In 2019, what area are you “making space” for?
Turning 40 amps our excitement for what's next. But it's important to have clarity of purpose when deciding on the next chapter or we'll end up exhausted and burned out. Living with intentionality helps achieve our purpose. @slwhittemore Click To Tweet“Entering a new decade had amped my excitement for “what’s next” in life, but I realized a lack of clarity in my purpose.”
Sherry Whittemore
Share your journey and why this is important to you
Turning 40 last year encouraged me to reflect on my journey, check my compass and better align my passions and dreams with work, family and community goals.
2018 was a big year for me. I got married, served on a board, started a mentorship, helped my husband launch a new business, took a class at MIT, got a personal trainer, pushed myself with new opportunities in my career, and started family planning.
Entering a new decade had amped my excitement for “what’s next” in life, but I realized a lack of clarity in my purpose.
In reflection, I discovered my best qualities were also my most exhausting. I have one speed: full throttle. I love out loud and live by example. I’m an empath and insatiable learner.
I see a lot of pain and suffering in our world and strive to change that. Everything I commit to gets 110% of my effort and energy.
As a result, I was doing a lot and burning out.
So, I deconstructed the scale on which I measure my success, happiness and impact. I went through an exercise to define what drives me: Empowering others to connect, grow and thrive. Then I started mapping and aligning my values, commitments and goals.
Living with greater intentionality helps me achieve my purpose.
Living with greater intentionality helps me achieve my purpose. @slwhittemore Click To TweetHow would you like to inspire others?
Here’s a simple checklist for living intentionally and with purpose:
- Know your values, passions, dreams. Think about what truly matters in life and how you can make an impact.
- Set goals. Plan, prioritize and set limits for what matters most. Be realistic with daily responsibilities and level of effort. Consider incremental levels of engagement—start small and keep growing.
- Get organized. Whether it’s a notebook and highlighter, app, social site, or platform like LifeSpace, find a tool for planning and tracking.
- Stay motivated and make choices. Feeling overwhelmed by everyday tasks is understandable: email, gym, dinner, dry cleaning, homework, pets. Lacking discipline and direction is easy: Netflix, video games, online shopping, Facebook, Instagram. Distraction and prioritization impact motivation. Align daily decision-making with values and goals. You DO have a choice on how your time is spent each day.
- Fail. We learn from trying and improving. It’s okay to have a plan and pivot or to start again. Perfection is often an unnecessary burden and unrealistic attainment.
- Be accountable. Purpose and intent are achieved through accountability. Measure your progress, make adjustments when needed, determine when help is needed and continue your growth.
How do you use LifeSpace to achieve your goals personally and professionally?
I was fortunate to be one of the first beta testers of the LifeSpace Productivity Platform.
LifeSpace helps me get organized, research tools and resources, set goals, engage with peers and track progress.
Provide a link for people to check out what you are up to
You can find me on LinkedIn: Sherry Whittemore
Ready to share your story?
If you are someone making space for something important personally, professionally or socially this year, please send us your story to stories@lifespace.com
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