The Key To Not Wasting A Year (Part 2)

As I previously mentioned in my last posting, the first step in knowing how to not waste a year is to know what the end result looks like. Once you have really visualized what that ideal is and painted that wonderful picture in your mind in explicit detail then you can take step two.

Step two is two parts-
1) Take a self/goal inventory. This is almost an extension of the Perfect Day exercise, but different enough to warrant its own step. Here you take stock of the 3, 4, or 5 areas of your life that you wish to see grow. For myself, the 5 areas were finance, relationships (specifically with my wife), my relationship with Christ, my career, and physical. These were things that if I focused on throughout the year and nothing else, I would not consider it a wasted year. So often we get sidetracked doing things we think we want to do, when in reality they are only things we wanted to do right then. There is a difference. Spend some time on this step as it can give you insight into who you are, what makes you tick, and what you should possibly be spending the rest of your life doing. Once you have identified those things break them down into 3 or 4 sub categories or areas. That part is important for the second part of this.

2) Now that you have your 3,4,5 categories with their appropriate sub-genres, you can proceed to develop an action plan. A good action plan is not a 659 page essay on every little detail of your new (soon) life. A good action plan consists of figuring out what is it that you have to do which will help you further your goal for that area. Sometimes that involves daily actions, sometimes it doesn't. Another personal example is in my spiritual area. Preaching catapults me to deeper intimacy with my savior. However, I am not a preacher. But I am a welcome change of pace at my local church...about once a quarter or so. Whatever your action plan looks like, it needs to be something which is tangible, and that is "measurable". Measurable is in quotes because you are not measuring yourself against anything or anyone else, however without making clear action steps these areas will stay on the back burner of your subconscious. Write these up. Type them up. Do something to make them more than scribbles on a notepad which will end in the trash.

Congratulations! You are on the right track to seizing life. Living every moment in a way that is deeply fulfilling and satisfying to the core of who you are. Stay on target. Don't lose focus. The results, I've been told, are o so worth it. I envision a day when from the time I rise to the the time my head hits the pillow, I do nothing but that which I enjoy doing. Maybe not because it is easy. I probably won't find everything on my action plan easy to do. But I'll enjoy it because of I'll know where its taking me. Within the next week I'll post an update on how this is working out for me. If you have any questions or comments please leave them and I'll respond ASAP.

- Special thanks to 18 minutes for inspiration.
- special thanks to

The Key to Not Wasting a Year

Ever get to the end of a day and wonder what you accomplished? Left work Friday planning great things for the next week only to not get them done. Began a new month feeling fresh and ready to make this one count in a big way, and then realize it was almost over? When is the last time New Years Eve rolled around and you knew deep down that the previous year was well spent. I find myself falling into this trap often and know I'm not alone (and if so that is NOT good). I have looked up some advice and want to share it with you.

First things first: Know where/who/what you want to be. One of my favorite quotes is from Alice in Wonderland (may have butchered it some but I know the gist)-
-Alice "Sir, could you tell me where to go"
-Cat "Where are you going"
-Alice "I don't much care"
- Cat "Then it doesn't much matter which way you go"

Moral of the story: Knowing where you want to end up is crucial to knowing what road to travel now. There's a mental exercise I have used that I think has a lot of value for this, called the perfect day. Sit down in a quiet place, with pen and paper or computer. Write out what the perfect, ideal day would look like for you. From waking up to going to sleep, to who you have conversations with, to what activities you would be engaged in, write it out. Be as detailed as you possibly can. There is something about putting your ideas on paper which helps your subconscious take hold of them and bring them into reality. Thanks to www.chrisguillebeau.com/(The Art of Non-Conformity) for that.

Coming up in the next post will be more ways you can take control of your life and take some practical steps towards fulfillment and satisfaction in all that you do.

Welcome to A Better Man

Welcome to A Better Man, a site devoted to the betterment of all things male. Join me as I seek to better understand what it means to take life to the next level for men today. I'll cover ways to make your office life more productive, your love life richer, your style more refined, and you feel better about you. I'll do my best to implement whatever strategies, tips, and tricks I recommend to you, the reader. I hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I hope to enjoy writing it.