Welcome to the weekly edition 3 of Explorer
Take charge and commit to living the life you want to live
This is what being an OWNER is about.
WELCOME TO THIS WEEKS EXPLORER
This week in our OWNER month we are focusing on tips for designing and building a life rather than just earning a living. This means:
Life Success Owner: you think through and get clear on what a meaningful life looks like and why that life matters to you. Then commit to be the architect and builder of that life through the choices you make, the actions you take and habits you build.
Vision, Direction & Priorities: You get what is important to you and what you stand for. You set a destination as a guiding star and constantly focus on what matters most now, to take you towards that vision.
In this weeks edition we will explore:
ONE - The obvious INTRODUCTORY BIT to set the scene.
TWO - The Architect - having a vision
THREE - The Designer - getting specific
FOUR - The Builder - brick by brick
FIVE - My Weekly Finds Smorgasbord of Ideas and Resources
This week there are lots of visuals to guide you with tools to help you design that life.
ONE - THE INTRODUCTORY BIT
Your Work^Life
I have coached many career professionals and Executives; and been involved in several Consultancy studies on Work^Life Balance. Enough to know that there is no perfect and no prescription for an ideal life - it is an intensely personal thing - and about personal motivations and choices.
However I have also worked with many who have lost perspective on what matters most to them and been consumed by work until the rest of their life barely exists!
It is about noticing when the trade off has got too big - and recognising your most valuable resource is your time not money.
When you take ownership of creating the life you want to live that means you work out what that means for you. There will always be some constraints but way fewer than there are opportunities.
You have to give yourself permission to go for the stretch, think BIGGER and create a dream that it is worth going after. The objective this week is not to give you a complete ‘How To’ Dossier but to provide some food for thought around those 3 roles - being an architect, designer and builder - to get you started or simply unstuck!.
WHERE ARE YOU STUCK?
It may be that you are stuck and need help working out why before you make the next move. You need to know this before you can move forward because it might be you have a clear vision and it is just not happening for you.
Is it about:
WHERE? - NO VISION? - You are unclear about your future direction, lacking a vision or the next step to take.
WHY? - NO FUEL? - You are not motivated and do not have the drive or energy to continue on the path you set down. You are too busy, overwhelmed, tired or just not inspired.
WHY NOT? - BLOCKAGE OR SELF DOUBT? - You have something within you - scaring you and stopping you carrying on. So you do victim by complaining, blaming and reverting to your comfort zone rather than challege your limiting beliefs to move on.
HOW? - NO MAP? - You have problems with getting into the detail and planning what needs to get done so you don’t take action - it just remains a distant dream.
Pause and check out the one that resonates the most - that is your starting point. Once you know where you need to focus it is much easier to get yourself unstuck and build some traction.
TWO - THE VISIONARY ARCHITECT
The Architect creates the Vision with a compelling story to back it up.
You might be a BIG Picture person or into the detail. If you want to create a life you want to live - you need both. However BIG Picture matters the most because it gives you context and direction to make decisions, motivates you and provides permission to START!
Last week we talked about getting better aquainted with yourself and your story so far. Where and who you are now.
We are now moving on to look at your vision, purpose and priorities. Which relates to where you want to be, who you want to be and how you go about moving towards your dreams.
If you are not designing your own life you are living based on someone else’s plans and probably being blown about by events and other’s agendas. As the Owner of your life and career you have the opportunity to create a compelling vision for your future. You are the Architect of that vision so give yourself permission to dream BIG!
You can take the time to create the blueprint for the life you design, to help you develop the plans to bring it alive over time. Clarity on the destination and the focus plans provide, gives you a power boost to get where you want to go and adapt as necessary.
Stephen Covey’s 1st Principle in his 7 Habits Book is ‘Begin with the end in mind’. Simply know where you aiming and what that will look like. He used a phrase I like ‘Live, Love, Learn and Leave a Legacy!’.
What might that well lived life look like for you? Do you have a Vision for your future or an end game for each stage of your life thought through? Or are you just living life as it comes?
Setting a destination gives a general direction that can really help. Once you do it is much easier to set priorities and plan.
DO NOT GET STUCK ON FINDING YOUR PURPOSE
Some people get stuck on searching for their ‘Purpose in Life’ and finding more meaning. Rather than forcing or over pondering it - just seek the vision and direction. Then if you are not clear on the purpose for this part of your journey - start doing to find your mojo.
Set a timeframe of 3, 5 or 7 years. Or if that is too much even just the next year. I work to 7 year chapters because that seems to be how my life flows.
Doing things, have experiences and taking consistent action are far more likely to uncover your purpose and give your life more meaning than thinking about ‘Why am I here?’.
It is like waiting for permission to go and live your life. Nobody is coming to help you find yourself. Give yourself permission to go out, take action and find more meaning.
WHY IS VERY IMPORTANT but it does not need to be about the meaning of your life. You need a strong enough ‘why’ and ‘why now’ to get you started, motivate you, keep you going - it is your fuel!
Every goal you ever set should have a clear why. Why is the reason something becomes a priority. Once it is clear move quickly on to ‘What, How, Who, Where and When’.
On setting PRIORITIES - go see this blog post based upon Stephen Covey’s 3rd Principle of ‘First Things First’ about big rocks and a jar! Once you have a vision and direction - you can simply start by identifying the first step - what matters most now? and doing it. Other details will fall into place as you do.
I regularly use a couple of tools with coaching clients to help them find some inspiration. These exercises help you think through where you are now and where you want to be.
1) A VISION - TO DO, TO HAVE and TO BE
I have two large Vision Boards on Canvas displayed in my office. They are there to remind me of a direction, a way of being in the world and a lifestyle I want.
Several years ago I used Jack Canfield’s exercise from his book ‘Success Principles’ to determine 30 things I wanted to DO, to HAVE and to BE. I used that list of 90 things to create my montages and put them on canvas.
What do you want to DO in your life? this would include those bucket list experiences and actions you want to take.
What do you want to HAVE? resources, lifestyle stuff and maybe more bucket list items.
Who do you want or need to BE - to DO and HAVE what you want? The type of person - roles, character traits, talents and skills.
I know what each element on those boards means to me. They are a reminder not to pursue some unattainable nirvana but guiding lights towards a future I want to live. Rather than getting bogged down with the details of a plan that may never come to fruition I use it to guide my choices, I set annual goals to move towards my vision and then plan in 4 month blocks.
THREE - THE SPECIFICS OF THE DESIGN
2) LIFE PIE
You have probably seen a tool like this before. If you have a clear big picture vision you can use this with the Pie - if not it will help you discover more about what that vision might be.
Go round the 8 topics (or choose different ones that better relate to your life) and describe where you are now, set a timeframe and establish where you want to be. It is important to be as descriptive and specific as you can be. Then score where you are against the ideal. See the guidelines below to do the deep dive.
Your priorities, some goals and the initial actions you need to do can emerge from this exercise. Below is a simple goal setting template to help you map out these goals.
Whereas the level of uncertainty and volatility in the world makes it less useful to plan in detail long term. I know lots of people that set a clear direction, establish goals and then plan in 3 or 4 month windows. They then review, take the lessons and start again.
Great Work^Life Planning Books and Resources:
Designing Your Life - Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. Book, Workbook and Course on Creative Live.
Jack Canfield - The Success Principles.
Michael Hyatt - Your Best Year Ever. There is also a course and 3 month planners available.
Jenny Ditzler - Your Best Year Yet.
Hikmaty Design Your Life Program - next Autumn 22
Michael Bungay Stanier - How to Begin
FOUR - THE BRICK BY BRICK BUILDER
You don’t set out to build a wall. You don't say ‘I’m going to build the biggest, baddest, greatest wall that’s ever been built.’ You don’t start there. You say, ‘I’m going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid.’ You do that every single day. And soon you have a wall. Will Smith
When I read Will Smith’s Autobiography', I loved one of his early stories about his Dad getting him to build a wall. Every time he complained to him that it was impossible his Dad just said - ‘do not focus on the wall, only focus on the next brick’.
You build a wall one brick at a time.
To make your dreams come alive and deliver on your vision - the same is true - it is not about grand gestures; but rather good habits and small consistent steps each day that compound over time and get you there.
You build your ideal Work^Life guided by your vision and plans one brick at a time too!
So do not get stuck or overwhelmed that it all seems too big and impossible - just find that next brick and lay it to the best of your ability!
And yes as Liz Fosslein shows in her cartoon - there will be successes and failures along the way but each is a step and a new lesson that builds that wall.
FIVE - MY WEEKLY SMORGASBORD
These are a few of my finds during the week that relate to personal growth and career success.
Ryan Holiday on You Tube (11 minutes) How to read and get the most out of your reading.
Lynda Gratton ChangeThis Manifesto on Redesigning Work in a way that works for everyone
Jason Fried of Basecamp with 37 gems on Work^Life https://37signals.com/00
Brendon Burchard Podcast link for Apple that includes short podcast episodes on balance and creating a vision for your future.
If you want a PDF copy of the planning tools sign up via the link below and you will also get our free PDF guide to Journaling and Planning which includes the templates.