How much are you willing to sacrifice to reach your goals?

I don't consider myself a driven person. In personality type terms, I'd call myself a melancholy phlegmatic, or in Tami-speak, a moody floater. Yet as much as I sort of fly by the seat of my pants, there's a big part of me that fears leaving this earth without having left my mark.

I want to accomplish something.

I suspect you do too. How would you fill in the blank on these questions?

Some day I'd like to____________ .
If I could do one thing before I die I would_____________.
I've always wanted to_____________.

Even as a child I was struck that most people don't achieve their dreams. Something in me SCREAMS about that. I don't want to be in that camp. Have I wasted my life if I don't get my blanks filled in and checked off?

But here's the kicker. Goals are HARD to reach. Life, duty, responsibility get in the way. We have to deliberately pursue them, making choices accordingly. As I've aged I see my time slipping. My "some days" are fewer. Do I really want to go for these aspirations or should I let them go, writing them off as childhood fantasy?

I've had to ask myself some tough questions. How important is this? How would I feel if I died without having achieved it? How much am I willing to sacrifice to get there? Is it worth it?

And as a Christian I have to set it up on God's scales. Does it bring Him glory? Is it part of His plan for me? If so, what is He asking me to give up to work towards it?

They are some heady questions, uncomfortable questions whose answers are elusive. But they can't be ignored if I am serious about reaching a dream.

How much are you willing to sacrifice to reach your goal?