The Journey

Here’s another exciting blog post from our guest blogger extraordinaire Libby Gill. Libby and I had a fantastic conversation on my radio program recently. If you missed the live broadcast, you can listen to the full interview here:

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE LIVE INTERVIEW!

I learned so much from her and I know you will really enjoy her installment this month. She reminds us what we truly need to do to set ourselves up for success!

It’s Not the Journey or the Destination, It’s the Starting Point!

by Libby Gill

Yogi Berra said, “You gotta be careful if you don’t know where you’re going because you might not get there.”  Despite his famously lopsided logic, I’m sure you get the drift.  If you want to get somewhere, it helps if you know where somewhere is.

I’d like to take that one step further. If you want to get somewhere, knowing the starting point is just as critical (if not more) than knowing the end point.  With your somewhere in mind, let’s take a look at where you actually are right now so you can create the shortest possible path from here to there.

Check out this self-assessment tool that I developed to help you identify how successful and satisfied you are in ten key areas of work and life.  Take a look at the grid below (or go to www.MyAccountabilityClub.com and sign up for our newsletter and you’ll get a copy of this assessment) with ten squares labeled to represent the major areas of your personal and professional life.  Think about each section and, as objectively and honestly as you can, rate your satisfaction level in each area on a 1-10 scale, 1 being least satisfied, 10 being most satisfied.

Don’t default to the fantasy version of life or what you think other people expect of you.  Instead, assess yourself by your own standards.  For example, if you’re single and happy about it, there’s no need to give yourself a low rating on Significant Other.  You’re not scoring yourself on whether or not you have a significant other, just if you’re satisfied with what you do have.  Or, if you’re perfectly content being a slob, don’t nail yourself on the home and physical space rating.  (But don’t ignore the impact it could have on your relationship score either.)

Now, ask yourself the following questions and write your score on the 1-10 scale in the corresponding box.

1. Career: How satisfied are you with where you are in your career today?  Do you feel that your work is significant and fulfilling?
2. Finances: This isn’t just about how much money you have, though that is a factor.  Do you have access to information?  Are you comfortable with your income relative to your expenses?  Are you anxious about money?
3. Health & Self-care: Do you exercise, eat well, practice good sleep habits?  Do you have regular check-ups with dentists and doctors?
4. Relationships with Family: Are your relationships with parents, siblings and extended family where you want them to be?  Have you healed, managed or dealt with any lingering issues?  Do you make the appropriate amount of time for family (whether that’s a lot or a little is up to you)?
5. Relationship with Friends: Do you have friendships that feed and nurture you?  Do you have the quality and quantity of friends that is right for you?  Are your friendships mutually satisfying?  Do you put in the time to keep friendships strong?
6. Significant Other: Are you satisfied with your relationships status as it stands today?  Is your marriage or partnership where you want it to be?  Or do you have lots of work to do?
7. Purpose/Spirituality: Do you feeling you’re living with purpose?  Are you connected with your version of spirit, god, universe or faith?
8. Personal Growth: Are you evolving as a person?  Are you growing, learning, risking and becoming a better person every day?
9. Fun & Recreation: Do you make time and energy for fun?  Are you pursing hobbies or passions that feed you? Do you laugh often?

10. Home or Physical Space: Are your surroundings comforting or a source of stress?  Do you love where and how you live today (even if you have aspirations for bigger, better or different)?

Success & Satisfaction Self-Assessment

If you’re like most people, you probably have a mix of high scores in areas where things are working quite well and low scores where you need to do some homework. Take a moment to acknowledge and congratulate yourself for what’s working in your life.  Don’t ignore or skim over this important step.  After you give yourself a pat on the back for your great marriage or terrific friendships, determine how you’ll take each area of your life up one notch.  That is, if you gave your Fun & Recreation a 2, how will you get it to 3?  If Health & Self-Care is a 4, how do you get it to 5? It’s not about going from 0 to 10 overnight, it’s about incremental growth.

Finally, figure out what you can do today to move one key area up a level.  Okay, you’ve got your starting point, the rest is up to you!

Libby Gill is an executive coach, brand strategist and bestselling author.  You can learn more at www.LibbyGill.com and www.MyAccountabilityClub.com.