The Oxford Dictionary says aspiration is “a hope or ambition of achieving something”. To hope that you will achieve something will only remain a hope if you don’t actively pursue a dedicated plan to reach that goal. Without an action plan nothing will happen, and people will continue to hope and dream. When you set your plan in place it must be realistic, measurable and of course achievable.
SETTING A REALISTIC PLAN
So where do you start? Well, most people start by setting out an action plan for their work and finances as they are linked. The reason we put work and finances first is because it is very difficult to put plans in place in other areas of your life when you don’t have a job or any money.
Like someone once said. “Money isn’t everything but it sure is better crying in a Porsche than in an Uno” No disrespect to Uno drivers intended. The fact of the matter is that if you only plan for business and finances then you will most probably neglect your health, friends, family and your spirit. There is no doubt in my mind that work and finances are important but not a deal breaker for success and happiness. So why is it that we put a meeting in our diary for an important business meeting but not for our sons and daughters? John Maxwell said that life is about seasons and that in certain seasons we will have to spend more time and money on business than with our family.
The key is to have a relative amount of success in all the facets of your life which are Friends, family, community, health, spirit and work. It all depends on how long your season is with work and how you recover afterwards. You also need to define your version of success. Society dictates that we are judged by our net asset value. I really do not conform to that as I believe that a person who has a relevant amount of success in the following areas: work, family, friends, health, spirit and community then he is successful.
PRIORITISE YOUR PRIORITIES
So if you are writing your work meetings into your diary then it makes sense that you write a meeting with your son into your diary as well. Starting this habit will make sure you prioritize certain things that are important to you in your life. What difference are you making in your community? What influence do you have on your friends and colleagues? How are your ratings as a husband and father? How much time are you spending on your health and what is going on in your spirit? You see these things are as important as work if not more important, yet we do not slot them into our diary.
So what is the next step? All of us have been given brilliant minds so that we can make decisions. It is therefore imperative that we prioritize work, health, friends, family, spirit and community. Once we have done that we then set goals in every area of our lives and strive to reach the highest level in each of those areas. A healthy balanced life with a loving family, close friends, great colleagues, a safe neighborhood, a stable mind and an unwavering spirit is exactly what I strive for.
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