I've always said that success in life boils down to how you handle three interconnected fundamentals: your time, money and relationships. Focus too much or too little on one area and you'll feel the repercussions in the others.
Take the time-money equation, for instance. As much as we like to say that the important things in life are not about money, the fact is money and time are always linked, and they go a long way in determining the quality of our lives. There is a saying in Washington that all politics is local – that you don't get to make far-reaching national and global policies unless you can first capture the hometown votes. In the same way, all lives are economic.
You don't get to spend a summer touring Europe (or spend Friday playing golf, for that matter) unless you have your economics in order. Time and money determine the choices we have in life.
So how do we optimize the value of our time? How do we get to spend it in a way that enriches us, and that allows us to do the things that give our lives meaning? I believe the solution is to let the answer be the answer. Start with your ideal life in mind, and use that answer of what you think your life should be about to drive your daily mission. Make that answer your beacon.
This may sound obvious, but the reality is that too many of us let "life" take over our lives. We spend our time and money satisfying today's requirements – our to-do lists, and the disturbances that arise in and out of the practice. Then, if anything is left over we think about applying some energy toward the ideal dream.
This is backwards thinking. Realizing your ideal life should be the priority. What you need to do is establish the life you want, and how to achieve it, in concrete terms. This really comes down to figuring out three numbers. First is the amount you'll need for your retirement and for long-term obligations like your kids' education. Then there is your "ideal life today" number. What would it take to make a significant difference in how you feel about life right now? It could be that $20,000 more a year, or four weeks more of vacation time, could be all it takes to make your good life a great life.
That just leaves the magic number: the hourly value of time you need to achieve to make your long-term and ideal life today a reality.
Every dream life can be reduced to this key "what it will take" number. And that's what makes it powerful. Achieving a goal of a 10 percent increase in production is meaningless unless you can put it in the context of a comprehensive life plan. This number isn't just a number. It represents the life you want. Find out what yours is and make it your guiding force.
If you want to find out more about how to arrive at this important "answer," check out my video lessons on Creating a Vision and Life Plan on our Digital Campus.