Connections
No man is an island ; we all want to be seen , heard and understood . We all need a sense of belonging to function effectively . When you look at your life , what ’ s great and what needs improvement ? How strong are your connections with friends and family ? How intentional are you about them ? Do you have any broken relationships that need repair ?
Stay in touch with your immediate family and close friends . Be intentional and creative about strengthening these important connections . Technology has made it easy to keep in touch - if we intend to . As much as possible , have positive relationships with the people around you . Show genuine interest and develop your interpersonal skills , especially listening and empathy . Forgive and try to reconcile damaged relationships . Keep your relationships healthy , resolving differences quickly , while kindly , but assertively enforcing healthy boundaries and gracefully letting go of the unhealthy , toxic people in your life .
Community
Beyond our usual circles is a whole world . There are always those better and worse off than you . How involved are you in the community ? Identify the social needs in your community , and get involved , starting simply . Could you do shopping for that neighbour who lost a job , or family member ? Could you visit a neighbor in hospital ? Is there a hospital , children ’ s or old people ’ s home , or prison in your community you could adopt ? Could you give your old clothes to prison or send to relatives ? There is no limit to ways to give money , time or in-kind support . Whatever you give makes a difference and is always appreciated .
Also collaborate with neighbours and friends in improving your community . For instance , you could work together to renovate a section of a children ’ s home or clean up your neighbourhood .
Learning
Since completing college or university , how have you continued learning ? When was the last time you finished a book ? In general , Kenyans read to pass exams and keep up with the news , not for pleasure . To add value to your work and life , become a lifelong learner . There are unlimited learning options to enhance our work and enrich our lives . We hence need to strategically curate and focus our learning .
Create a learning list that includes books , articles , videos , podcasts , webinars and learning programmes . If you start now , there ’ s enough time left in the year to read 2 to 3 books , by consistently reading for 20 to 30 minutes a day . Learn further by creating or joining a mastermind composed of three to five like-minded peers who act as accountability and support partners , to help one another achieve more .
Work
We typically finance our lifestyle through work and business . How is your work or business performance ? Are you best in class in your area of expertise ? What possibilities exist for growth and promotion ? Are you strategically progressing towards them ? What is holding you back from growing to the next level ?
Be clear about where you want to go and how you will get there . Then just start steadily working towards this , striving to be the best every day , knowing , as Myles Munroe once said , first be the best , and then you will be first .’
Money
It is said that money makes the world go around . Financial freedom is being able to live at your chosen lifestyle without ever having to work again . Are you financially free ? Do you have a plan to gain financial freedom ? What ’ s your debt situation like ? Do you have a plan to get out of debt ? Do you have enough savings to support you for at least 6 months if you were to no longer have an income ?
There is very little one can accomplish without money . Set realistic financial goals and create a budget to plan your spending and live within your means . Keep records of your spending to know where your money is going .
Save diligently , and invest your savings , diversifying them to spread risks , which you should identify and minimize , for example through insurance .
The more passive income you create , the sooner you will attain financial freedom . To increase your financial literacy and learn how money works , play the free online game , Cashflow , available on richdad . com .
Let ’ s extrapolate your life again . All things remaining constant , if you consistently make the right choices in the eight areas discussed , where could you be 5 years from today ? Like what you see ? Go for it , then , doing the right things , remembering , as Robin Sharma says , that small , daily , insignificant improvements , when done consistently , lead to stunning results .
You have the power to create an amazing life , and there ’ s no reason why you shouldn ’ t . Just start now and keep at it . See you at the top !
Caroline Nyamwaya Mwazi is Chief Change Catalyst of Huru Consult Limited , a Nairobi-based management and training consulting company . You can commune with her via mail at : CMwazi @ gmail . com , or connect with her on LinkedIn or Facebook @ Caroline Nyamwaya Mwazi .