"The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say 'No' to almost everything." 

Warren Buffett

And then you ask yourself, "What are you saying 'YES' to? 

So what are the important people and things in your life that you say "YES" to? 

What really matters to you?

Or Essentialism.

1. Essentialism: What really matters to you?

What matters to you in the long term, medium term and short term? Because what matters today will be seen differently in a few days, months and years from now. After all, you are growing and developing both personally and professionally. But also your living conditions, your career, the market, the economy, society... Change is a given. 

So that is the reason to set your goals for the short term (1 year), medium term (3-5 years) and long term ( > 10 years). And that goes for your personal goals as well as your business goals, because we all want to grow both personally and professionally. 

Yet setting goals proves challenging for many. What do you want to achieve within 1 year, within 3-5 years or for the long term? Can you name it and have it clear for yourself?

To answer that question for yourself, you can use the following 3 methods. Three frameworks that can help you set challenging goals. Your personal and business goals that are essential to you. What really matters to you now in the long term, medium term and short term.

The Eulogy method - Framework for long-term essentials

I also describe this method as "Start with the end in mind. What do you ultimately want to have accomplished in your life? What is your legacy - what do you want to leave behind? 

Start with the end in mind - your end of life. 

Ask yourself, "What would I like someone to say about me at my funeral, how would I like to be remembered?" Think about what you would want a family member, a close friend, a distant relative or a colleague to say at your funeral.

This method helps you understand the question "What do I value?" from other people's perspectives. At your funeral, even your colleagues/clients will not say, "Because he/she helped me grow my business, double my sales, close better deals with top clients. They will talk about what you were like as a person - your relationships, your character, your hobbies. And they would talk about the positive impact you had on them, on the world, not how much money you made.

And if you apply this now to your life today. What is the life you want people to remember a few decades from now? And what do you/will you do to achieve that?

The Odyssey plan method: framework for medium-term essence

It revolves around a simple question: what do you want your life to look like in three to five years? But instead of answering it at face value, approach it from the following three angles:

1. Your current path: Write down in detail what your life would look like in three to five years if you continued on your current path.
   
2. Your alternative path: Write down in detail what your life would look like in three to five years if you took a completely different path.
   
3. Your radical path: Write down in detail what your life would look like in three to five years if you took a completely different path, where money, social obligations and what people would think were irrelevant.

If you have been following me longer you know that I chose option 3. After 20 years of international corporate business, I made the BOLD MOVE and started my own company Health & Business Strategy. Bringing together my scientific background, my passion for health and sports along with my 20 years of potential and value on strategic business development, marketing and commerce, leading positioning and profitable growth. Indeed, it reinforces each other. Because your business cannot grow further and stronger than you as a leader/entrepreneur. 

'Healthy entrepreneur, healthy business.'

Health & Business

Wheel of Life: Framework for the essence of the now.

What is essential for you now to live a healthy and enjoyable life, where you do what you are good at and energized by and feel the essence of your life now. The satisfaction, appreciation and connection with and from those around you and the things/things you do.

There are several ways how you can fill out the "Wheel of Life. For simplicity, I'm splitting "life" into a few different areas here - personally, I find a 3×3 separation the simplest:

1. Health: body, mind and spirit
2. Work: mission, money and growth
3. Relationships: family, romance and friends

Next, assess how you feel in each area of your life. Ask yourself, "To what extent do I feel that my current actions are in line with my personal values?" 

You can do this by drawing or perhaps easier to just rate each area from 0 to 10, where 0 represents "completely misaligned" and 10 represents "completely in line."

In a few minutes, you've done an audit of your life. You've identified the areas where you are going to take actions that currently match where you want to go. But also stop those actions that are not serving you and not moving you forward. 

As in line with Warren Buffet's quote at the top of this Letter - Only say 'Yes' to those people/businesses that matter and say 'No' to everything else.

Ask yourself: 

To what extent do I feel that I am now in the right place in my life and the right position in my business? And are my current work and actions consistent with my personal values and leading me to the essence of my life?

Am I leading and living my own life? 

2. What actions are really important 

The three frameworks for long-term, medium-term and short-term essence emphasize the importance of aligning your actions with your values and conditions on which you want to live your life (and your business). Business in parentheses, because for me:

'Life first, supported by my Business second.'

Health & Business

Here are some concrete steps you can take to get things done, even if you don't feel like it at the time:

1. Identify your values and your conditions: Take time to understand your core values. What do you really care about in life? What drives you and gives you fulfillment? But also your conditions on which you want to live and do business - including the essential question What do you tolerate?
   
2. Link tasks/businesses to your values: Look at the tasks/issues you have to do and try to connect them to your values. How do they contribute to realizing what is really important to you? Are you really doing what makes you tick, energizes and makes an impact?
   
3. Create a positive growth mindset: Change your perspective toward tasks you normally avoid. See them as opportunities to (show) your values and take new steps toward your long-term goals.
   
4. Make goals concrete: Make your goals specific and measurable. This helps you be more focused and see your growth and development, which increases your motivation and gives you drive/energy to keep going. Goals is one, execution is the most important thing - the right steps at the right time to achieve your goals.
   
5. Break up big tasks: If a task seems overwhelming, break it down into smaller, more manageable steps. Focus on completing one step at a time. Keep it simple stupid. Don't make it too complex and keep moving. Because that will keep you taking new steps that will help you reach your goal faster and more focused.
   
6. Reward yourself and be full of self-love: Set rewards for achieving milestones. This increases your intrinsic motivation and enhances the sense of accomplishment. Be kind and gentle with yourself. Not everything will work out as planned and things will go wrong. Learn from them, adjust and keep going. 
   
7. See the successes: Imagine what it would feel like to achieve your goals. This can be a powerful motivator and help you persevere even when the going gets tough. Visualizing, Law of Attraction and whatever term you give it....It works, motivates and makes you feel good. But to achieve it, you have to take action and start doing those things to actually make it happen. 
   
8. Surround yourself with like-minded people who will move you forward: Share your goals and plans with people who give you positive energy, who uplift you and grant you success. Those who encourage and support you. Sometimes external support can make all the difference. After all, they don't say for nothing. You become hert average of the five people around you.
   
9. Be flexible: It is normal for motivation to fluctuate. Be prepared to adjust your strategy/your approach and don't be too hard on yourself if things don't always go according to plan. Just know how to respond to changes and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.
   
10. Analyze, reflect and assess regularly: Take regular time to review your goals and actions. Does what you are doing still fit your values? Are you still strong in your position, are you achieving what you want to achieve, are you achieving your goals? If not, don't wait long and make adjustments. Shift gears to accelerate. Make sure you know where and when to shift gears to stay on track and accelerate to take that extra step. 

Ultimately, it's about being aware of what you really want in life and aligning your actions with these deeper values. 

'Living and doing business on your terms. 

Spending your time and energy on those things that matter.'

 One Life. Lead it. Live it.

Have a great week,

Gerdi

PS1: 

A favorite book of mine is the book of:

Writer, Rudi Francken AQ Adaptive Intelligence, lighter living smarter working.

Is it essential to ask yourself, "What can you do yourself to realize your goals and dreams? And then are you willing to make the necessary investments and concessions?"

PS2:

I also wrote an article about it earlier: Essentialism: What is the essence of life?

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