Each year, we see the dawning of the New Year as a time for fresh starts. More exercise, a better job, more time with family and friends, perhaps quitting smoking? No matter what the goals, they’re usually focused on upping ourselves in the big game – the game of life. Well, why not use the ultimate template to help you set your goals? For more than 50 years, Gallup researchers have been exploring the raw materials of a life well-lived. They’ve come up with 5 essential elements that transcend countries & cultures.
So if you’re setting goals for 2012, why not set them based on the elements that differentiate a thriving life from one that’s simply endured?
The Central Five
- Career Wellbeing: how you occupy your time or simply liking what you do every day is key. Get this right and you’ll never look back.
- Social Wellbeing: having strong relationships and love in your life can make a profound impact. Building connections with friends, family, colleagues and neighbors will support and enrich you everyday.
- Financial Wellbeing: effectively managing your economic life can remove untold stressors from you life. Learning to live within one’s means is a good place to begin.
- Physical Wellbeing: having good health and enough energy to get things done on a daily basis. Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Straight up.
- Community Wellbeing: the sense of engagement you have with the area where you live is a cornerstone. Volunteer your time. Join a community group or your kid’s school sports committee. Being linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding.
So while it might be easier to treat these critical areas in our lives as if they were separate, they’re not. They’re all interconnected and shape our lives. So why not plan to get more out of each day, and your life, in 2012 by ensuring your goals take into account these essential five?
Follow these five and you will not only feel the better for it but you’ll be boosting the wellbeing of your friends, family members, colleagues, and others in your community. Now that sounds like a great outcome.
Here’s to the best in 2012!
