To Inspire:

Two of my colleagues (Angie Eversole and Michelle O’Brien) and I were talking about the growth in new clients that we are experiencing right now. Our team is very excited; we love helping people live a great life – whatever that means to each client we serve. And to be impacting more and more lives is such a privilege!

It has me thinking about growth in our personal lives. Just as companies that aren’t growing are probably dying, so with people. And the kind of growth I’m referring to is a life that is ever more flourishing – a life of greater impact, greater joy, greater meaning.

I have two suggestions for all of this for this first weekend in May:

First, that we take a half hour to sit down with a journal and thoughtfully assess all of the relationships that are important to us: with God, our spouse, our family, our friends, our work colleagues, etc. For each, consider how you might “grow” that relationship to reflect more and more the best version of it. Maybe these questions will help you with your assessment:

• What relationships are most important to you? Try and prioritize them.
• Does your daily and weekly schedule allocate time to those relationships? For example, if your relationship with God is important to you and you want to see it deepen and grow, do you have a daily appointment to sit down and pray? Most say that the first thing in the morning is best for that particular relationship – to get your day started right. Or how about your spouse – are you two having date nights and shared activities as well as times set aside to check in and see how each of you are doing? If so, great. If not, you might consider the importance of your marriage and ways to prioritize it. This same kind of thinking applies to your children (whether still in the house or out of the house). The same for special friendships or volunteer time for those in need. Bottom line, that which we focus on and give attention to will grow – and that which we don’t focus on, will begin to die.

Use your journal to write out some new commitments related to the above and then reach out to those people and use your calendar to commit to specific dates/times to advance these relationships. Experts are clear that to-do lists are not nearly as effective as thoughtfully scheduling specific blocks of time to being with those most important to you.

Of course, there are other aspects of growth – intellectual growth, growth in a certain hobby or activity, or growth in specific virtues or traits we want to reflect in our lives. As with the important relationships above, committing time to pursue growth in these areas is so important. Regularly measure your growth in this as well – that which is measured will grow!

And second, consider how to support all of the growth you are wanting to experience in your life. Plants need water and sunlight to grow. What do you need to grow in all of the above? Surely first and foremost, time. If you’re like most, you will need to let go of activities crowding your schedule and preventing you from scheduling your new commitments. What about energy? You will need to increase your energy levels to pursue the growth you want to experience. Your sleep, your diet, and your fitness all will need to be increased. Commit to those as well and you will find them enabling your growth in these other aspects of your life.

Growth – whether in business or in our personal lives, it’s so important. Be intentional about aspects of your life in which you want to experience growth – and then use your calendar to commit to it! Life moves fast – don’t waste a minute!!

Have a great weekend!!

Written by Matt Palmer, Partner & Co-Founder