When left unmanaged, time slips away or is taken up by the urgent and our lives become out of balance. It takes work to set priorities, plan our days and then discipline to work the plan.
Someone once told me that if you don’t purposefully plan your life, someone else will plan it for you. Children understand this as their parents choreograph where they will go and what they will do. But is that what we really want?
There are 7 areas of your life that, when focused and thought through lead to a balanced life. Some people are great at one or two, but neglect the others. True success comes when time and effort goes into all seven. Set goals. Allocate resources. Invest in the planning.
1.Physical – Do you take care of your body? It’s the only one you get! Are you on top of your schedules for exercise, sleep, nutrition and athletic endeavors?
2. Social – Be purposeful in with whom you spend time. You will become like the people you spend time with. Build friendships and build memories with them.
3.Mental – How you grow intellectually? If you fail to use it, you will lose it. What fascinates you? Are you a person who is curious?
4.Spiritual – What are the foundational truths by which you live? Plan out how these are expressed in your daily life.
5. Financial – Do you save or spend? Be focused in how you allocate and use the resources you have.
6. Family– We all have family – both biological and adopted. How important are they to you and how do you spend time with them?
7.Professional – Are you where you want to be or simply someplace because it’s comfortable? What are you gifted at and what is worth trying even if you might fail?
When left unmanaged, time slips away or is taken up by the urgent and our lives become out of balance. It takes work to set priorities, plan our days and then discipline to work the plan. Define priorities, marshal resources and then build healthy habits that incorporate the seven areas for a balanced life.
It is never a question of time. It is always a question of priorities.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
- Aristotle