According to Jim Tressel and his book, The Winner’s Manual, purpose encompasses the aspects of my life that define who I am and the kind of person I want to become. Things like integrity, faith, family, and community. The “being” part of my life.
In order to balance work and family, Coach Tressel developed a visual organization tool to keep things in perspective. Calling it the Wheel of Life or the “Block O” (for Ohio State), he drew a circle with three sections at the top and three on the bottom.
The top half (i.e. most important parts) was labeled Purpose with subsections he titled Family/Personal, Spiritual/Moral, and Caring/Giving. For each section, he set specific, measurable short-range goals.
Family – Because my family is very important to me, I can set goals to strengthen my marriage such as regular date nights, “couch time” to talk, or taking “The Love Dare.” I might plan time to connect individually with my kids. What about my parents, siblings, and extended family? Each of these goals exists to strengthen this area of my purpose.
Spiritual – My spiritual beliefs and moral values shape my life. How will I grow? Am I in a Bible study or accountability group? Will I attend church regularly?
Caring – I have a responsibility to reach out and make a difference in the lives of others. Passing on the blessings keeps the focus off of myself. Who will I reach out to and how often? Will I give money or invest my time?
By keeping these three areas at the top, I’m focusing on the “being” parts of my life and have a plan to get there. Plus, I know that growth in any one area will affect the others, too. (In case, you’re curious about the bottom half, we’re going to talk about that next Monday.)
