My family is getting ready to go to Greece this summer. My husband will be teaching in Athens for five weeks and we're going with him. As a leadership coach, I am interested in modeling for and supporting my clients to lead lives of balance and adventure. However leading a balanced and adventure-filled life is an almost insurmountable proposition in our country given that the United States is the only "advanced" economy compared to 19 other countries that doesn't require employers to offer paid vacation or paid holidays to employees. Portugal and Australia lead the way.¹

Regardless of our situation, each of us must determine what balance and adventure looks like for ourselves and our families. It changes depending on our stage of life. In college I went to Kenya for 6 months and then after college worked and lived in Senegal. These were amazing adventures that have had a lasting imprint on me and shape who I am and what I do today. In my early 30s, I studied with Marsha Shenk, Founder of The BestWork® People for 15 months to develop my coaching practice, another adventure that profoundly impacted my professional trajectory.

What's it going to take for us to remember that we only have one life to live and it's this one?   As I get ready to embark on the first overseas adventure my family will remember, I offer four questions to help you discern what matters most in your life and move you closer to living a life you really want to remember:  

1. What have you always wanted to do, but you've never taken seriously enough to implement?

2. What are the reasons you tell yourself for why you can't realize this aspiration?

3. What do you think the steps are to have greater balance and/or adventure in your life?  

4. What would it take to put the necessary support in place so that you can fulfill your deepest aspirations?  

Here's to leading with balance and adventure, so you can have a life worth remembering.