When most people grow up, they end up with about the same finances and lifestyle as the family they are raised with. Very few people do better than their parents or change that much about their lives compared with their folks.
It’s not a bad thing, but if you want to do something different, it can seem daunting. However, you really can design your life the way you want it. It doesn’t matter who you are now or where you are from, or what situation you were born to. If you understand who is really in control of your life, (you) you can do amazing things.
- Begin Where You Are – Some people are born with more resources than others due to their family or place in life. Others are born with more challenges. In the scheme of life, this only matters if you don’t believe you can improve your life based on your birth. If you believe you can, and take the steps necessary to do it based on the situation’s reality, you will be more successful. Maybe you have to work two part-time minimum wage jobs while working your side hustle to pull it off for five years – it doesn’t matter – whatever it takes to reach your goals is what’s important.
- Figure Out What Your Morals, Principles, and Values Are – No one can make good choices in life about anything if they have no idea what guides them. When you know who you are deep down, you don’t need any outside forces to guide you. Try writing a mission statement for your life and your business to help set up that guide.
- Summarize What You Want – Take the time to go through the eight areas of life “The Areas of Life You Need to Design for Success” that you need to design and write a summary of the ultimate end goal that you want to achieve in each of the areas. As you develop your goals, you may need to get more in-depth with each area for the goal to be well thought out with steps set up for achievement.
- Set Realistic Goals – Based on what you want from life, set goals using the SMART Goal setting technique. Each of your goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. Instead of something like “I want to get rich and retire,” you will explain what this means. “I will have 2.5 million saved by the time I am 45 years old. I will do this by saving a specific amount each month that I earn by doing a specific thing each day.” Write it out exactly as you will do it.
- Figure Out What You Have – Develop a resource list of all the resources you have as they’re related to each of your goals. For example, if one of your goals is to be fit and healthy at 80, what steps are necessary to be more likely to experience success with that goal? Probably time for self-care, money for regular health care appointments, funds for dental work, gym membership – whatever it is that you have that will help you succeed, list it. It may be a person, place, or thing that is the resource, or it may just be a skill you possess.
- Figure Out What You Need – As you determine what resources you need to achieve each goal, you’re going to realize that you already have some of the resources but that you don’t have some of the others. When you identify the resources you need that you don’t have, it’s time for you to search for them either by paying for them, outsourcing, or creating them.
- Create a Resource List Associated with Your Goals – Now that you know what you have and what you need, make a resource list. Define what you have, what you need, and the budget for the things you need to pay for. For example, there is a budget associated with healthcare, groceries, and the like. There is also a monetary number associated with every single thing on your resource list. And remember, time is money.
- Set Your Daily Schedule for Success – Once you know what you want to do and have identified the resources to get you there, it’s time to set up your daily schedule for achieving the goals you’ve set. If you have more time available due to more resources, you’ll experience success faster, but even if you take twice as long, you will make it if you set it up and follow your plan.
- Evaluate Regularly – As you age, you’re going to change. Those changes will be more than physical they will be mental, emotional, and spiritual. You cannot even imagine the type of changes you’re going to experience in the next 20 to 30 years of your life. Due to this fact, take the time to evaluate your plan regularly to ensure you’re on the right path that makes you feel happy about your life.
Designing a life that works for you and gives you the balance you want in terms of work-life balance requires that you first accept the truth of where you are, what you have to work with, and where you want to go. It might take you longer than someone born on third base, but you can still accomplish whatever you set your mind to if you understand what it takes to achieve the results you desire.