My Personal Development Journey 3rd Quarter Check-In 2022

"Vision Focuses Our Decisions; Decisions Determine Our Destiny"

— Father Mike Schmitz

I have made it a habit to revisit Father Mike's video on Developing a Clear Vision in Life. Especially when it comes to reviewing my goals and determining my next steps. At the video's start, Father Schmitz points out that many will go through life and realize it was wasted. This is a fear that I have for myself. I do not want to blindly walk through my life. I want to have a purpose, a calling. It is for that reason that I am in search of my Ikigai.

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that translates to "A Reason for Being". You Ikigai is the thing that you live for. In the book Awakening Your Ikigai, Ken Mogi details another concept known as Kodawari. Loosely put, Kodawari is the care and pride one puts into their work. As I took in these concepts, I began to reflect on my own life, and I started to examine my life areas and how my life was measuring up to the life I long for; enter the Level 10 Life.

To determine my level 10 life, I have taken to looking at my life using the Level 10 Life Model by Hal Elrod in his book "The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM)". The Level 10 life is a methodology that helps individuals grasp their feelings surrounding their current state in life. The idea is to pause, critically observe where you are in life, and then take steps to usher in improvements. This is achieved by creating a list of life categories, rating one's feelings for each category on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being best. From there, one would analyze that portion of their life and then make goals geared towards raising their score in that life area.

Overall, my goal is to utilize the Level 10 Life model in hopes of realizing my Ikigai. My Level 10 Life Categories are as follows:

As it stands, I have 16 Life Categories. Because this is my Personal Development Journey, I will allow myself grace and flexibility. As time progresses, I will add and remove categories and create and pause goals. Life is a journey that I wish to venture with purpose and delight.

01. Marriage

02. Friendships

03 .Adventures

04. Environment

05. Health and Fitness

06. Intelectual Life

07. Skill Sets

08. Spirituality

09. Career

10. Creative Life

11. Family Life

12. Community

13. Finances

14. Projects

15. Hobbies

16. Mental Health

Regarding my 3rd Quater Check-In for 2022, I average a 3 out of 10 across the board... A disheartening reality, but it is mine, and I plan to not just own it but alter it. When I think about my average score regarding the categories I have set for myself, I am drawn to the song firm and Strong" byPopcaan. More specifically, the lyrics "Jah, You keep me firm and strong... strong already... strong already you know...". I believe that God has a purpose for my life. However, I must put together the pieces and figure out exactly what he wants me to do. Along this Personal Development Journey I am on, I will stand firm and strong for "Jah gives me the energy mi need".

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