Commuting to work at 10:00AM on a Tuesday in September, I passed Rob Kluge, a former CBRE colleague.
“I’m late for work. He’s judging me,” my inner critic thought.
After saying hello, I made a comment about the benefits of not having a boss. “Not no boss – you are the boss,” Rob responded. His words were exactly the reminder I needed.
Thinking of myself as CEO of Evan Fiddle, Inc. allows me to creatively design my life. At the end of 2018, following advice in Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want, I made a “life plan.” The book instructed me to make “life accounts” and then order them in terms of importance. My priorities for 2019 were:
- Health – Sleep, diet, exercise.
- Fun / New Experiences – Marathons, travel, activities with friends and family.
- Dating
- Relationships – Friends / network .. quality time w them. Put myself out there. Meet as many people as I can. Believe people are good and interesting until proven otherwise. Make sure to plan time with closest friends too.
- Family – Mom, Dad, Mike, Grandpa Sy, Poppy/Grandma
- Career – 45 minutes daily canvassing, writing.
- Intellectual – reading, articles, podcasts. Read when home from work.
- Charity – Weekly run with Back On My Feet, join their young leadership board, raise money for Autism Speaks.
- Spiritual – Daily meditation.
The reason I was “late” for work that Tuesday is because I joined a running club for a workout on the East River Track. I’ve written before that running and deep connection are interests of mine; referencing my priority list above, participating in these Tuesday track workouts fulfills items #1, #2 and #4 on my list. When your values are defined, decision making is significantly easier. Arriving at work slightly later but full of energy is a better decision for me than arriving at 8AM but miserable because I’m neglecting things I deem important. The beauty of life is that we get to choose what has meaning and what doesn’t. There is no right answer, but as CEO, we are in charge.
I’m aware not everyone has the luxury to arrive at work at 10AM one day per week. I work in a commissioned sales role where a creative life design is more easily tolerated than a standard 9-5 job. However, no one is stuck. Slowing down and thinking deeply about how you want to live your life will create opportunities you couldn’t previously see as a participant in someone else’s dream. You always have a voice to ask for things you want or the ability to choose another path. Creative ideas surface from disciplined thinking.
We live one life. With 2019 coming to an end, I hope you take time to reflect on your life holistically and design a life that you’re proud of, since,
“Being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can’t truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.” – Zig Ziglar