Can You Find the Four Corners First?
It will change Your Expectations About the Outcome
Most everyone wants to put in the piece that will complete the face. It's very common and understandable. The point here is that one might have been able to get there easier and faster IF they had done the four corners first. Nonetheless, it will be beautiful upon completion.
Following the current blog theme of preparation for 2024, we don't have a lot of time before the New Year gets to us. And, as we age the idea is to make the most of the time ahead. Perhaps we could increase both the time ahead AND the accomplishments in it?
That is my challenge to you, because that is the only way to ensure that you have satisfaction and happiness moving forward.
I don't issue this challenge without some signposts - some hints and suggestions on how to DO that. The purpose of the blog is to give you a toolbox that can help make the whole thing sooooo much easier. Here are the four corner pieces to put in place.
TIME - Without this whatever else you do will unravel like a badly knitted sweater. Each day requires a bit of maintenance.
HEALTH - Anyone over age 50 knows there has to be "self care". Further, it takes much more as years pass and it has to be tailored to fit you as an individual. In addition you have to do it when medicine and all forms of therapy are changing very rapidly. Lifespan and Wellspan should coincide as longevity increases, but that's up to you.
RELATIONSHIPS - This area is crucial in terms of enjoyment, energy, and purpose. It requires cultivation, like a garden. Leave this one out, and all your efforts will be pointless.
RESOURCES - To avoid confusion, it's best to split this one into external resources and the other ones you use to enhance your thinking patterns. The external is the product of the internal resources.
If you inherit a billion dollars, for example, it will be likely wasted unless you think correctly about the event. Every lottery winner can tell you the uncomfortable truth about that one.
We are starting 2024 with the internal resources in mind. So, today, put that puzzle piece in place. Just grab an 8x11 sheet of blank paper and pick a corner. Do it now.
What follows that? Your choice, not mine. But here is one way.
Start with last week's blog and its picture. It shows many of resource categories of the internal, such as things you can control and things you cannot. Pick some things you feel could be internal resources for your corner puzzle piece.
Don't set any goals until you do this. Remember that these four corners are interrelated. The corners allow better for you to see how other pieces fit to form your 2024 plan, and how 2024 relates to the years that follow.
Coming back to the claim that this can assist you in getting to goals, but also to get there faster, think about how much time you spend worrying about tomorrow or being regretful. Even time spent looking at past events can be a resource or a heavy useless weight to lift.
One way to keep this from being a drag, many find it helpful to seek out a picture of a future event or a person to put up on the mirror or someplace that reminds you to see it and visualize. This helps avoid unnecessary time with stuff that could happen but probably won't.
Dear friends, that's enough for today. Just get started with the smallest step that can lead to the next one. For me, it's just the 8x11 blank sheet. What's your future look like? Time to find out!
More next week - share your thoughts when you can - it improves them and you as you do it together.
Happy Days Ahead
Joe Grant, MBA
Certified Retirement Coach
Contact me for a Free 45 minute Consultation at https://yourvantagepoints.com
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