Thinking about changing your life or work life?

Discover 6 questions that can help you re-evaluate what you do, what you want and where you want to go.

Design a Life That Really Matters

It takes great courage to say no, and change your direction. But sometimes, it takes even greater courage to say yes, because you know there is something bigger. 

If that sounds backward, think of it this way: If you say no, you have eliminated one option, but if you say yes, you eliminate all other options. You set yourself on a new path, a new direction. 

You find it much more comfortable to keep options open. And while it is wise to evaluate your options, at some point you have to choose. Choosing not to choose is also a choice - a choice that allows others to make your decisions for you. 

A considered yes is a huge commitment to yourself. It is a voice of confidence in yourself, in your vision, decision making and abilities. It is a voice that this path will lead you to the life you want to lead. 

So as you move forward this week, remember how important it is to say no to what is not essential, but also remember how important it is to say yes to what is. #Essentialism

Knowing what really matters. Knowing where you are now and where you want to grow to and knowing what you have to do here in life and want to leave to the world.

Evaluating your life

Evaluating and appreciating your life. How often do you dwell on that? Do you allow yourself time to think about it? Do you think about changing your life?  

These 6 assessment questions will help give you insight into where you are now: what you do, what you want and where you want to grow.

1. Overall, on a scale of one to ten, how unhappy are you with how your life looks now? 

This question gives you insight about the extent of your challenge to change. And more often than not, we know full well what we no longer want and what we are unhappy about, and it remains difficult to pinpoint what then.

By quantifying your unhappy feeling into a number, you force yourself to honestly assess how big this problem really is. How much dissatisfaction or pain or anger do you actually feel? This is important because it will help you bring your feelings out into the open and generate the motivation you need to investigate further and explore your options. 

By giving it a grade, you give yourself the positive incentive to make the change.

If you give your level of unhappiness an eight or higher, that's a good indication that you should probably start doing something about it soon. Especially if you've been feeling this way for some time. Because this unhappiness costs you more energy than it gives you in fulfillment, happiness and enjoying your life and what you do.

If you score between five and seven, well, maybe you just decide that the problem is not that urgent, but you still want to do something to improve the situation. The need to do something about it immediately is not there now, and "maybe" you just do it gradually over time. 

So, if you score below five, it's not that big a priority to make the change in your life right away. But that doesn't mean that everything is great and that you don't need or want to make changes, but that overall, everything is probably pretty okay and you can take the time to figure things out or things might get better on their own. Don't get bogged down in waiting/pausing time in waiting, hoping or wishing things will get better if....

For me, by the way, 5-7 score is now a red flag. Because I know what it takes when you stay in a place or in a situation where you don't reach your full potential, feel the satisfaction and you don't really do those things that you are good at and energized by. I, too, stayed where I was. And that because I was going for security, steady income and a good salary and everything around it. But along the way I drifted further and further away and became empty from boredom, the bore-out. That prelude was eventually to burnout. And knowing where I am now and how I live and run my own business, I would advise my younger self (and therefore others who are stuck in this waiting/pause period for the sake of status, ego, income or whatever reason) not to let it come to that. Or worse that the decision be made for you.

2. What is not working on a fundamental level? What specific parts of your life are you not happy with: your health, finances, career/business development, relationships, spiritual life or something else? Or maybe it's more than one thing. 

Now I would try to describe things in detail here, so you can get a good idea of what you really see as the problem. What has helped me is to write down what you feel, so that you get in touch with some of these insights/unhappy parts of your life. 

For example, if it's your job, really write out what aspects of your current job/position in your job or company you don't like and why and how that makes you feel. If the problem has to do with an important relationship, maybe just try to state what the conflict is. What impact is it having and what emotions are you feeling. Again, try to write down as much as you can here so that you get it as clear as possible. 

What I notice with my clients when they do this exercise is that by really dwelling on it and writing it down, they get more in touch with their emotions, their deeper longings, and they change the grade they previously gave for their level of unhappiness. And usually they change it to a higher grade, meaning they are more unhappy than they first realized. So if this happens to you when you do the exercise, don't be honest with yourself to adjust your rating as needed. It's like a balloon you want to push under water. It takes a lot more effort on your part and sooner or later it will pop up with a momentum above water.

3. What are the reasons it's not working? What is it about the situation, myself, the circumstances, or maybe even someone else that is causing the problem?   

This may be you have a clash of values or personality or goals with someone else. Or perhaps you miss appreciation, satisfaction and challenge. Or you find that you are no longer the right person in the right place. You are not doing those things you are good at, energized by and experiencing impact. 

What role do you play in what is happening or has happened. Think about where your own responsibility for the situation lies. 

If you feel like you can't be objective or you find yourself just writing down a big list of complaints about other people or bad luck or something, I would talk to some people who really know you and the situation and get their perspective. I know sometimes it's hard to see things clearly when you're angry, burnout, stressed out. And then with that, we all have our own "dyke of rightness. And the very reason I always let myself be mentored/coached/advised by others as well. Through which I get new insights and perspectives about the situation that I don't see myself.

4. If you could snap your fingers and things would be different, what would you want things to look like?" The idea here is that you begin to imagine a better future and put yourself in a more positive frame of mind and boost your mood. 

This will get you out of that feeling of problem identification and move you more into creative visualization of your future and perhaps even goal setting. 

You may be saying right now, "Well, I don't even know what I want yet." And if that's true, and you don't yet know exactly what you want or need, keep asking that question for the next few days or weeks. Eventually you will figure out what you want. Just asking that question will give you new insights and ideas, can steer your mind in the right direction toward solutions, and will help boost your mental energy. Then when you have a clearer idea of what you want things to look like, you can go back and refine it as you go along and keep using it as motivation.

What helps me is walking in nature. And preferably alone, without distraction from phone, noise or other people. Especially while walking, I can unload and create space in my brain for new insights and ideas. The power of movement, nature, peace and freedom.

5. When you come to the conclusion that you want to ask for help to get out of your current situation, what resources or help do I need and who can help me change it and grow positively? 

Research and talk about it with different people to get an idea of who or what is out there to help you. Keep looking until you have found someone you trust who can help you move forward to achieve your desired outcome. 

When I changed course to start my own business after 20 years of corporate business, I had immediately decided to get help from various experts, coaches and mentors. Because to learn from their experiences and expertise and thereby make my business strong from the beginning. During my search for the right business coach, business strategist, I was fooled by the beautiful promises of xxK within 3 months, a successful business with rows of clients at my doorstep and the perfect marketing strategy that attracts clients like a magnet....

And after trial and error, through the real stories and experiences of myself, other entrepreneurs and clients (really knowing what goes on behind the front door) I now know better. And I know that starting a business is not a quick-fix. That building a strong foundation, a remarkable position and the growth strategies that suit you and your business are investments of your time, energy and money for long-term success and growth.

So don't stare blindly at the promises and the great sales results that others appear to achieve with two fingers on their noses. Start from your own needs, your own way and your energy. And then find the right person/people who can give you the value you need right now to achieve your growth.

6. On a scale of one to ten, how badly do you want this and what are you willing to do to make it happen?

This is where you have to look closely at your desire, your drive and how committed you are to making these changes. The idea is to bring up a level of passion and energy to take action, put things in motion and stay on track.

Again, write down why you want to make these changes and what actions you will take. So not the actions you plan to take, because that's an intention. And then the chances of you actually doing it are slim. So make your plan of actions you are going to do. You don't have to have a complete roadmap for this, but at least outline some next steps to get things going. 

Life 1^st, supported by Business 2^nd 

Using the 6 questions above, you were able to appreciate your own life and gain insight into what you have to do to achieve your life goals and live your life on your own terms.

And now for the 6 evaluation questions that will give you insight into your growth potential and new opportunities for growth of your work life, your business.

Evaluating your business

1. What were your top 3 big wins of Q3 2024 (July 1 to September 30)? 

Dwell on the growth and new developments you made it. Because in our constant striving for more, more, more, you miss the very great things you've already accomplished. Take time now each quarter to reflect on this. 

What are you proud of? Why?

2. What were the biggest challenges? What did you learn?

Your true potential and opportunities for new growth often lie outside your comfort zone. What have been the moments that challenged you the most? What were the failed attempts that didn't get you the results you had planned? What setback(s) did you have and what are the valuable lessons learned from them?

3. What "unfinished business" do you need to complete before the end of October?

Let's face it, we all have those. Unless your goals are not ambitious enough, but there are always unfinished business. Things that linger or that you push forward.  

The key is to identify and complete them as quickly as possible so that you don't compromise your personal integrity. Or that you leave something out for so long, leaving new opportunities, value and potential revenue growth untapped. 

4. If you were laid off or went bankrupt and someone came in to replace you, what would that person start doing right away and what would they stop doing?

This question helps because often you know what you should be doing more or less of, but fail to put in the right order or focus. As a result, you keep doing too many things, losing focus. And, anything at you give attention that grows ... so less focus, less growth.

5. If you had to accomplish your 10-year plan in 6 months, what would you do?

This question helps you think bigger and almost always requires a who, not how approach to your goals - in terms of: "Who can I collaborate with or add to the team to move forward faster?

6. What are your top 3 goals for Q4 2024, the next 90 days? And what is the biggest obstacle to each + plan to overcome?

What will you do more, what will you stop doing, what will you do new? Maybe you want to repeat one of your big victories big time, explore one of your biggest challenges or just finish unfinished business. Or maybe it's time for something new. Choosing your goals is one thing. Taking the right actions at the right time with/for the right people is two.

This ensures that you will spend your time and energy on the things that really matter.

At the end of each quarter, take time to answer the questions above. And I promise you will be delighted with the insights, opportunities and changes you will make to continue to grow personally, professionally and financially. 

What are your key insights into this re-evaluation of your life and business?

One Life. Lead it. Live it.

Have a great week,

Gerdi

Change for growth and freedom.
Strategically grow as a leader personally, professionally and financially.

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Book tips:

Books that have helped me:

Business books about working more efficiently and optimizing the value of your business:

• The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
• The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer by Jeffrey K. Liker

Books on building a profitable future:

• The Future of the Professions by Daniel Susskind and Richard Smith
• The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee

Books on finances and investing in your business:

• Finance for Dummies by John A. Tracy
• The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing by Benjamin Graham
• The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns by John C. Bogle

Best books for entrepreneurs who want to work smarter strategically:

• The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande
• The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). From Project Management Institute
• The Startup Owner's Manual: The Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Successful Business by Steve Blank and Bob Dorf

Books on growing profitably through productivity and effectiveness:

• The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
• The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Working Less by Chris Bailey
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey

Best books on innovation for business:

• The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
• The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton M. Christensen

Books on innovation and growth in business:

• The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton M. Christensen
• The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz

Interesting books on brand positioning and marketing:

• Marketing 6.0 by Philip Kotler
• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
• The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg

Remember that life is short and it is up to you to create the life you want.
Because you know what you have to do and what you want to leave in the world