Now that we got our Life Google Map, prepared our LifeMobile, started our LifeEngine, and took charge as own LifeMechanic, the last part is to schedule our LifeTuneUp. Success takes a sense of direction, preparation, action, and modification. Success also takes time. Just like the road trip, it takes a certain amount of time to get to the destination. It would be a lot quicker if we took an airplane rather than a car to get to California. The same applies in life. There is always a better and faster way to reach our goals. Our job is to find the best method.

We do this by schedule an appointment with ourselves to brainstorm ways to improve our performance. The only requirement is that it has to be done on a regular schedule and cannot be skipped. We must complete our LifeTuneUp the same way we do tune-ups for our cars. It can be once a month where we spend this time writing down the things we need to do in the coming month to get us closer to what we want. This list could include the books we need to read, the people we need to see, or the money we need to make. This time is also to evaluate what worked and what didn’t work in the past month and what change we need to make to get better results.

Remember, failure is just a form of feedback and those who succeeded did so because they just tried more. Most of us probably know that Thomas A. Edison was the one who invented the light bulb. But not many people knew that it took him almost two years of failed attempts until he found the right material for the filament to work. After each failed attempt, he would evaluate why and find a different material to test. He did this over 6,000 times! When asked about the more than 10,000 experiments it took to develop a storage battery, he said “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Compared to Thomas Edison, the world we live in today is a lot easier. I’m sure Edison would give anything to have a tool like the internet. It’s what we do with the tools and time we have that make the difference. When we do our LifeTuneUp appointments, we sharpen our tools. And with the right tool, knowledge, and action, success is not a matter of if… but when.

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Now that we’re on our way on this Lifetrip, what do we do next? I know it’s a cliché, but we should just “enjoy the ride.” Going back to the trip to visit my brother in California, it was a lot of fun. We drove along the west coast by the Pacific Ocean. Stopping in one of the towns along the water, we took a walk and enjoy the scenery. The moist cool breeze and the gentle rhythm of the tide were quite soothing and peaceful. One of the destinations was Crater Lake in Oregon. It was such an awe-inspiring sight to see. Any attempt to describe the beauty of the luscious indigo bed of water with a backdrop of snow-covered summits would be an understatement.

Although the destination is where we want to be, the journey to get there can offer tremendous life experiences. The road trip went smoothly and we were able to spend quality time with my brother. On our way back though, the engine of our Jeep started to sputter. At first, we did not think much of it since it would drive just fine after we let the engine cool off. But the sputtering got worse and the engine started to shut off after a while. We were in the middle of nowhere so we had no choice but to drive the stop-and-go Jeep to a town where we can spend the night. Early the next morning, we asked around and drove to every mechanic shops we can find. But to no avail, they were all closed on Sunday.

What do we do when things don’t go as planned? What do we do when we are on a road trip and we had to make a decision to solve the problem? Although we only had several hundred miles left to get back home, the Jeep could die in the middle of nowhere if we pushed ahead. But if we waited for a mechanic the next day, it could still be another few days to a week before they could order and get the part to fix it. We decided to take our chance and drove the Jeep home. It was a definite test of patient all the way back as the overworked engine gave its effort and brought us home. We later found out that the oil pump was the culprit. One thing we learned from this experience is that we don’t know the future. Planning ahead helps us focus and prepare. But the real test in life is how we handle the current situation. It’s up to us on how we make it out. So, be our own LifeMechanic and take on the road of life.

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