Years ago, my brother and I owned a chain of retail stores. Several times a year we would go through the laborious process of taking inventory of each store. While the process was hard, it provided tremendous information that enabled us to make necessary course corrections. We learned where we had too much of an item and too little of another. The inventory showed where the wrong sizes or the wrong color assortments were hurting our sales. Taking inventory was critical to effectively run our business. Otherwise, we were just making semi-educated guesses.
Fortunately, taking inventory of our personal lives is not nearly as laborious and is much more useful than what we used to go through in our stores. Taking inventory personally helps us identify areas that we have neglected and points us in helpful new directions.
As we move toward the end of 2018, taking time to look reflectively at each area of our life and see where we stand helps us discern where we focus in the coming year. If we are really brave, we take inventory with someone close to us that can help expose areas that we might be prone to overlook.
Just like a retail inventory, we want to make sure we are looking at the whole of our lives. I suggest asking questions similar to the ones below in these eight areas:
- Health
- What is the one thing I can do to improve my health?
- What can I do to get in better shape?
- What eating or drinking habit do I need to change?
- Family
- What do I need to do to improve my family relationships?
- How specifically can I improve my relationship with ______?
- Relationships
- What do I need to do to grow better relationships?
- Who are my closest friends with whom I can share anything?
- With whom might I begin to develop a close friendship?
- If it is true that my five closest friends reflect who I am, what does this say about me?
- Finances
- What is my financial health?
- Who do I need help from in the financial area of my life?
- How can I specifically reduce the debt in my life?
- What will I do to begin to give part of my income to others?
- What system do I need to put in place to get on top of my finances?
- Lifestyle
- How do I feel about the pace of my life? Too slow? Too fast? Too busy?
- What habit do I need to start or stop?
- Where am I stuck in life?
- How is my morning routine?
- Experiences
- What will I experience in the upcoming year that I will remember for the rest of my life?
- What do I dream of doing?
- How can I improve vacations?
- Faith
- How would I assess my spiritual life?
- What could I specifically do to grow my faith life?
- Who do I need to connect to for my spiritual growth?
- Career/Mission
- Do I have a clear understanding of my life mission?
- Is my career fulfilling to me and providing well financially?
- What one thing could I do to improve my career/mission direction?
- What can I do to better my work situation?
- How might I give more of myself outside of my career?
You might use these questions as a guide, adding your own, and slowly take inventory of where you are right now. Don’t rush the inventory. The most profound insights will come as you allow yourself to ponder these questions. Enjoy the process.
What question resonates with you?
What question would you add?
Wow! That means we can’t sweep anything under the rug about ourselves. It’s a head on look!!!! Thoughtfully I wonder if another time we can take inventory of the good things we think about ourselves, maybe as necessary as the improvements. My other thought is all this should be written down and dated. That would heighten awareness of ourselves later on as we need the information. I am a little biased because I happen to be very Biased about y ou and I want you to think the same thing about yourself (without the diet cokes – hmmm!). Good idea, something that is helpful to clarify our thoughts. Have fun at the GB. xoxoalways!
As always, my Mom has insightful wisdom. As she said, we take inventory of both good and bad.
Nice job, Mom!! Ha.