About two decades ago, when scribbling thoughts on cocktail napkins was in vogue, I inked a mnemonic that measures the success of your composite professional and personal life—shown in the graphic above.
My editorial in MARKETING explaining the meaning of that mnemonic was easily the most popular of all the homilies I offered over the three decades of the paper’s existence. In fact, I republished it twice, in response to reader requests. And all of the dozen or so people I’ve share it with one-on-one over the years have immediately written it down to use in their own lives.
Here are descriptions of each of the elements:
But having each of these in full measure is not enough. The critical factor is whether all are in balance. Hence, the ideally level teeter-totter that supports the letters in the graphic.
For example, if you get a six-figure job that demands virtually all of your time, then you sacrifice Independence and possibly Love in your personal life. Or, if you engage in activities that harm your Health, you also may suffer in the Respect category. And I’m sure you can figure out lots of ways to throw the elements out of balance.
And now for a new dimension—the addition of a rating scale. Give yourself a maximum of 10 points for each of the letters and a maximum of 50 points for the balance among all—for a total of 100 points. Anything over 85 should be considered an excellent score. And it’s reasonable to expect that one’s score will improve with age and experience—and that you’ll strive to make that happen.
Give it a “WHIRL”.