The Space Race

Life is not a competition. There should be ‘No regrets on Sunday’.


Susan stood to the left of the drinks table and nibbled her biscuit. The hum of voices surrounded her but none came her way. She stood alone in a room full of people.

‘You need to get out there’ her boss had said. ‘Network. Meet people. We need you start bringing in some business.’ He had barked the last sentence at her before sending her back to her desk.

So here she was. January 2016. Standing in a white space full of mass produced art and grey office furniture, surrounded by people she didn’t know.

A tall man dressed in casual clothes came up to the table. Susan had been watching him ‘work’ the room; meeting and greeting everyone like a long lost friend. He turned his mega watt smile on Susan before pouring his coffee. For a moment, as his smile cast a light on Susan she glowed. But as he turned away she faded, and became brittle like an old rose pressed amongst the pages of an ancient book.

‘So what do you do’ asked a short man holding out a pudgy hand. He had appeared from nowhere and stood too close for the heat of the room. Susan watched droplets of sweat track down the side of his red face. ‘I’m an Accountant myself’ he puffed.

‘I’m an Accountant too’ Susan replied softly, smiling for the first time.

‘Oh’ said the man and he took his hand back. He nodded and walked off holding his hand out to the next group.

Susan blinked a the suddenness of it all. Inwardly she cringed as she realised just how much he had not wanted to meet her.

There was a general shuffling and Susan followed everyone through a door in the back wall. She found a seat on the outer edge of the room and shrank into herself. Maybe she could escape. She had attended, her name would be marked off if her boss checked up on her. But he would probably know if she left early. He seemed to know everyone, someone was surely to be his spy.

The man with the mega watt smile jumped up onto the stage.

‘Welcome’ he shouted arms open wide. ‘It’s 2016 are we pumped?’

A thin cheer went up amongst the audience.

‘I can’t hear you’ he bellowed ‘are we pumped.’

A much louder cheer went up this time.

‘Hi everyone’ the man on stage said in resonating voice. ‘For those who don’t know me my name is Tom. I work for Top Speed Business Coaching and I’m here to talk to you all today about goals.’

He was talking freely now, walking back and forth across the stage with grace and ease. A slide had popped up behind him saying Top Speed Business Coaching ‘we get you there, faster’.

‘Goals, we all need goals in our life’ Tom said ‘Something to strive for. As human beings setting goals is important and starts us on the road to happiness. Of course, most people don’t bother to write down their goals. Instead, they drift through life aimlessly, wondering why their life lacks purpose and significance.’

Tom paused for a moment and looked thoughtful.

‘Where are you headed’ he asked looking out at the sea of people. ‘What do you want in life?’ Here he paused for a long moment.

Susan felt like he was gazing directly at her.

‘By the end of this session I want you all to walk out with an achievable goal for this year. Whether it be for your career or personal. Something to make yourself feel good. We need to separate what's important from what's irrelevant, and motivate you. Does this sound like a plan’ he roared.

The room cheered.

‘So down to business’ Tom said pacing. ‘The secret to accomplishing your goals is setting them down in writing. The research is conclusive. Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University in California, did a study on goal-setting with 267 participants. She found that you are 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals just by writing them down. I have found this true in my own experience.’

‘Now’ said Tom clapping his hands. ‘We are going to start with an exercise and I’ll need some volunteers. It’s taken from a brilliant book by Peter Hawkins called ‘No Regrets on Sunday: The Seven-Day Plan to Change Your Life’.’

Tom stood to the right of the stage. ‘Here is Monday and we have to first 12 years of your life, anyone here 12 years or under?’ A ripple of laughter went through the crowd. ‘Just testing’ grinned Tom stepping sideways. ‘Ok, here we have Tuesday and the next 12 years of your life, 13 to 24. Anyone 24 or under?’

A thin young man stood up and made his way, smirking, to the stage to the sounds of cat calls and laughter.

‘Ok, ok’ said Tom making calming motions and stepping sideways again. ‘This is Wednesday I want 2 volunteers aged between 25 and 36.’

Two ladies stood up and walked to the stage with the utmost confidence. They were both immaculately dressed and looked like they were going places. Susan looked at them impassively. That was who she was supposed to be, who her parents, her boss, her colleagues tried to make her.

‘The next 12 years are 37 to 48. I need 6 volunteers for Thursday.’ Tom watched people make their way to the stage. ‘The reason I need more from this group is you’ll find that most people here are within this age category.’

Susan watched everyone look at their neighbour trying to guess their age.

‘This is where is gets more difficult’ Tom said smiling. ‘I need 3 to 4 people aged between 49 and 60 for Friday. People are less likely to admit their age in this group.’ Tom looked out at the crowd and waited patiently for a couple of people to stand up and make their way over.

‘Almost there’ said Tom.

‘Saturday. Anyone here aged between 61 and 72?’ An older man stood up. He looked younger than the age range. Well dressed with iron grey hair and a moustache. He strode to the stage and stood there looking out at the crowd with a frown. He looks like a forbidding boss Susan thought.

‘Last but not least we are at Sunday. Unlikely but anyone aged between 73 and 84?’ No one stood up and Tom nodded smilingly.

‘Some people get a Bank Holiday Monday too’ he grinned.

‘Ok everyone. Look at the days of the week on stage. Where do you fall? Look at how much more of the week you have left. What changes do you need to make to your life to have ‘No regrets on Sunday’?’

Susan looked at the groups of people on stage. She was not even half way through Wednesday. She felt so old and stuck in her life, but the reality was she was not even halfway through. Forced into a secure job by her parents she hated every waking moment of it. Her colleague spent their lives talking in monetary values; profits, margins, portfolios, investments. It was hell.

‘Thanks everyone’ Tom said to the people on stage. ‘Please go back to your seats and we are about to write down our goals.’ The rustle of paper and pens being handed around filled the room.

‘Think about this’ Tom said. ‘What makes you happy? This is a personal question. It’s different for each of us. You are not in competition with the person next to you. This is not the space race where you are trying to be the first man on the moon.’ Tom paused.

‘What do you want? What do you want to achieve with the rest of your week? What is your goal?’

Susan sat there mesmerised. She didn’t know whether to laugh out loud at this giant shiny persona of motivation on stage, or hide from the truths that were bombarding her at every word.

‘Write that down’ said Tom.

Susan stared at her blank piece of paper. Slowly she wrote down one word.

‘Now’ said Tom ‘I want you to all close your eyes. We are going to do a visualisation.’

With her eyes closed Susan could hear clearly the people around her breathing.

‘You have achieve this goal. How do you feel?’ asked Tom gently.

Susan was looking at a wheat field and a small girl standing in the centre. Only it wasn’t a girl, she was a women. Susan watched her face change from young to old and back again. The women-child turned her face to the blue sky and bask in the warm sun. She ran her fingers through the sheaths of wheat and slowly started spinning in circles. Susan felt like a child. Peaceful, happy, free. She could do anything.