Success can be a driver of “imbalance”; unfortunately, we see it too often. There are outwardly successful people who are neither happy nor healthy in their success. We promote “happily successful” through balance—that is, life balance.
We believe there are seven dimensions in life balance that generate an individual’s sense of wellbeing and life fulfillment, and they are internal and external in nature. While an individual’s emphasis (that is, interest, time and preference) commonly shows up in a few specific elements, we suggest that some activity in each element is necessary for balance and long-term, genuine experience of contentment with yourself and fulfillment in your life.
• The seven dimensions are:
Social/Relational – Do you have meaningful relationships that allow you to
connect, add value, learn and grow?
• Finances – Are you accountable to yourself (and family) for your financial freedom—that is, managing what you have, saving for what you want, not buying what you don’t need and avoiding “indebtedness”.
• Career/Business – Are you in a job where you can use your talents and that compensates you adequately for your contribution?
• Physical – Are you caring for and sustaining your body—that is, watering it, feeding it, exercising it, resting it so it can best serve you?
• Emotional – Are you managing your emotions – or, are they running you (astray!)?
• Mental – Are you choosing where to focus your thinking – what you focus on and think about tends to manifest—good and bad.
• Spiritual – Are you engaging in things that bring you joy, contribute to the betterment of others and the environment; activities that connect you, ground you and make you whole? Do you exercise gratitude?
No one can take care of you but you. You have a choice. You can work toward balance or you can ignore it and risk living (or continue to live) an “unhappily successful” life. But we wonder – why would you do that?
© 2009 Kubica & LaForest
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Tags: Avoiding “Unhappily Successful”: 7 Key Elements of LIFE BALANCE
