lost, the team will undoubtedly evaluate their season. Even if there is no formal meeting among the team, the reality of not winning will force introspection.
The players’ minds will naturally evaluate the team members, how hard they worked, what strategy they employed, and what they could improve for next season.
Smart teams (and individuals) will formally dissect “last season” looking for solutions to improve their performance “next season.” But everyone will look back in one way or another. Finality has that effect on us.
Failing in an objective particularly forces self-reflection. And failure can only be fully known at the end.
The Olympic season is full of these moments, I’m sure.
The swimmer who falls just short of winning the race may wonder what would have happened if they trained just a little bit harder. The team who fails to qualify for the championship game may wonder what would have happened if they practiced together more. The coach whose decisions didn’t work out may wonder about the result had they studied more film.
But when the end arrives, there is no opportunity to go back and make changes. You can’t go back and train harder, practice more, lift more weights, or study extra film… the end has come and your opportunity has passed.
Albeit harsh at times, clarity always comes at the end.
Of course, this reality extends beyond athletics. We see it all around us.
When we receive our final grade at school, we know whether or not we succeeded in the course requirements.
When we set our sights on a weight loss goal, in the end, we realize whether we made enough (or the proper) adjustments to our lifestyle.
When we arrive at the end of a job, we can look back and evaluate whether we effectively fulfilled our role.
When we retire, we are able to fully analyze whether we achieved our professional objectives or not.
When our children move out of home, we are faced with questions if we did enough to prepare them for the road ahead.
When a relationship ends, we are able to look back with clarity on our contribution (or deduction) to it.
When we fail in a goal, we are left to wonder why.
And ultimately, at the end of our lives, if given the opportunity, we will undoubtedly look back with pride or regret at how we chose to live.
The end always brings clarity.
It also brings finality.
When the course is over, so is your opportunity. When your child moves out, so is that phase of parenting. On your deathbed, you can’t go back and change the previous decades.
Unfortunately, most of our lives are not lived with that sense of finality. As a result, we live many days with the assumption that “we can always do it later” or “there is time to change tomorrow.” And because we don’t believe we are at the end, we are less forced to look back and evaluate the trajectory of our lives and the decisions we make.
Urgency is difficult to manufacture.
But I believe this principle holds opportunity if we allow it.
The “end” of life’s major milestones are infrequent (for example: the end of an athletic season, the end of a career, the end of a parenting stage, or the end of life).
But every day provides opportunity for evaluation.
Every time I kiss my child goodnight, I can look back to evaluate if I was an intentional parent.
Every time I say good-night to Kim, I can evaluate if I was a faithful, loving spouse.
Every time I end the workday, I can evaluate if I gave my best to my work.
Every time I receive a bank statement or credit card statement, I can evaluate if I made wise decisions with my money last month.
Even every time I close a social media account on my computer, I can evaluate if I used the time and conversation in a healthy and productive fashion.
Clarity comes at the end. Maybe we need to recognize the significance of that more often.
Thank you! This really made me think about what are the important opportunities at this season of my life. I like the idea of evaluating the day as it ends, I can imagine it would make me more aware of time passing and thankful. Thank-you so much! Your articles keep me focused on whats important as I raise a young family.
Thanks Joshua. This reminded me that I must stop putting off important things like making time and effort to visit my family who I haven’t seen in the flesh since March 2020, and making a will.
On the plus side I am busy clutter clearing and amazed at how this is making me feel calmer and how much less time I spend looking for things!!! Happy to think that I won’t be leaving lots of stuff for my family to deal with.
Wonderful sentiments. Thank you!
Good point Joshua! We all need to learn how to count our days and use them the best we can. If we are too wrapped up in accumulating possessions or working our days will mean nothing in the end because we cannot take that to the grave. But the day of death can be better than the day of ones birth if we spend our time on worthy pursuits like helping people!
There is nothing like a cancer diagnosis for clarity. This is the gift I was given last year and it really has made me live more intentionally and fully than ever before. My life was good before my diagnosis but now I feel everything more deeply and life is more satisfying. The minimalist approach to life that I had already been using has been so helpful during my moments of difficulty as well as helping me move forward into survivorship. Thank you Joshua for your ongoing inspiration. I am truly grateful for people like you who wave the flag of people before things and giving to others above stockpiling for yourself.
Amen, Joshua!
My husband of 50 years died in February and I realized on looking back, there were so many ways I could have made him happy and I just didn’t take the time. I was always so centered on myself. While you have time, please appreciate your mate and do everything you can to support what makes them happy. It’s true. You don’t realize what you have until you lose it. Now is the time to get clarity on what’s really important.
It’s no surprise that I am reading this article today. I have been receiving messages about “Clarity” for about a week or so. This has been the most powerful and right on time.
Oftentimes after listening to the pastor’s message on Sunday morning, I’ll get the feeling he prepared the message just for me to deal with issues I may have right now. If you read my journaling from earlier this morning, I was analyzing my time management recently, where I am failing and steps I want to implement going forward to change course for the better. Being retired and living alone it’s all too easy to feel I’ll just do whatever I want, whenever I want and I fight against structure and schedule. But when I look back I see I do need structure to be satisfied with what I can do for others each day and not just focus on my whims. Thank you for this timely article reinforcing changes I am wanting and seeking
In graduate school, I had a professor who asked for his course evaluation in the middle of semester. He explained, if he waited until class was over, he would not be able to make changes based on feedback that would make class.better. Genius.
This is a brilliant article and I will pass it on to family and friends. Thank you for the inspiration and reality check. My hope is that I will plan more carefully on the front end of projects as a result, and will accept the clarity on the back end not as a failing, but as the wisdom that comes when it must.
What a transformative perspective. Isn’t it our nature to want clarity before starting or in the midst of a situation? It’s in doing the next right thing faithfully rather than striving for clarity we can’t achieve that helps us obtain better outcome, I think. Thanks for the wisdom!
So true that clarity comes at the end, along with finality. Sometimes we may be graced with another opportunity; another season, another interaction with someone who rubs us the wrong way, another social situation that brings an opportunity to enter into the life of another person and connect in a meaningful way. I love the ‘second chances’, where I get to do a better job, before the finality which can come at any time.
This is so very good! Timely, as I recently reminded myself to live as if today is my last day, in such a way as to please Jesus and bless those around me. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us all….God has made you wise. Keep seeking His wisdom.
Have a wonderful day as you purpose to end it well!
God’s blessings to you and your family,
Jo
My thoughts exactly, Jo!!! Blessings to your and Joshua’s family!!!
Everything you just expressed is closer to my own philosophy about clarity. People walk around carrying excess emotional and mental baggage…which drags them down with guilt and regret. If we give any goal and/or objective our best from the start…we can better deal with the finality of the results…be they “good’ or “bad”. Then we simply move on with life…knowing that there was nothing more we could have added to our efforts…and go on to the next adventure!
Oddly, the phrase that resonated most with me today upon reading this was “Even every time I close a social media account on my computer, I can evaluate if I used the time and conversation in a healthy and productive fashion.” Perhaps that’s just where I am right now. I’m reflecting on how more and more “slow movement” or “simplicity living” people are moving toward social media, very conscious of their need to go, go, go on social media, and it makes me reject it even more. I’m curious if you could share more about this journey of yours — the road to deleting social media accounts. It really seems like such an uphill climb.
If I understand your question correctly, sorry for the confusion. I didn’t mean “close a social media account on my computer” as delete the account entirely. I meant literally, “close the browser tab” on my computer. I have still my social media accounts. But every time I end a session, I have opportunity to evaluate if I used the time wisely.
I am going to take a more optimistic look at this…I hope clarity will come at the end of each step of minimizing…
I haven’t seen it like that. It’s a little scary knowing whether I made all the right choices will come at the end of my life.
In the meantime, all we can do is make choices based on what we think are the best choices and hope that things fall into place as a result.
This post got me thinking today.