“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”
-FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF
KIDS, CARS, CELL PHONES, INTERNET, FACEBOOK, DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS, DENTIST APPOINTMENTS, BILLS, SHOVEL THE SNOW, WASH THE CAR, MAKE DINNER, GO GROCERY SHOPPING ……. AHHHHHHHHH!
LIFE IS FREAKIN STRESSFUL ….. How do we make it all fit?
The assumption in the preceding line is that we want to make it all fit. Most people in our culture are so overwhelmed right now that they hardly know if they are coming or going. The stress is bleeding into their relationships with their kids, their partners, their business teams and it is negatively impacting their mental and physical health.
Stress costs American industry more than $300 billion annually in lost hours due to absenteeism, reduced productivity, and worker’s compensation benefits.
The American Institute of Stress
One of my teachers taught me years ago that NOT EVERYTHING WE DO IS OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE. Some things are worth more dollars per hour than others. Some things are priceless because they serve the core of who we are so perfectly you can’t put a dollar value on them. Some things we do out of habit, a sense of duty or routine that we HATE doing. These things should either be delegated or we should just de-commit from doing them.
In my coaching practice the most common reasons that people quote for not wanting to stop doing the things they do out of habit or duty are;
- Who else is going to do them (again the assumption is that they must be done)
- The slippery slope argument (if I stop doing this then I might stop doing that and then what will happen?)
- Not wanting to burden someone else
- Not wanting to feel “less than” since they have always done it and a piece of their identity is tied to it
On the surface all of these seem like valid reasons to just keep doing EVERYTHING we are currently doing. However if we do ….. we will stay stressed and unhappy.
So what is the solution then?
Personal development plans are not about you trying to become something you are not! They are not about you trying to become a NASA rocket scientist when you only have a high school education. They are not about some BS psychobabble for relentless self-improvement. They are about getting CRYSTAL CLEAR with WHO YOU AUTHENTICALLY ARE and how YOU want to live your life as a result.
This includes things like designing a time management system that supports your most authentic dreams and expression. It includes designing a money management system that supports your dreams and the goals that come from it. It is about chipping away all the parts of you that are not authentic to whom you really are.
One of the important first steps in a self-development plan is a Core Values analysis. We contend that assessing the values at the core of who we are is the very first step to designing a plan around the life we intend.
We have a very in depth analysis for our clients that takes a significant period of time to analyze by an experienced authenticity coach. However, if you would like a “short cut” look into your core values so you can start the journey to designing your own personal development plan, please click on the link below.
GET THE CORE VALUES CHECKLIST
Related: 4 Keys to a personal development plan you do not want to miss
Here is an example of what happens when you take the time to identify and work from your authentic core.
“My time coaching with Dr. Tom has quite simply given me the clarity to freely express and manifest my authentic voice and dreams. Tom has the wisdom, experience, and the insightful depth of understanding to facilitate my enjoyment of this journey. My wife, boys and I are grateful for the tremendous multi-faceted growth we now have with him as our guide.”
-Dr. Mark Czubak