A life well-lived has the following components:
Vision
It all starts with a vision. The new house, new business, new relationships, and new career all begin with a vision. Unfortunately, for most, the vision fades as the work begins. Progress is slower than initially expected, or resistance to the new philosophy is greater than anticipated.
The best strategy for creating a vision is to write it out in detail. Capture exactly what it looks like when completed. What color are the shutters? How much revenue? How many lives will be touched? How will the business survive? What will be unique or create distinction? How long will it take? What will it feel like to bring the vision to life? Capture emotions, detailed images, impact, time frame, who, how, and what to help bring the vision to life. Break it up into subheadings, with each having a description of how they fit the bigger vision. Don’t underestimate the power of a clear vision. The biggest businesses, charitable organizations, personalities, countries, and communities, started with someone’s vision.
Intentional Growth
Ideally, our vision will require us to develop skills or a level of mastery we have not yet achieved. This is different than growth for the sake of growth or more for the sake of more. Intentional growth will allow us to deliver greater value. When we deliver greater value, we move closer to our vision. Humans are wired to deliver value in service. Unfortunately, the wires often get crossed and we look to get more from life. The question becomes, “what am I getting here?” This is a very difficult outlook and will take us further from our vision. The questions should be “what am I becoming here” and “is it helping me to progress toward my vision?”
Intentional growth is the development of skills required or necessary to help us progress toward our vision. When writing our vision, it is important to consider the person we will need to become in order to achieve these goals. What modality will you use to develop the skills? Will it be a class, book, seminar, mentor program, or coaching that helps to hone your skills? The technique or learning mode will vary depending on the skill you are developing, but having clarity is key to act and progress.
Meaningful Relationships
Humans are social creatures. Connection in community is our heritage. Again, we turn to vision as a tool to gain clarity about the relationships we desire to manifest in our lives. Ask yourself the following questions:
How will my relationships be with my family, friends, colleagues, and community?
How will I bring hope to their lives?
How will I lead them or be an example of how to show up?
What values will we hold and honor together?
How will we feel about each other?”
How will my relationships grow with time?
How will I honor them and show up for them?
Health
People that don’t feel well, don’t do well. We need strength to carry the load. We need stamina to maintain the journey. We need mental clarity to stay focused. Health is a must for bringing our vision to life. We will feel better and think better as a result of consuming the proper foods. Get up and move. You don’t need to run a marathon, but how about taking the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator. Park far away from the door and walk. Healthy practices will give you the energy necessary to bring your vision to reality.
Rest
When we are in pursuit of more, it can be so difficult to stop. It has been discovered that one of the keys to breakthrough is stepping away from the pursuit. Taking time off to enjoy others, travel, relax, or otherwise do nothing is fundamental to facilitating greater creativity. Again we turn to vision. Plan your rest. Where will you be? Who will be with you? How will it feel? Retreat to silence as often as possible. Sip coffee on your porch and listen to the birds or the rain. Stop for a moment to contemplate your life. Be intentional in your rest and recreation, and your battery will retain its original capacity for your creativity to reach new heights.
The pursuit of your ideal life starts with a vision. We can create a vision for all aspects of our lives; family, relationships, work, health, and rest. A life lived-well will include growth and meaningful relationships. It will be in the quiet times that we assess our current situation to determine if we are on or off track. It is during the quiet times that we revise our vision or course correct. Why wouldn’t we be intentional about our lives?