In business, no matter the industry, inventory must be taken. In taking inventory, the person assigned to this task counts every item on the shelves or in the space. For example, they may take note of how many notebooks and pens are on the shelf or how many vehicle parts or manufacturing widgets are present in the warehouse. This is a necessary job and carries a good bit of responsibility, because missing items can delay the fulfillment of a contract or simply delay the general operations of the business.
So, why do we ignore taking inventory in our personal or professional progress?
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of the word “inventory” is:
1a: an itemized list of current assets: such as
(1): a list of goods on hand
(2): a catalog of the property of an individual or estate
b: a list of traits, preferences, attitudes, interests, or abilities used to evaluate personal characteristics or skills
c: a survey of natural resources
2: the quantity of goods or materials on hand: STOCK
3: the act or process of taking an inventory
Many people are consumed with how much money they make, but I challenge you to take an inventory of how much impact you’re making....in your business, at your job, in your community and in your family.
I find that so many people don’t think their life’s choices matter to anyone but them. That’s simply not true. No one is an island. The choices that each person makes always impacts someone else, either positively or negatively.
Individuals who checkout emotionally at work will find that it effects their work, co-workers and the company overall. They begin to overlook things that they used to catch. If they fall behind in their responsibilities at work, it may impact their ability to remain employed with that company or to advance to the next level.
This disconnect is a response of a misalignment, which can impact personal and professional relationships. To correct this misalignment, I suggest that you take an inventory of your life.
Here are a six questions to help you with this process:
1. What talents or knowledge can I share to serve my community or the world?
2. How many connections do I have to move my business or my career to the next level and who or what are they?
3. What brings me joy?
4. What do I really want to do?
5. What could I be happy doing for the rest of my life, even if I did it for free?
6. Finally, what’s my mission and purpose at this stage of my life? Now this is a big question that many people have a difficult time answering, which is why I saved it for last.
Take some time inventorying your life – you might be surprised at the good that you’re doing for those around you and how much more you could be doing to increase your inventory of happiness.
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