Steps to Get Ahead by Looking Back

by Peter Samuelson

We have been through a lot this past year, but it is starting to look like there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Everyone has learned a lot about themselves that they may have not found out otherwise. I have been thinking about my life looking at where I came from, where I am now, and where I want to be a year from now. I am calling it a personal audit. Don’t think of this as a financial audit where the IRS comes knocking on your door, but a way for you to get a grasp of where you are in life as we come out the other side of the pandemic. A personal audit is a time to review your values, think about what you have learned and figure out how you are going to apply that.

It is important to come back and think about your values because they may have shifted slightly or completely changed from what they were one, two or five years ago. One thing you can do to help you get a grasp of your values is to create a mission statement for yourself. Companies make mission statements to get to the root of what they are trying to accomplish. You can make one for yourself to outline what you are trying to accomplish personally. It can be as long or as short as you want but make sure to keep it general so you can apply it to all the aspects of your life. A good term that I have heard used is ‘Living Rich’. What does living rich mean to you? It could mean having a lot of money and a nice car for some people, which is great if that is important to you. For others it could be shopping local and volunteering to help the community grow and become a better place, or any combination of both, and everything in between. Whatever your mission statement, and idea of living rich is make sure you write it down and keep it available so you can look at it often and make any changes if you need to. 

Adapting to living life in a pandemic was a rough transition for many people. You could have lost your job, lost a family member or any number of things. But if there is one thing it has taught me, it is that I need to think more often about what is most important in my life. I learned that I enjoy living a simple life and I don’t need as much as I thought to be happy. I learned how much I miss my family and friends when I am not around them. I have learned to be thankful for my job and the opportunity to help people achieve their goals. Take some time to think about what is most valuable in your life. This pandemic has been horrible in so many ways, but now we have an opportunity to use it and better our lives and help us realize what is most important.

I urge you to create mission statement for yourself, go over your values and think about what is most important in your life so when we do reach the other side you are ready to conquer and live rich in your best life with the people you care about the most. We’re always willing to listen.