The Four 7’s
Lessons on life priorities
What really matters in life. Where do you put your priorities? I wanted to share a tool that helps provide clarity into how you will define success and riches at the end of your life. This exercise came from the lessons that hospice providers learned from their patients in the last days of their lives. When the time comes to transition out of this life, it isn’t the money we have accumulated, the car we drive, or the houses we live in. The Four 7’s will help you find that same clarity when you still have your entire life ahead of you. Get out a piece of paper, pen, and get ready to find clarity in your life.
The First 7
Take a moment to imagine that you know 7 years from today, that your life will end. With the knowledge that you have less than a decade remaining in this world, what do you still want to accomplish? Is it to sell your company or hike the Inca trail Machu Picchu? Make a list of everything you still have left to achieve or reach your full potential.
The Second 7
What would you want to accomplish if you knew that 7 months from today you would be leaving this earth? Make a list of the things you need to do in this life if you have just over half a year to live. Is it take the once-in-a-lifetime trip to Bali or try skydiving. Take a few minutes to really think about what you would prioritize and make sure happened
The Third 7
Now it’s getting harder, the third 7 is weeks. With less than two months in this lifetime, what’s left for you to do? It could be preparations like wills, financial security for your family, or the conversations that must be had. Family members to be forgiven (or asked for forgiveness), relationships that still require closure, or finishing the novel you always wanted to write.
The Fourth 7
The final 7 is the hardest but also the most valuable. The last 7 is days. With one week left in this life, how will you spend each precious second? What will you do to suck the marrow out the remaining life you have left? Make a list of how you would choose to spend the last few days of this life if you have the knowledge that it was coming to an end.
When we are facing our mortality, our only true wealth is measured in quality relationships, memories, and life experiences. It’s not the size of your house, your fame, the car you drove or the money you made. None of that matters when the sun is setting on our life. What really matters are things like having breakfast with your kids, making love with your partner, or watching the sunrise. Many of the things that end up on the list are possible even in self-isolation. I hope that this tool helped provide clarity into what matters to you.