Survival requires management – the ability to manage our time, our attitudes, our relationships and our finances. Management means you are in charge. It means you have organized and supervise what you do. You are the CEO of your life.
Do you know how you spend your time? What routines and schedules are habits that keep you moving in the right direction? Which are time wasters?
There is an immediate payoff from unproductive behaviors. That instant gratification, however, has a long term cost; giving in to our moods in the moment can eventually create a downward spiral of dissatisfaction, discontent and eventually depression.
Do you know how much money you spend in a month? Do you have an emergency fund in savings? Have you set up a budget that you follow?
Finances are managed by setting up a budget and monitoring how we spend our money. It isn’t just about saving but prudent shopping.
Marketing ads are designed to convince us we need to purchase their product in order to be happy. That is their job. Our job is to ask ourselves whether we really need that product. Will it really make you happy? Do you really need it?
There is a difference between needs and wants. Happiness doesn’t come from having lots of money or having lots of toys.
If success is defined by how much money you make, while you may succeed, the cost could be the loss of loving relationships with spouse and family and a life of meaning and purpose.
Its not just finances that need managing, but our attitudes.
Defeatist attitudes blame somebody or something else for what is wrong in your life.
It allows you to hang onto and nurse grievances when we perceive we have been wronged. But it can also come in the form of an internal critic that whispers in your ear that no matter what you do, it won’t ever be good enough.
If we listen to either of those messages for any length of time, it will keep us from living a happy, satisfying life. Such attitudes take you out of the driver’s seat of control.
We have only so much energy. We can direct that energy to create a more meaningful and purposeful future or remain a victim to circumstances.
Life can be tough. Life can be a struggle. We can probably think of a million reasons why we can’t succeed. But, there probably are a million + reasons why you can.
We can focus on what we can’t do or we can focus on all the things we can. It’s our choice.
Tune in next week, as we continue our discussion on habits, which are productive or wasteful and how we can replace ineffective habits.
Marlene Anderson
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