It's an outdated and false assumption that there is a trade-off between personal wellbeing and professional success.
Both being well and doing well, can and should be pursued concurrently, and it begins with the deliberate and consistent application of personal agency.
Personal agency refers to an individual's ability to make intentional choices, set goals, and take purposeful actions to influence their own life circumstances. It encompasses the capacity to make independent decisions, exercise control over one's behaviour, and navigate challenges with a sense of self-determination/reliability. It is a key aspect of autonomy, empowerment, and the proactive pursuit of one's goals and aspirations.
Over decades of research and experimentation, we have found that personal agency is underpinned by several key pillars, all within one's own control:
1. Continuous Growth and Learning
· Embracing a mindset that views challenges as opportunities for development, and choices as experiments rather than life sentences.
· Demonstrating an unwavering commitment to continuous learning and broad skill and character trait development.
· Getting up close and personal with individuals who hold differing values and aspirations – perspectives are subjective opinions, not truth, and broadening perspectives builds generosity in our assumptions toward both ourselves and others.
2. Cultivating Meaningful Connections
· Intentionally developing authentic connections with individuals who share common values and aspirations.
· Recognising the importance of genuine relationships in providing support, collaboration, and diverse perspectives, and acknowledging that developing them may take effort and commitment on your part.
3. Making Meaningful Contributions
· Driving purpose and fulfillment through contribution to something bigger than yourself, within your community or industry.
· Aligning actions with a broader sense of purpose to create positive impacts in both professional and personal spheres.
4. Nourishing Your Body and Brain
· Prioritising and being disciplined with activities that positively influence physical health and mental wellbeing, such as optimising sleep routines and environments, nourishing the brain, cells, and systems, varying daily movement modalities relevant to stress hormone levels, practicing mindfulness, enjoying fresh air, and minimising unneccesary exposure to chemicals, technology and noise.
· Acknowledging the interconnection between a healthy body, resilience, and a high-performance mentality.
5. Values Alignment and Concordance
· Clarifying values.
· Ensuring your values are translated into aligned and deliberate behaviours, along with values-supporting thinking patterns.
· Evaluating daily behaviors and decisions through the lens of personal values, fostering authenticity and a deep sense of purpose.
6. Acknowledging Progress for Positive Affect
· Acknowledging and celebrating achievements, regardless of their scale.
· Engaging in daily reflection on progress and accomplishments across all life areas to fuel intrinsic motivation, raise optimism, gratitude, and satisfaction.
7. Consistency is your Position
· What you aspire to, do, and think daily, will be your cumulative experience of life.
Living out these principles, not only allows you to dismiss the notion of a compromise between personal wellbeing and professional success, but also builds the foundations of a gratifying and influential life.
Life success transcends mere accomplishments; it resides in the small, seemingly unimportant habits that create profound transformations and life experienced with a sense of wellbeing.
Driving personal agency should sit as a foundational objective within every personal and organsational wellbeing strategy. We may just be able to help with that!
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