Does it ever seem like you have more work to complete than every other person in your life?
As if everyone around you has it easier than you do?
Each day, more overwhelmed, exhausted and feeling the pressure to "keep up", you begin to wonder, "What happened to the enjoyment of work?"
I used to believe 12 hours a day, six days a week was the only path to fulfilling my dreams. However, the more I pushed myself the more I perpetuated new, different and more complex challenges.
Falling victim not only to the busy-bragging epidemic, I also allowed myself to see life through a lens of negativity.
I had lost sight of what mattered most.
Weathered both physically and emotionally, I began to believe I was unlucky, unfit and unable to live up to my dreams.
Luckily, I was wrong, picked myself up and chose a path radically different.
Creating a Fulfilling Future
1. Be Curious- As a child, curiosity lead to more exploring, experimenting and experience. Being passionately curious allowed us to embrace vulnerability...the uncertainty, the risk and the fear were secondary. We learned. About ourselves and about life. Somewhere throughout the years we've suppressed our curious nature. It's time to become more inquisitive again.
Start by adding new, novel adventures and explore. Be fully expressed and completely vulnerable. Gain deep perspective, intense convictions and amplify your ambition. Be curious...work and play, leap and fall. Win. Fail. Learn.
2. Live your truth- It's easy to be busy, take urgent actions and create nonessential, even destructive habits. To focus on what really matters is a non-negotiable if you're looking to enjoy daily fulfillment. We must break the ineffective cycle of procrastination and distraction. Before you can do that it's up to you to decide what your dream will be.
Design each day in the context of your deepest convictions and highest ambitions. Find the things that ignite your soul and have you springing from bed with excitement each morning (you'll know when you find them). Decide how you want to be remembered, how you'll spend your time and what impact you can leave on the world for the rest of your life.
3. Create Integration- The more we align the people, places and things with our truth the more righteous we become. The futility of work-life balance has provided a lot of stress, guilt and insecurity. It's a zero sum game and we're losing. Let's choose win-win.
If balance is disruptive then what's the answer? One word...
Integrity.
Creating the state of being whole - a cohesive inner and outer life, undivided, strong and stable. A safety net, the fabric of your life, created from the finest materials. Imagine feeling comfortable and confident no matter the challenge. We're not afraid of falling.
Align your vision, values, and beliefs so they become the magnet of your own movement. Draw people into your life by being your highest self, living your truth, and building a legacy of impact. Honor the process.
4. Blaze your own trail- No one will believe in your future more than you do. This is why at times along your journey you will feel like you're in it alone. If you don't create the life you love, no one else will. It's easy to follow the crowd - don't.
A trailblazer remains present and persistent while living their purpose. Bring the full complement of your mind, body and spirit day in and day out. Set the intention, be deliberate and be tenacious. Don't fear the road less traveled.
5. Accept the challenge- Despite you doing all of the above there will always be obstacles, even roadblocks. Playing victim won't get you anywhere. Don't get caught up in the distractions of urgent, unimportant "busyness". Avoid procrastination and reactive living. Embrace the plight along your path.
Accept that each step can either be a smooth one or it can be the hardest thing you've ever done. Continue to align your tough tasks with why you chose this path and the impact it will have. Do the things that matter. Trust your struggle.
6. Be the light- Everything we do creates a "wake" of influence. The thoughts we have, the steps we take, and the goals we set all effect others. Although we spend most our time doing for ourselves we can do our part to be a positive influence on others. To live full is to be highly influential.
Master the art of being you. Accept that being you isn't about you at all and you'll impact more than you ever imagined. Help others see the light...their gifts not their flaws, the possibilities not the problems. Help them write their own story.
For close to 10 years I was living in survival mode...busy, overwhelmed, underappreciated and worst of all unfulfilled. Now, I write, speak and help entrepreneurs and enterprises through my own coaching programs. I have time for family, vacations and personal adventures. I'm happy, healthy and living a life I love. And it all started by committing to these six counter-intuitive choices.
You can find your passion and live with purpose. You can create a happy life, but more importantly, you can wake up each morning fulfilled- and excited about what's to come. Live each day in the context of what matters most to you.
What choices can you make to transform each average day into a memorable one?