It’s easy to find some incredible interviews online from extremely motivated figures like Ariana Huffington, Hugh Jackman, Richard Branson or Mary Barra and use those to become greatly inspired. I pride myself in being a dedicated reader and applying advice learned from not only people of great success in the field of business but perhaps more importantly, in the field of happiness. So what is it that creates happiness in our lives?
I read an interview back in February on Refinery 29 with Mary Barra, who is the CEO of General Motors and recently named Time Magazines “100 Most Influential People in the World”. I’ll never forget her words -
“Being dedicated to your work, your family and to yourself doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive.”
This might mean different things for different people but for me it really takes me back to when I graduated from University, ready to attack the world of business. I took on an Account Management job with the key focus to make as much money as possible, thinking that was the pathway to success. After a couple of years I realised that a single achievement isn’t really success - at least not for me. Even if I made a million dollars or I climbed to the top of Mount Everest, that single goal would only gain me a temporary high of achievement.
Last year in Nice, I completed an Ironman Race, which gave me a wondrous sense of self and achievement. What’s different here is that awesome feeling has extended out through a whole year because this time I had the opportunity to share that achievement with the person I love the most. I also connected that accomplishment with more then just crossing the finish line, I was emotionally invested in this goal in a way I have never been before. I made changes to my life during training, firstly I started to read more, then I started to engage in spiritual activities to help me rest and recover better. These two made this journey not just about finishing a race but it also made me a better boyfriend. I had more energy at work, began eating healthier - I became a more rounded person.
My belief now is that one single achievement alone is good - but the reward will always be temporary. It’s when you can combine multiple goals in a long lasting effort, you can truly feel that you are living your life to the fullest. What’s essential in making these goals is that they are extremely important to you, you need to be 100% emotionally invested. Something as simple as keeping your apartment clean can be a vital piece to the puzzle of your life and contribute to becoming a more rounded self. My biggest tips to create an emotional connection to your goal is to visualise yourself achieving it, see yourself crossing that finish line and think of exactly how it will feel and what you will do when doing it.
“If you love what you do, the blending of personal and professional time seems less intrusive” - Mary Barra
What I’m boiling all of this down to is that life is like wheel divided up in different parts as the image. Every part symbolises a different area of your life - and a wheel rolls the best when it is round! There must be balance in all areas - so you don’t need to be a perfect 10 on every piece, but rather strive to achieve harmony in all. I’ve included a link to the test where you can draw up your own wheel like the one in this article. You can rate the different fields 0-10 and when you’re done, start setting goals on where you want to be in each field and write down what actions will take you there. Striving for balance can be a true formula for Happiness!
Do it online here.
Stay tuned, next time I’m going to discuss how to be more efficient in your everyday life. Hopefully some of my tips can help you achieve your goals!
Link to Interview with Mary Barra
- Gustav
