Recently, the way I have been operating in life aligns into four neat categories as follows: Health & Wellness, Family, Work, and Education. The order in which they are listed does not signify that one is more important than the other but rather, all of them are equally important and feed off of each other. Making sure that you are focusing on each pillar and giving each the time it needs is essential to survival and living a balanced life.

Health & Wellness

If you have ever been on an airplane, the following may sound familiar to you. "Place the oxygen mask on yourself first before helping others." There is a foundational principle there; if you don't take care of yourself first, you may not survive in order to help others. This principle applies to all facets of life. In order for you to be able to provide for your family and to function effectively in society, you must first be capable of doing so. It is not only vital to you but also to those that depend on you. Activities that may fall under this pillar include regularly exercising, meditation, eating healthily, visiting the doctor and dentist for routine checkups, taking a vacation, spirituality, and so on and so forth. The list isn't exhaustive but you get the idea.

Family

In this context, I am using the word family as an adjective. Your "family" does not necessarily have to share the same DNA as you. Family can be anybody that you know you can always count on for support or just as an open ear. Being close to others that share a similar interest or a bond is a characteristic that is inherent to human beings. Not sure if you have seen the new TV show "Last Man on Earth" but being alone can drive a person crazy. This pillar not only provides you with the support you need but, it also gives you a purpose; something to work hard for.

Work

This pillar is another facet of life that you need to focus on in order to survive in today's world. Having a sense of purpose (your job) is what keeps our society in constant evolution and is not only a necessity to the person but also to society as a whole. Just as the world evolves, so must the individual, professionally. As we go about our days, weeks, months, years at our job, we can only grow to a certain extent in the same position. It is important to recognize when your job isn't challenging you so you don't stunt your professional growth. Change is inevitable and required therefore, don't be afraid to take on a new challenge or open the door to a new opportunity so you can expose your full potential.

Does every job result in monetary compensation? No. The mothers of the world have one of the hardest jobs in the world which, under the best of circumstances, may be paid with a "thank you". Therefore we must recognize that having a sense of purpose comes is many different shapes and sizes and its importance is intrinsic to the individual.

Education

Once again, the word education is a generalization and can be met by simply reading news about your industry every morning. This pillar is predicated on the fact that one must consume to grow. Consuming relevant information regarding the industry you work in is what will give you a competitive edge and keep you current. Educating yourself, as indicated above, can also come in many forms ranging from as informal as relevant articles and news to formal training, certifications and schooling.

Now, concurrently balancing all four in equal capacity (25% focus equally) may sound like a daunting task; so I want to clarify that you just need to make sure you are dedicating at least a small portion of your resources on each (e.g., Health & Wellness - 20%, Family - 20%, Work - 40% and Education - 20%) - your situation will dictate. Another way to look at the pillars is, Family and Work are pillars of giving and Education and Health & Wellness are pillars of receiving.

I hope this post motivated you to refocus your energy on pillars that you may have been neglecting or just taught you to look at life differently.