Where Are Your Tanks?
If we want to be clear on our big dreams, we need to know where we are in four main areas.
These are like gas tanks for our goals. We want to keep them as full as possible.
Once we’re all fueled up we can decide where we want to go.
Reflect And Reset
Many examples of thought exercises come to mind when I think of assessing where we are.
Drop off your old baggage
But how do we know what baggage is old?
Upgrade your operating system
Sure, but how do we know the current one is failing?
Give yourself a hard reset
O.K. but how do we know it’s required?
New Year, New You?
I’m sharing this in January. So, a lot of people are thinking about New Year’s Resolutions. It’s eleven days into January to be exact, so maybe some people haven’t even given up yet. For me, personally, the New Year, the school year, and my birthday bring up negative thoughts.
Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful.
But, I have a deep appreciation for how short life can be.
These milestone markers remind me of the things I still have on my “bucket list.”
I disappointed a client today when she asked me to help her set resolutions. Because I told her “don’t bother.” But I told her with context:
We can not take steps forward if we don’t know the destination.
And we can not create a roadmap if we don’t know the starting point.
Getting To College
I chose to play college football near my family in Detroit. But my hometown is Ottawa. While this is the easiest drive in the world (literally four turns) I still needed to head in the right direction.
Detroit is 500 miles from my front door.
If I drove 500 miles in the opposite direction I would end up in Edmunston New Brunswick.
Now I would be 1000 miles away from my destination.
Side Note: This Is Not A One-Time Activity
The skill of knowing where you are and if it’s serving you is not a one-time thing. It’s kind of a forever thing.
This process of redesigning our life doesn’t end until we die.
You can apply this process time and time again to answer the question “where are you?”
I don’t suggest re-evaluating more than a few times a year, but once you know how to apply the process you can use it when you need it.
So, Where Are You?
In general, are you where you thought you would be in life?
Is your plan right now what you thought it would be?
The easiest way to answer this question is to assess four separate areas.
Don’t be judgmental.
Don’t be hard on yourself.
Go with your gut and assess four main areas.
The Dream Pyramid
These are the four areas we need to assess. Like a pyramid, the foundation is the most important. So, these are in order for a reason.
However, the subjective reality, your reality, and my reality of how they are filled up are completely our own. You decide how you are doing in each area.
Health
How would you assess your mental, physical and spiritual well-being?
Relationships
How would you assess the love flowing between you and your communities, family, colleagues, and friends?
Fun
How would you assess the activities you do without needing a goal, purely because you enjoy doing them?
Job
How would you assess the things you do to pay the bills or advance your industry?
Take The Test
We can not know where to go unless we know where we are.
It would be impossible.
Not kind of possible.
Impossible.
So take the test. The right answers to this test are completely unique to each person. They are as unique as our DNA. How each area is ranked is up to you. You decide.
But you have to be honest with yourself.
Find some time and space that allow you to reflect best without distraction. Assess each of the areas in the pyramid.
You can do this qualitatively using words and thoughts.
You can do this quantitatively using a grade, or percentage.
Or, ideally, you do both.
Assess each area as to “Where you are” and then we’ll be able to figure out where we want to go.
Thanks for reading. Your pal,
Justin @JustTries
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