The pursuit of excellence leads us to ask “Was it worth it?” Let’s discuss that.
Count the Costs
There’s a story about a musician who was told by a fan “I would give my life to perform like you.” The musician responded “I did!”
Developing expertise is a life-long endeavor. It involves tradeoffs – saying NO. As a result, we may ask ourself “Was it worth it?”
Balance vs Trade-off
We think we’re maintaining balance as we pursue excellence. But, does staying in balance lead to trade-offs? For example, must we trade less expertise for more personal time?
Fact is, we may fall into a victim mindset – as a leader, consultant, athlete, artist, parent, spouse, or an employee. How so? By focusing on what we’ve lost.
However, when considering balance, we should think of priorities driven by life purpose. Hence, purpose-driven priorities.
Actually, with an abundance mindset, life isn’t a zero-sum game. And, life isn’t a tradeoff where we say “look what I gave up to get where I am.”
Purpose and Priorities
With clear priorities, we’re calm and even-tempered in the face of competing time and priority demands. Why? Because of the choices we’re making.
Our equanimity – peace in the face of a highly demanding lifestyle – comes from clarity of purpose, paired with an abundance mindset.
We answer YES to the “Was it worth it?” question because saying NO to some things is guided by life purpose.
Balance and Reverence
Balance is an element of who we are, what we know, and what we do with what we know.
As drawn from the book of Proverbs, our being – who we are before God – includes being humble and reverent. Our being is the balance point so we’re not all doing or all knowing.
For example, Proverbs 22.17-21 notes how character transformation (“…apply your heart…”), knowledge building, and reverence (“…trust may be in the Lord…”) impact our doing, thus how we respond (“…answer the words of truth to those that ask…”).
As a result of balancing knowing and doing, we move calmly between life priorities.
Therefore, balance flows out of clarity of purpose, an abundance mindset, and a personal relationship with God Himself.
Apply This Today!
Ultimately, we each must answer “Was it worth it?” We count the costs and the benefits of how our priorities have created life outcomes.
It’s good to be purpose driven. It’s even better when our purpose is guided by reverence and self-awareness.
Purpose drives priorities. Our doing, activities that fill our day, are chosen intentionally because those disciplines drive us toward our life’s purpose.
A Question to Consider
We create priorities based on our values, that is, based on what’s important to us. Life is “worth it” because of the values we’ve chosen. What values guide your selection of priorities?
I’m Dale Young. My posts share the balanced life to build wise character and guide wise behavior.
To interact with me, use the links in the Contact Me tab of this blog.
