It's nothing new that the set of words in the heading - perhaps some others and perhaps different ones - have been partnered together for conversation during various business coaching interventions.
In brief, the (stereo)typical story goes that when you're young, you begin by focusing on Career and on building Wealth, where building your Career makes up a significant part of your young Life. With your Health intact, you work hard and you play hard.
Furthermore, Health begins to rise to the top of the pile as all of us would like to be healthy in order to best reap the rewards of a long and hard Career, where hopefully appropriate planning for 'retirement' savings has been in place for a very long time already. Of course, it's also hard to forget that Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that the first wealth is health ... and my view is that the best route to sustainable health is through fitness, *without* the complex and expansive variety of vitamin and mineral supplements available to all and sundry on the shelves of your local pharmaceutical retailer...
Which brings me to the issue of Community, my own addition to the typical quartet of words in the heading. I find it quite interesting that community issues are becoming more prevalent and even newsworthy in the worlds of so many, whether it's about becoming increasingly involved in local politics, giving of your time to a worthy cause, donating to a few key charities, or even getting down and dirty and helping to build, and so much more.
The sense of community and volunteering is so much stronger in some communities than others, which means participating in community events is a lot more natural in some settings than others. What's even more interesting is the role community potentially plays in your overall well-being (health), your networking opportunities (career), your person through the friendships you make (life), which can probably all be considered drivers of an increased ability to generate wealth over time. So perhaps if you're feeling that your health, wealth, life or career are sub-optimal, there may be some value in ensuring that your community base is strengthened before embarking on building some of the other attributes...
In brief, the (stereo)typical story goes that when you're young, you begin by focusing on Career and on building Wealth, where building your Career makes up a significant part of your young Life. With your Health intact, you work hard and you play hard.
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| Spending time with your growing kids can become more valuable than an additional dollar earned for many working parents |
As you get older however - and as your Wealth begins to accumulate appropriately given an increasing concern about saving for the future, and whilst in being in the midst of the prime of your career - you may find that your internal demands for a better work-Life balance beginning to increase. This is especially so in the context of your young, growing family, where many may prefer to begin spending an increasing amount of your time doing fun stuff with their kids before it's too late. The alternative is to living a life of regret later, as e.g the popular heart-wrenching 1974 folk song, "Cat's in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin, also covered by Cat Stevens and a few others over time, suggest.
Furthermore, Health begins to rise to the top of the pile as all of us would like to be healthy in order to best reap the rewards of a long and hard Career, where hopefully appropriate planning for 'retirement' savings has been in place for a very long time already. Of course, it's also hard to forget that Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that the first wealth is health ... and my view is that the best route to sustainable health is through fitness, *without* the complex and expansive variety of vitamin and mineral supplements available to all and sundry on the shelves of your local pharmaceutical retailer...
As an aside, I think the idea of retirement at a particular age is becoming more old-fashioned, as I would personally like to continue adding value for as long as I am able. Indeed, many retirees have gone on to forge successful second careers rather than be caught sitting around the house much of the day.
Which brings me to the issue of Community, my own addition to the typical quartet of words in the heading. I find it quite interesting that community issues are becoming more prevalent and even newsworthy in the worlds of so many, whether it's about becoming increasingly involved in local politics, giving of your time to a worthy cause, donating to a few key charities, or even getting down and dirty and helping to build, and so much more.
The sense of community and volunteering is so much stronger in some communities than others, which means participating in community events is a lot more natural in some settings than others. What's even more interesting is the role community potentially plays in your overall well-being (health), your networking opportunities (career), your person through the friendships you make (life), which can probably all be considered drivers of an increased ability to generate wealth over time. So perhaps if you're feeling that your health, wealth, life or career are sub-optimal, there may be some value in ensuring that your community base is strengthened before embarking on building some of the other attributes...
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