I recently attended the Unstoppable conference in Scottsdale, AZ and had the opportunity to hear Patrice Washington speak on redefining wealth. With so many firms discussing a “people first” company and trying to create wellness programs to retain employees, I thought her message was one that every leader should hear.
In this profession, we often focus on the professional side when we talk about upskilling and wellness at work. But we can’t separate our professional selves from our personal selves. To be truly well, we must bring our full selves to everything we do. And that includes when we are at work. How do we bring our full selves to everything we do? Follow the advice of these six pillars and start implementing them into your life.
What is wealth?
The 12th-century definition of wealth is the condition of wellbeing.
Our wellbeing comes from our wellness. Wellness isn’t a state of being; it’s a state of action. In order to have wellbeing, we must take action. And these six pillars are action steps of wellness.
While you should focus on all these areas simultaneously, it is important to prioritize them in this order.
The Fit Pillar
Being “fit” isn’t about size, weight or body fat percentage. It’s about becoming your truest self. You must be mentally well before you can be physically well—even if you work out daily.
When someone isn’t mentally well, their body suffers because stress, trauma, emotions, and thoughts have a serious negative impact on the body. Your life is only going to grow when you heal.
Address your mental wellness, and watch your physical wellness improve. Here is a list of my favorite books addressing the fit pillar:
Untamed and We Can Do Hard Things Podcast by Glennon Doyle
Burnout by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski
Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy
Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown
The High 5 Habit by Mel Robbins
What Happened To You? By Oprah Winfrey & Bruce D. Perry
The People Pillar
This pillar is about creating relationships that matter. How can you go deeper with the people you already serve—your team members and clients? Are these people just a number? People can feel how valued they are or are not.
Remember that there is always someone watching you. Honor every single person you come into contact with, whether they’re serving your coffee, scrubbing the floor, connecting with you on social media, or running a board meeting. There is always someone watching you that can bless you. But don’t just do it for the blessing, do it because that’s who you are. You are someone who honors everyone you meet because that’s how you want people to honor you.
It is very difficult to thrive in the people pillar if the fit pillar is not being addressed. How you show up in the world is how you feel mentally. Be radically honest with yourself.
The Space Pillar
How can you set up your life to support you? We waste a lot of time when our lives aren’t neat and organized. Clutter is the physical manifestation of chaos in your mind, so clean up your environment. Otherwise, your creativity and energy get sucked into your clutter.
Teach yourself how to treat your space, then set boundaries for the people in your life. Once you set the boundaries for yourself, others will recognize and respect them. That extends to your vehicle.
Don’t believe this one? Try it. Look at everything in your daily life and think, “Is this easy to access?” or “Is there a better way to set myself up for success?” Pay close attention to your mental health when you make this a practice. You will feel a weight lift, and you will feel more energized.
The Faith Pillar
Whether you’re a member of an organized religion or not, faith is simply about believing in something greater, which makes you more resilient, and resilience is your superpower. In my opinion, this pillar and the fit pillar are deeply connected. Resilience is healthily working through difficult conditions. And isn’t life a never-ending cycle of difficult conditions?
What works for me is consistent practices of yoga, pilates, reading, and meditation. When I get out of my head because there’s a crazy, traumatized child who still lives there, my clarity is who I am. Not my thoughts.
My favorite book describing this pillar is The Voice of Knowledge by Don Miguel Ruiz.
The Work Pillar
This pillar isn’t about making a ton of money or being amazing at technical work. It’s about embracing your purpose. Purpose is not the same as passion. Your passion is just for you, like singing at the top of your lungs, dancing to music, or making iced coffee. Your purpose is something that comes easy to you. Your purpose means using your abilities to help others. My report card growing up always had “talks too much” on it. Talking to people about interesting topics comes easy to me. I enjoy facilitating conversations in groups of people.
Your purpose is what you’re meant to give away. Because what comes easy to you will not come easy to other people. Your purpose is your gift.
If your career matches up with your passion and purpose, you’ll have more fun and energy working.
The Money Pillar
The money pillar is all about attracting the wealth you desire. Money is a byproduct of cleaning up your mental and physical clutter and fulfilling your purpose.
Some people have a hard time feeling comfortable pursuing money, but you can only help others if you have the resources to do so. The more money you have, the more help you can provide.
Look through each of these pillars and be radically honest with yourself about where you are in each pillar. If one or more areas aren’t where you want them to be, get really clear and specific about what you want your lifestyle and career to look like and how much income you want to make. Get extremely detailed—do you want to live in Alabama or Fiji? Do you want to work for yourself or be a part of a team? What kind of house do you want to live in? What people do you want to see on a daily basis? Be very clear so you can start taking actual action steps to create the life you dream of. That dream is meant to be reality; that’s why everything in your mind, body and soul is pushing to get you there. Apply these pillars to your life and experience where it takes you.
Do you want to create a vision for the future company you aspire to be?
Email us at solutions@boomer.com to learn more about building a true people-first company.
As a Solutions Advisor for Boomer Consulting, Inc., Megan works to provide the highest level of client service to existing and new clients through building and maintaining relationships. Her primary focus is on Vendor/Sponsor relationships. Megan is passionate about helping clients excel through Boomer Consulting Services.
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