Take An Inventory...

Of Your Life

You may already have an idea of what you’d like to achieve in your life, but if not let’s take some time out now to choose a goal together. The best way to identify some goals worth pursuing is to take an inventory of your life.

A good place to start is by thinking about money. What are your feelings about money? Do you spend too much? Perhaps you don’t spend enough? Do you live for today, without making adequate provisions for the future? Or are you so focused on tomorrow, you forget to spend some money to enjoy the here and now? Do you earn enough? Do you have a credit card with a hefty balance on it? Do you have a savings account? How much is in it? Not enough? Do you have a pension? Do you have shares? How about an overdraft or a budget?

The answers you give to these questions will highlight any areas where there are worthy goals to be reached. Don’t worry at this stage about how to reach them, or how long it may take – just jot down some rough ideas for some goals you’d like to pursue.

Let’s look at your family needs next. How much time do you spend with your family each day, or each week? Do you wish you had more time with them? Are you home in time to help put your kids to bed? Is there anyone living abroad you wish you could see more of? Do you want to take your family somewhere different on holiday this year? Somewhere exotic, perhaps? Do you want your kids to be able to go to college? Do you want to be able to pay for driving lessons for them? If you’re younger and still living with your parents, do you want to move out and gain some space of your own?

Think about your career. What job do you do? Do you enjoy it? If someone else employs you, do you want to change companies? Move up the ladder? Do more hours – or fewer hours perhaps? Go part time, and get another part time job in a different sector entirely? If you’re self-employed, do you want to work less hours? Employ other people? Work from home more? Expand your business? Find new customers? Find ways to refine what you do now to enable you to offer a better service? Would you like to go on a computer or business course to expand on the knowledge you already have?

Would you like to retrain for another, totally different job? How about evening classes or home study courses? Is there any skill you’ve always wanted to have, but never found the time to actually get it?

Let’s not forget relationships either. Are you single? Would you like to meet someone? Would you like to go out more often? Do you have a good circle of friends? Do you see your best friend as often as you like? Are you in a relationship? Do you make sure you spend quality time together? Would you like to spend a romantic weekend away together every couple of months? Would you like to surprise your partner every now and then?

The key to finding the goals you really want to achieve is to think about you. What do you need? What do you want most, right now? Would you like to go on a once in a lifetime trip around the world, to see the sights other people are always talking about? Get married? Start your own business? Learn a new skill? Take up a new hobby? What will benefit you most, right now? How will your goal benefit your life?

How much do you want it?

This is the acid test for any proposed goal. How does the thought of it make you feel? It should be something you dream of achieving. Something you think about often. You should be able to imagine what it would be like to achieve your goal, and then want it even more.

Using the above prompts to help isolate your most desired for goals will give you a great starting point to change your life for the better.

by Allison Whitehead

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