I've consulted with thousands of people in my life ... and in each case it's been pretty raw.
In addition, I grew up in a home that attracted all sorts of people who were lost on their journey. My father was a grief and loss counsellor, and so I grew up around some devastating life stories.
I've seen deep on the inside of people from virtually every walk of life. From the super-wealthy to the poor and forgotten. From the most intellectual to the most uneducated.
So, it's no wonder all this led me to figure out how to be badass at life.
To ask the question, what causes people to thrive?
One thing I noticed very early on was that money wasn't always associated with happiness. I got to be with some of the poorest people in our society and found many of them to have lot's of joy in their day.
I also got to hang with some of the wealthiest people at the top end of town, and found many of them numbing their lives with alcohol and other medications ... with little to no joy in their day.
It's pretty easy to see that a badass life is one that has positive experiences on a daily basis.
Another common problem across the board is the angst people have around 'meaning'. Without meaning, people get lost. They crave it. They want their life to have purpose. What's it all for if not for 'something'.
It's pretty easy to see that a badass life is one that has meaning and purpose.
Relationships are also key to our success. I can't recall one person who hasn't had both negative and positive relationships. The negative ones create havoc and the positive ones are life-changing.
It's pretty easy to see that a badass life is one that has positive relationships.
Do you get lost in what you do? Do hours go by while you're working and you don't even notice?
And on the flip side, what's it like when you're watching the seconds go by because you're so bored and disengaged from what you're doing, that it's like a form of punishment?
It's pretty easy to see that a badass life is one that is deeply engaged.
And what about the buzz you get when you're creating something for your future ... you've set a goal and you achieve it.
So many people are sad and depressed because they failed to achieve something ... or they feel they didn't amount to something.
It's pretty easy to see that a badass life is an achieving life.
These 5 things are the keys to a badass life are:
- Positivity
- Meaning
- Relationships
- Engagement and Being in Flow
- Creativity and Achievement
I get all my entrepreneur clients to do an audit of these 5 key things, and report back to me how they're doing in each area. And it's not just because I think it's a good idea.
I remember the day I was at LAX, and I picked up a book called Flourish, by Martin Seligman.
Martin is a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and a founder of Positive Psychology. According to Prof Seligman, these 5 keys aspects of a thriving life are supported by hundreds of scientific studies.
You need all five to thrive.
Think about that as you go about your life as an entrepreneur.
Are you just focussed on building your business and achieving business success?
Or, are you focussed on being positive, having great relationships, being engaged in what you do, and finding purpose in what you do?
This idea of flourishing, or thriving, is central to the life of an Entrepreneur, and we use X10 Thinking to help us get there.
- Positivity X10
- Meaning X10
- Relationships X10
- Engagement X10
- Achievement X10
To find out more, register for our most recent webinar.
