“Keep your best wishes, close to your heart and watch what happens.” ~ Tony DeLiso
In our work-a-day lives, we are driven to achieve, to be successful. Work is just one focus in our lives. What about who you are in your own mind, what about your finances, and what about your vision for the future?
It would be wonderful to have a Master Plan for your life and to include all of those topics. If you don’t have one, why not take a few moments and create one? Floating along IS one method, but the results are not quite as predictable.
Think about what a balanced life might mean for you. Is it about achievement, control, enjoyment and satisfaction? How can you weave that all in just for you. I think you should look at what is standing in your way and fix that first as steps along the path toward success in work, your concept of self, your finances and your future vision.
Who Are You? If you answer with your name, I would then ask, “And who is that?” It’s the second question I want you to answer. Are you the job you perform? Are you the car you drive? Are you the paycheck you deposit each month? Are you the size of your body or the food you eat? Who are you?
Each of those things – job, body, car, paycheck, body – is part of who you are, but beyond those, how do you identify your Self, your Individuality. I think defining the core of your being, why you are here, and what you call success is important to consider.
In this era, self-help books abound and each of us has a favorite. If this is your chosen route, you’ve got good old Google to help you choose one you’d like. You might use your religion to define yourself and your purpose. Whatever you use, think about that here and now and jot down some notes for what it means to you.
You probably experience job assessment tools at work. Employers know how productivity increases by using these tools. Could you find something like that for your whole life? Perhaps you’d enjoy working with a Life Coach you trust.
If you’d like to change how you’ve been thinking about yourself and your life, you might need to reset your priorities. You can find motivational tools yourself to improve your life. A Life Coach certainly knows how to help you.
What are your values? Where are your boundaries? What makes you feel terrific? How much stress is there? Do you feel in control of your life? How satisfied are you? Find the Life Wheel to help you benchmark where you are now.
Do You Earn Enough Money? Your concept of self can be intricately involved with how much money you earn. Only you can put numbers to this equation, but it does need your attention. You will need funds for everyday expenses as well as future expenses like college for the kids, vacations, and retirement.
Money has to be put into perspective. It’s not always about earning more. It’s just a tool for you to use to exchange one good for another – all of the good that you desire.
It’s wise to know what your monthly needs are. Some folks call this “your monthly nut.” How does that number set with you? Putting everything down on paper can create a healthy vision of where you are, what’s not being handled, and what your hopes for the future might be.
How old are you? How much longer do you want to work? What is that going to take? How can you make plans for the money and your happiness? What is your debt level? Can you create a budget that takes everything into account? Can you stick to it? Or do you find yourself buying things off budget that are for a “shot in the arm” mood boost? Remember that old saying Money can’t buy you love. It’s still true.
Happiness and Success Are Not Future Events. There is a pathway to success. It’s called Your Life, and there isn’t just one success – one pot at the end of the rainbow. There are small successes along the path, and I think we are all well served to celebrate along the way.
Tomorrow never comes. It is always today. Right here. Right now. Today.
Long-term thinking embraces the vision of your Life Plan, and allows you to enjoy yourself along the way. Yes, it’s always right now. Do what you can do right now, but always keep in mind how it fits in to your long term plan. This perspective removes stress and enhances satisfaction. One step at a time with a great big smile on your face and in your heart is a good goal.
Balancing your work goals, your personal goals, your finances and your family requirements is important. I think we all know businessmen who are successful at work, but who end up in divorce because they ignore their families.
Then, there’s your health. Do you eat right? Do you exercise? Do you limit alcohol? What is your plan to maintain optimum health?
You do have today, but what’s your plan for your tomorrows? You are the only one who has the power over changing your life. You may carry an enormous load currently, or you may want to increase your burden. Your sense of self – your identity – can be enhanced or decimated unless you have a plan to keep everything in healthy balance. I wish you fabulous satisfaction moving forward.
Soufra Daimeh and Maria Khalifé are synonymous in the Middle East with flavor, inventiveness, and fun. Her magazine Soufra Daimeh and her cookbooks continuously inspire women.
Going beyond her television and radio career, she expanded her life purpose to include helping others to live a masterful, successful life led by her own example and accomplishments. In 2008, she created The Change Coaching Institute (CCI). At CCI, those who wish to accelerate their growth on The Path, or to foster a new career for themselves by becoming a Change Coach, learn universal, spiritual principles to reach maximum potential through the discovery of a true dynamic and authentic self. http://www.changecoachinginstitute.com