Protecting Your Greatest Asset: You!
I was thinking today about a story I heard probably a million times in the 9 years I worked at FranklinCovey. It is the popular Aesop's Fable of the Goose and the Golden Egg.
In short, the fable tells of a goose that laid golden eggs, bringing the farmers who owned it many riches and much happiness. However, the farmers, in a spirit of capitalizing on their good luck and in hopes of getting more gold and even richer than they already were, killed the goose in their get-richer-quicker scheme.
If we look at this story and put ourselves in the place of the farmers, the moral is about taking care of our resources. Resources can be many things—both tangible and intangible—from finances, friends, and employees to knowledge, our children, and our talents.
When we max out or neglect any of our resources, their ability to yield a return decreases and ultimately, can cease to exist altogether.
Consider for a second that you are your most important resource. What happens if you don't take time to recharge, renew, re-energize, and give back to yourself? How does that impact your ability to give to your family? What impact does it have on others around you? And, how likely will you be able to volunteer and help influence changes in your community and in the world at large if you're maxed?
Five Tips to Renew, Recharge, and Re-Energize Yourself
To take care of your most valuable asset—you!—consider following these five tips:
- Carve out time for regular renewal. Remember that we make time for the things that are most important to us. If you make yourself a priority—even if this means sacrificing things that feel more important or urgent—you will increase your capacity and ultimately, will be more productive and happy.
- Find a happy place and visit it regularly. A happy place is a place that uplifts, inspires, and recharges you. It can be inside or outside the home or even a place you can visualize. I have several happy places—some I'm able to go to more frequently than others: flower gardens, aquariums, interactive children's museums, the ballet, New York City, book stores, or anywhere where I'm hanging with my friends and family—even if it's just on the phone!
- Identify activities that recharge you and make them part of your regular routine. Activities that re-energize are those that give you that extra boost and help make day-to-day living meaningful instead of mundane. Some tasks that recharge me include: playing the piano, listening to music, dancing, getting a massage, road trips, reading a thought-provoking book, watching movies, laughing, etc.
- Make time for reflection. Pondering life, assessing where you're at, and looking for meaning and purpose can help you identify areas of improvement and ultimately lead to growth and happiness.
- Recognize the beauty in this world and show gratitude. Life wouldn't be what it is without the many resources that surround us. Whether it is a higher power, your family, your friends, or others, take time to stop, recognize whose hands created the beauty around you, and give thanks.
Don't forget that you are your greatest resource! Making time for yourself and finding ways to renew, recharge, and re-energize helps you increase your capacity to be a better you and in turn, give more to others.
Where is your happy place and what is one thing you will do this week to renew and re-energize yourself?
Photo courtesy of Flickr.
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