Many people simply allow their lives to happen. They float for a long time. They wait and react to events. And when a large part of their life is behind them, they realize that they should have been more proactive and strategic.
I hope this is not true for you.
If it is, I invite you to develop a sense of proactivity and planning that is stronger than what you currently have.
Here are some life considerations that can help you think.
Life is very simple but keeping it simple is very difficult
Despite what others might say, life can be quite simple. It’s a matter of knowing your values, making some fundamental decisions based on these values and then managing those decisions on a daily basis. It’s quite simple.
Furthermore, at least in theory, the more we live and the more we learn, the more experiences we have and the more knowledge we acquire, which should make life even easier.
But life also has its way to become complicated and we can only keep it simple through great efforts. Just remember to develop personal, repeatable and applicable growth strategies in many areas.
Planning life is more important than planning a career
It seems strange, but most people spend more time planning vacations than thinking about their careers or their lives. This happens because people focus on what they think can give them the maximum return in a short time.
If you do not believe you can succeed in the long term in your life, it is very likely that you will not give the right attention to the OKR that it deserves.
Designing your life is finding yourself, knowing who you are and making a personalized plan for your personal growth. Once you have designed the project for your life, you can also apply it to your career.
Life is not like trying on a dress
Unfortunately, we have no proof for life. We must do the best we can at the moment. But we can learn from others who have lived before us or are ahead. You only live once. But if we move well, once may be enough.
Although life cannot be proven, many people seem to move as if it were like that, wasting much of their time. Instead, we have to give our best from the beginning, even if the path can be messy and with errors.
The regret for not being proactive enough in the past is the most common issue among people who look back on their lives.
In planning your life, multiply everything by two
Usually our initial perspectives on life expectancy are very optimistic and, as a result, can become quite unrealistic. This then brings us discomfort and demotivation.
Instead, we need to learn that the important things in life usually take longer than we expect and cost more than we think. This is especially true when it comes to personal growth.
So what can we do to compensate?
Just multiply, everything by two and this will infuse realism into our initial optimism.
As you develop strategies for your personal growth, give yourself the time and resources you need. Any calculation or forecast seems reasonable to you, multiply it by two. This simple practice will help you not get discouraged and give up too soon.