You don’t get older on your birthday

12 year old kids are usually pumped when they turn 13, birthdays are not an issue, they're usually eager to get to their 18 (or 21 in the USA). They want to have freedom, driving, going to places by themselves, they really want to become adults. Independent and free.

As those kids get older, we tend to see this excitement turning into some sort of pressure, desperation, and frustration.

They discover life isn't this easy, and regardless of the choices they make, looking back it'll always seem like there could've been some better ones. And year after year, on their birthday, they feel like everything is moving forward, progressing, and they're not.

However, this feeling tends to last a couple of weeks around the birthday, and sometimes this feeling hit them only on their birthday. And after that moment, life goes on, nothing changes.

For some reason, they feel like they're getting older only because it is their birthday. And therefore it's the only day they worry about it.

Now, imagine if this awareness and feeling was present every day. Imagine the urgency they'd have to change their lives and make things happen.

The reality is that there's no difference from their birthday to any other day. There is none. You get older the same amount every day, you get 24 hours older day after day.

Birthdays are checking points, moments where they celebrate another year of life. If you live, you will have birthdays, regardless of how you’ve spent the previous year.

We are results driven, and birthdays are like a result, and when you see a “result” (birthday) without results (accomplishments) you get frustrated. It is like getting a gift package with no gifts inside of it.

Well, how can we approach differently to get more things done and to be more content?

First, we need to understand that every single second counts. Every little choice we make counts. And if we focus where you want to get in life and invest those “small efforts” in it, on our next birthday we have more things done than in the previous year.

Second, understand that nobody is going to bring us a gift in our birthday that will change your life. There's no magic. There're no quick changes. And also, there is no finish line. It's an ongoing process.

Believe that the small daily action will bring results overtime. Trust the process. Work hard.