1. Am I doing what I want to do?  Since you spend most of your time working, is it enjoyable? Are you utilizing your gifts and strengths?  I’ve heard a few podcasts lately about successful  people.  In one way or another, three of them shared that if we love what we do, we will be successful and it won’t feel like work.

2. Am I the person that I want to be? Where do you need to grow? I know that I have some character qualities that are less than stellar. I watch them manifest in my life and then correct. I can be very task-oriented with my husband, which leaves him feeling ignored.  When he comes home, I like to shut down my computer with unfinished work (okay, honestly, I’m not excited to leave a task undone) and be with him. That’s just one work in progress.

3. How close am I to achieving the life I desire?  What progress are you making toward your life goals?  If you don’t have any, maybe it would be a good time to “begin with the end in mind.” That’s a Steven Covey quote. Really think about what you would like your desired life to be like. Include the areas of health, vocation, spirituality, relationships and personal growth. Imagine in your mind what it would look and feel like if each of those areas were just like you desired.

During this process you may come up with your own ideas or questions. That’s great, too!

Write the answers to each of your questions in a journal, on a piece of paper, a napkin…but write it. OMGoodness! It is fun. Trust me.  It doesn’t have to be a grammatically correct masterpiece, just some ideas on paper.

No, you can’t type it. It needs to be done free hand. The brain is forced to be more engaged in the writing process AND you remember it better.  Please save what you wrote.

I’ll show you how this works. Maybe 18 months ago, my friend and I were talking about her dream of a private counseling practice. I asked her to tell me what it looked like. She was extremely excited as she told me the desires that she had written.  She wanted her practice to be holistic, which included an acupuncturist, massage therapist, a physical therapist, a health/nutrition coach and maybe a yoga instructor.

Last week, this friend found an office in which to operate her brand new practice. Guess what other businesses were in that same office? You guessed it–all those same practitioners listed above.

Unplug on Labor Day weekend, if even for just a little while.   Design your desired life in your mind and put it on  paper.  John Maxwell says, “You must know yourself to grow yourself.”  If you don’t have self-awareness, how do you know what direction you want to take your life?

Let me know how it goes.  If you need some help with a plan of action after you have unplugged, let me know. I’m just an email away.

Unplugging next Sunday, 

Jan