What do you say when people ask what you do? What comes to mind when you think of who you are? There are two types of lists, or inventories that are the worthiest of your purposeful time and thought. You don’t have to be a retail store owner to know what it’s like to conduct an inventory. It’s grueling at best and involves determining the current stock and what needs to go to make room for the new products. The process is no different when our minds contain the shelves that need to be inventoried. What stays and what goes?
I went through this kind of process when I decided to go into business for myself. I had just been cut from a big orthopedic supplier with a severance package, thankfully. After a couple days of obligatory mourning, it was time to get down to brass tacks. What did I want my answer to be, when people asked what do I do? I enjoyed sales, and working with people in the business world, and had an unrelenting drive to be an entrepreneur. Then I had to figure out what I could do for clients, and what kind of business structure I needed. These are parts of the inventory, along with what I could spend on start-up investments, and how long I could take getting everything off the ground. Each inventory is different, but they all end up with the critical decisions on what stays and what goes. If you haven’t recently inventoried, get started soon
How often do you take a moment to look at the elements of your life? When choosing new paths and growth we often need to up end the elements of daily life and drop old unproductive things. Have you done this lately?
I’m not a list-oriented person. I make them when I need to, but it’s not too big of a deal. There is one inventory that is very important to me and I add to it regularly. It’s my bucket list. This inventory is the list of things I would like to do before my trips around the Sun are done. I don’t share this list often, but it’s always in my head to recall. Have you made an inventory of your life’s accomplishments? If not, I suggest you get going. Include your future goals and make it a dynamic list that you update regularly. The simple act of creating this inventory will increase your likelihood of accomplishing the items it contains.
This blog is part of a series from the book Discover Your Best Life by Mike Hintz. His personal, professional, and spiritual growth tools are also featured in Northlink Retreats. If this topic resonates with you consider reading the book or attending one of the upcoming retreats.