The concept of becoming a MeEO is appealing.
A life where we are in control and satisfied with all 8 dimensions of wellbeing.
We have a clear vision for our career, solid relationships, and activities that energize us.
This is a great vision, but what can we do to start to gain control?
My Journey
I began my journey to gain more control of my own life about 10 years ago.
My children were still in school, but there was some breathing space to start to work on myself.
Looking back, I wish there would have been a guide to support my development.
I read books.
Took self-assessments.
Set visions for “10 years out”.
Made plans.
Tracked my time.
Selected a “word of the year”.
Evaluated the ebbs and flows of my energy.
And much more.
From all the work, the steps below are the process I would recommend.
My advice to my younger self would be to start early, reassess annually, and set goals.
Steps to Becoming a MeEO
Below is the process I would recommend:
Self-Awareness: Start by understanding yourself better.
- Track your time to understand how you spend your days.
- Shift the time tracking to energy tracking – when are you at your best for different activities.
- Take assessments to understand how you approach the world. A few to consider are CliftonStrengths, Myers-Briggs, The Four Tendencies, Via Character, and Motivation Code.
Current Assessment: Understand your current level of satisfaction, engagement and sustainability in each of the 8 dimensions of wellbeing – Physical, Financial, Occupational, Intellectual, Social, Spiritual, Environmental, and Emotional.
Vision for the Future: Move from understanding where you are today to where you want to be in the future. There are many different approaches both near term and 10-20 years out that can be leveraged. Here is an example of three activities to get you started.
- Take a pen and paper (not online) and start to write about what your life looks like 20 years from now – what are you doing, who are the people in your life, where do you live, how do you make money, how do you spend your days, what does your schedule look like, etc.
- From that vision, what are some things that stand out? Assess if you will need to do something different to make that future come true. You will then start to see things you need to lean into to set you on the path to the future.
Create a Hope Letter: Once you have a vision for the distant future, write a letter to yourself one year from now. Express what you hope you have accomplished this year. Outline how you will have changed and how your life will look different from what it does today.
Set Goals: Based on the letter you wrote, evaluate some goals. Set 3-5 goals you would like to accomplish in the year ahead. You could consider also choosing a word that becomes your vision for the year and ties the goals together. This word is an easy shortcut to remind you of your vision.
Break it Down: Chunk the goals into parts. Maybe you focus on one each quarter or each goal has four phases (one per quarter). Breaking the year into quarters, then into months, weeks, and days enables you to set the routines and habits to move your goals forward.
Apply the Hope Equation: Charles “Rick” Snyder developed an equation for hope. To achieve your hope letter, applying this equation will be foundational. Here is the equation:
HOPE = Goals + Willpower + Waypower
You have created the goals and broken them down. Now it’s time to do the work.
Willpower is discipline combined with desire to do the work. Looking at the tasks to be done, how will you set the routines and habits needed to move your goals forward. This won’t be easy, but staying clear on your why helps you continue the path.
Waypower comes in when current activities aren’t working. You need to be able to pivot and try other approaches. Remembering that what works for one person doesn’t work the same for another. Finding your own path is key to progress.
Checking In: Taking time each month to assess the past month and plan the next allows you to celebrate the wins and change course where necessary.
Your Turn
What do you think of the process outlined in the post?
Have you started this work and/or implemented the ideas regularly?
What could you do today to start your own journey or advance the one you are on?