Flipping the Script on a Life Lived in Countdown Mode

Ceremony.

In one week, my husband and I attended a funeral, a college graduation, and a wedding. The full spectrum of life—grief, celebration, and new beginnings—all in a matter of days. It stirred a range of emotions and made me reflect on how I’ve always counted down to milestones.

I’m a very goal-oriented person. I lived my life on a script written by 17-year-old Erica: graduate college in four years, marry by 25, kids by 30. And if I could beat those expectations? Even better. That drive often superseded any deeper examination of whether those choices were truly what I wanted or what was good for me at the time.

Some of those milestones worked out. Others didn’t. But I’m thankful for the ones that didn’t because they forced me to slow down. To truly be in my life. The good, the bad, the messy, and the fun.

I know this reeks of journey-versus-destination talk, but it’s hard to change the channel when you’ve been living in countdown mode for so long. It even seeped into parenting. Get through teething. Get them potty-trained. Move on to the next thing. I was always pushing forward, only to realize I had hurried through a lot of their lives and mine.

Sitting in those ceremonies—the funeral, the graduation, and the wedding—further solidified my resolve to approach my future in a different way. I’m trading in my countdown timer. I’m flipping the script. And I’m choosing to build up to something. A something that I am still working on without preconceived expectations, but what I want to bring into the world.

Going off script feels scary. Risky.
But so does imagining the end of this ride and knowing I never went for it.

If you’re ready to stop counting down and start building something that’s truly yours, I’d love to walk that journey with you.

Book a free clarity call if you want to explore what that next step could look like for you.