Generally, people
think of winning as the over-achievement in a
particular, chosen area. I like to believe,
however, that to truly win at life is not to overachieve
in one area but to succeed in maintaining balanced
achievement in numerous areas.
Let me repeat that: To truly win, to be a success,
is not to overachieve in one area, but to maintain
balanced achievement in all areas of our lives.
For instance, is a person a success if they earn
millions of dollars but lose their family? Is a
person a success if they garner national fame but have
no friends? Of course not. In fact, they may
live the most pitiful of all lives.
First,
Define
So the first thing we must do is define what we will
consider "winning in life." As you
ponder this for yourself, I would like to recommend that
you focus in on three overarching areas: Body,
Soul, and Spirit.
The body is that which has actual connection with the
physical world and would encompass physical health,
financial health, family, work, and relationships.
How is your health? How are your finances?
Are your relationships, both with your family and others
all that they could be? Is work fulfilling?
How would you define winning in these areas?
The next area, the soul, is that which deals with the
emotions, will, and intellect. It is our thoughts,
ideas, and attitudes. How are you
emotionally? Are you able to exercise your will?
Are you growing intellectually? Have you done an
attitude check lately? How would you define
winning in these areas?
And the spirit is the part of us that transcends this
life, the part of us that communes with God. Zig
Ziglar said, "Money will buy me a house, but not a
home; a bed, but not a good night's sleep."
So true. Inner peace comes from something much
deeper. Have you thought about going back to your
spiritual roots? Are you able to spend time in
quiet, solitude, and prayer from time to time?
This is an extremely important area and all too often
neglected. What would you like to achieve in this
area? How would you define winning in these areas?
As we experience balance in these areas, we will find
ourselves much more at peace with ourselves than if we
were to experience tremendous success in one area but
loss or failure in the other areas. We were
designed to work as congruent, balanced people.
This is how we get to the end of our lives and say,
"I won."
Second,
Prioritize
Once you have defined what it is that you would like
to achieve in each of these areas, you have to
prioritize them, and let other, non-important areas drop
off the chart. Commit to developing a plan to
succeed in a balance of areas. Exercise your
will. Choose. Dwight D. Eisenhower said,
"The history of free men is written not by chance,
but by choice--their choice."
When we manage our time and schedule, we are simply
making choices in regard to our priorities. For
most, their priority is to take action on whatever is
screaming the loudest at the moment. For those who
become winners, they reflect on what they desire to
achieve, make a plan and decide to eliminate the rest.
Last,
Do it
Okay, you have defined winning. You have
prioritized your life. Now, the hard part: Doing
it. This is where we are all alone. We all make
this step on our own, but having a written plan is as
good a preparation as you can get. Rather than
saying that you are going to do this for the rest of
your life, take the next week to implement your new
balance of winning. If a week sounds too long,
just focus on today. Spend some time, be it ever
so small, enhancing your life in these areas.
Exercise a little. Read for a while to challenge
your mind. Deal with your emotions. Spend
time in silent contemplation to renew your spirit.
Give some time to your spouse and children. Will
Rogers said, "Even if you're on the right track,
you won't get anywhere if you're standing
still." There has got to be action.
As we do this over time, and balance our lives out, we
will begin to finally feel like we are winning at
life. That will be exciting, as will the process!
Copyright
Chris Widener International. Reproduced with
permission from the Chris Widener E-zine. To subscribe to
Chris Widener's Ezine, go to chriswidener.com.
All rights reserved worldwide.
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