From the bestselling author, Eric Barker, Barking up the Wrong Tree, I wanted to share with you his blog on This is how to make your life amazing: In short he offers these five points for your consideration:
“"Career Wellbeing": Be engaged. Use your strengths. Hide from your boss.
"Social Wellbeing": Spend time with the good people, not with the bad people.
"Financial Wellbeing": Usually it's not about how much you have, it's about how you feel about what you have. Increasing the prior two factors prevents you from negatively comparing yourself to others.
"Physical Wellbeing": Exercise, eat right and get your sleep, obviously. As we all know in our heart of hearts, feeling sexy is important. Restaurant choices can matter more than food choices.
"Community Wellbeing": Helping others helps you. Therefore, helping me helps you. Why don't you call more often?
So how do you get started? Get a good night's sleep. (As a grown man with the sleeping habits of a college student during finals, I concur.) Hit the gym. And then get to work and find a way to use those strengths of yours with people you like.”
Personal Observations for Your Consideration
“Career Wellbeing” – Consider exploring your strengths. If you do not know what they are consider using a tool such as Clifton Strengths 34 , Strengths Finder 2.0 form Gallup, dependablestrengths.org, and learning your strengths. A nice book reference for you to consider is Unique Ability 2.0: Discovery. Focus on using them with your current position and consider what might be your next position capitalizing on your strengths. If you don’t know what your next position might be keep in mind it may not even exist today. It may exist at some point in the near future. Continue to expand on your skills both technical and behavioral (these are critical)so that when it emerges you will be ready.
“Social Wellbeing”- Surround yourself with positive people. Avoid negative people. Choose those that really matter to you and who share your values. Note that many people that look different and that may be economically different may be very positive people with similar values. Explore differences and expand your horizons with others that may help you see the world as a better place.
“Financial Wellbeing” – Consider individual sports such as golf, track and cross country running or skiing. There are those that compete to win, but the vast majority of participants compete to see if they can improve their own times or scores. The same attitude helps with financial wellbeing. As Eric stated above “Usually it's not about how much you have, it's about how you feel about what you have.”. Consider what you enjoy, your strengths and surrounding yourself with positive people. If you have a job you really love you never have to work another day in your life. Rather, you can adapt your finances and life style considering your needs and modified wants.
“Physical wellbeing” – I like “exercise, eat right and get your sleep”. This is great advice. Depending on your physical condition, your age and your life style this can mean many different things. How much exercise is the appropriate amount of exercise? I tend to listen to the Mayo Clinic. Some focus on steps. Some focus on the gym. Some focus on doing their own thing. Any of these may be appropriate. It may also depend on our sex. The term eating right means many things to different people, but most would agree that having a variety of foods that give you the nutrients you need to maintain your health, feel good and have energy works best. Most experts do agree that adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each evening and consistent wake up times in the morning for best health. If we stay up to late one night, making it up with naps and earlier bed times in the future is healthier than sleeping late to catch up on a late night. Regarding physical wellbeing ask your doctor.
“Community Wellbeing” – volunteering with an organization you have passion about be it religious, conservation, environmental, with animals, relief and emergency, or in hundreds of other areas, volunteering really does have a positive impact on happiness. See the last link on happiness and consider prayer, meditation, reflection and/or yoga to apply mindfulness for your mental wellbeing too. Finding the right area to volunteer is unique to each of us. Pick out an appropriate duration that works for you be it a short term or a long-term program, but one that works for you.
I want to thank Eric Barker for his blog and for giving me the idea to expand on his wonderful insights with a few of my own observations. I hope you find these helpful too.
Contact me to speak to your group or consult with you. Check out my website, books and content. I am an international speaker. I speak on how to overcome conflict with collaboration by taking advantage of the collaboration effect TM enhancing relationships, resources and revenues. My service areas are related to helping clients resolve conflict: business to IRS, business to business and within businesses. I have written 11 books including The Servant Manager and Peaceful Resolutions. I may be contacted directly at mg@mikegreg.com and at (651) 633-5311. [Michael Gregory, NSA, ASA, CVA; MBA]
About the author
Mike Gregory is a professional speaker, an author, and a mediator. You may contact Mike directly at mg@mikegreg.com and at (651) 633-5311. Mike has written 12 books (and co-authored two others) including his latest book, The Collaboration Effect: Overcoming Your Conflicts, and The Servant Manager, Business Valuations and the IRS, and Peaceful Resolutions that you may find helpful. [Michael Gregory, ASA, CVA, MBA, Qualified Mediator with the Minnesota Supreme Court]
