49. Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Randy has always recognized the importance of time management. What did you think of his
decision to work on the book while riding his bike?

I think it was marvelous. Time management is very important in I always look up to people who use their time wisely. It is important to know how precious every minute is in our lives.

Randy chose "Really achieving your childhood dreams" as a topic for his lecture. In what ways woud this allow him to tell the story of his life, and to enable the dreams of others?

Just by telling his quest to achieve his childhood dreams Randy is enabling others to achieve their dreams.  So often dreams seem impossible to reach.  Randy shows that anything is possible if you keep striving for your goals.


Randy decided to begin his talk in a specific way – showing his CT scans, introducing “the elephant in the room,” assuring everyone he’s not in denial, and doing push-ups. What made this effective? What were you thinking watching this for the first time via video?

 He wanted to be upfront with the his impending death.  He wanted to show everyone he was not in denial and he knew the gravity of the situation.  Also, he wanted to show them how he still was himself it could not stop him from being himself.  It also shows how scary cancer is he is dying but on the outside he looks so healthy.


Randy said he realized many of his dreams because he had terrific parents. What details from his childhood do you think led to the successes he had later in life? Are there lessons in Randy’s story for people who’ve had less-fulfilling childhoods, or absentee parents? What advice might you give to those who didn’t win “the parent lottery”?

It is clear he had loving parents who encouraged his creativity and worked hard to give him and his sister a good stable upbringing. If you didn't win the parent lottery you should use it as motivation to become all you can be and ensure your children that they will win the parent lottery.


What would you paint on your bedroom walls if you were given permission to do so? What 
other creative outlet would you like to pursue, if your parents gave the OK?

I would definitely paint my room with things to motivate me and probably put my dreams on the wall so I could see them everyday.

What’s the lesson to be learned from Randy’s attempts to get onto that “Vomit Comet”?

Never, Never, Never give up.  He had to jump through several hoops to achieve his goal but he never gave up.

I learned a lot from Randy's last lecture.  The importance of time management, not letting brick walls stop you, and working to achieve your life's ambitions before your time runs out.