Too Much & Not enough: Part 1
Are you overcommitted…and underinvested?
Let me tell you what I mean by that when we think about all the things that we do in the world for ourselves, for our families, for the community, for our job, for all the people who need things from us. Who comes first? What comes second? Where do you come into this picture?
We make investments in things that are important to us.
When we invest our money, we believe that it will do good in the world, that it will reap financial rewards, that it will grow into something more valuable than the dollars themselves. When we invest in others, we demonstrate support, we demonstrate love, we give of our time, we give our resources. We are “there for them.”
When it comes being there for yourself, are you as committed and as invested as you are to others as you are to your job as you are to your community? How could you assess this? How would you know whether you’re investing appropriately in yourself?
I suggest you answer these questions on a scale of 1 to 10 and average your results:
On most days, I feel fulfilled.
On most days, I have enough time to do everything that's important to me.
On most days, I feel content.
On most days, I feel rested, energized and strong.
On most days, I sleep well and awake, rested and refreshed.
On most days, I have enough money to spend as I want and need.
On most days, I enjoy the people I spend my time with and my relationships are strong.
On most days, the work that I do is satisfying and I love it.
On most days, I believe I’m exactly where I am meant to be.
On most days, my spiritual self is nourished.
If you struggled with the answers to some of these questions or your scores really surprised you it may be time to explore what's going on. No judgment, just curiosity is needed. Not unlike what you would do if you looked at your stock portfolio, or your bank account and found that you wanted to improve what you were seeing. These are just numbers.
Likewise, with self-investment, you want to consider your future. Think of your future-self, five, three or one year from now. What do you want to see in your self-assessment? Imagine the life that you want and decide what it will take to get there. Take steps and commit to yourself to move forward — with the same care, kindness and compassion that you’d bring when helping someone else! Find out how to take the next step in Part 2.
