You may already be well aware of the fact
that you’re not going to live forever.
You may constantly assess how you’re spending your finite time on this planet
and ensure that it’s only filled with people and actions that bring you joy and
make you happy.
There is always room to modify and improve
upon this thinking. You will constantly change as a person, and what
constituted your perfect day five years ago might not be the same today.
Revisit how you spend your time regularly to ensure it’s always intentional;
live by design not by default.
Wherever you are in your planning, here are
six things your life is infinitely better with:
1. A clear purpose
It is not your sole responsibility to run a
business, raise a family and maintain a social life as well as solve every
pressing issue that exists: deforestation, global warming, pollution,
inequality, homelessness and so on. In fact, trying to work on multiple causes
often means you split your energy and have zero impact. As Confucius said, “The
man who chases two rabbits, catches neither.”
Having a clear purpose that is true to your
unique abilities and what you feel like you were put here to do helps align
your every action and make the biggest different possible. In 2015 the United
Nations agreed upon 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development, to achieve a
better world by 2030. You could choose one of these goals to focus your efforts
towards. Be aware that contributing towards the goal of your choosing doesn’t
have to be carried out on a worldwide scale. John Street, of charity free@last,
works to eradicate poverty (UN global goal #1) in Nechells, Birmingham. His
focus on a specific geographic area means his impact can be far higher than
spreading his efforts thinly.
2. An inner circle of close friends
Where cultivating and maintaining
relationships is concerned, quality is always better than quantity. Happiness
comes from close friendships with a select few instead of arms-length, surface
level interactions with hundreds. You do not need to know the daily lives of
everyone on your Instagram feed, and they don’t need to know yours.
Problems and goals shared with close, trusted
friends can mean they are alleviated and achieved in record time. Problems and
goals shared with the whole world means your time is spent talking instead of
taking action. Work out who in your life constitutes your inner circle and give
just as much as you receive.
3. Your core team
No matter how productive or skilled you are,
you cannot achieve the huge plans you have in mind without the help of a team.
Having a team of business allies who are conscientious, dedicated and
commercially aware is the difference between going far in a big way and feeling
overwhelmed then giving up. I will never underestimate the impact of getting
this right.
What’s most important is that everyone knows
what they are responsible for and why, and has the best interests of each other
at heart. Trust and loyalty aren’t given, they are earned, and that means for
you too. Knowing that your core business team will always do the right thing,
and that actually happening in practice, can be the single biggest factor of
success, not to mention the single biggest factor for your sleep quality or
your optimism for the future.
4. Confidence
Confident people are impressive to watch, in
the way they carry themselves, make eye contact, can handle any objectives in
any situation and can always think on their feet. It’s awe-inspiring to watch
someone in their element, doing what they do best, whilst making it look easy.
Whatever makes you feel like your most
confident self is what you need to do. Think about how you dress, how you walk
and talk, how you present yourself online and offline. Whatever makes you feel
uneasy or uncomfortable; address it head on and make a change. I believe that
confidence is attainable for anyone and everyone’s life is infinitely better
with it in tow. Confidence doesn’t mean being loud, brash or abrasive.
Confidence can be quiet too. It might take more confidence to stay silent than
have the last word. It might take more confidence to say no to an invitation
than turn up out of obligation.
5. Awareness of your abilities
What are you really good at? What can you do
better than 99% of others? What are the tasks you can complete excellently,
every time and what are the activities that you find flow and enjoyment in
carrying out? Knowing your strengths inside out means you can ensure your life
is filled with not only those things you love to do, but those things that only
you can do.
Similarly, have full clarity over your
weaknesses. Know what you need to learn and how you need to improve, and keep
addressing those things. That talk that didn’t go so well, that launch that
flopped, that string of prospects who all said no; find out the reason and work
on intentionally addressing it so that it doesn’t happen again. “We are what we
repeatedly do”, said Aristotle. If you repeatedly display excellence you will
repeatedly be excellent. If you repeatedly miss the mark and let people down,
you’ll be a let down. Full awareness and intentional action is the difference
between the former and the latter.
6. Role models
At any given time I have 3-4 people whose
careers I follow. I choose people whose values align with mine and who I can
take inspiration from. Role models should serve to inspire and motivate rather
than provoke feelings of envy. My role models are constant proof that the goals
I am trying to achieve can be achieved. If they are doing it, then I can too.
Wherever you are in your career, find people
who remind you that you are capable of more. It stops complacency in its tracks
and ensures you never stay still. You can pause and take stock, of course, but
dreaming bigger and pushing past obstacles is part of this too. The role models
you choose might have the reputation you’re after, the social media presence
you’re working towards, the lifestyle you’d love or the business brand that you
take inspiration from. You might one day overtake their efforts and seek new
guidance.
An infinitely better life includes these six
components: a clear purpose, a core team of business partners and close
friends, full confidence and awareness in yourself and meaningful role models.
It’s all attainable right now and you might be closer than you think.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jodiecook/2019/12/09/things-your-life-is-infinitely-better-with/#31d9de2723de
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