Family Planning - Of Sorts

The self-improvement, personal development, be best version of “you” industry is alive and well, and growing annually.

We are awash with books, eBooks, on-line teachings, lectures, podcasts, Ted Talks and pub talk as to how to do more, have more and be more.

He have programmes touting 8 steps to happiness, 11 steps to wealth and health and 5 rules for success. *

I do wonder if we are on a relentless quest to obtain, what it is that most prevents us from attaining, what we really want.

There seems to be so much pressure on the up and coming Professional to be all things to all people.

All genders feel the pressure to “be it all”. Successful career, model parent, perfect daughter/son, Partner plus, plus, all while adhering to tailored exercise regime and completing the second University degree, part time.

We imagine social pressures to live in the right area, drive the approved car and wear the necessary labels.

Is it any surprise there is an increasing demand for the easy answers from the personal development industry?

I do question if the teachings are counter - productive?

In our already crowded, busy and stressed lives, do we really need ways to allow us to do more, or to better manage our time so as to do all we want to or feel we need to do?

Many of us are invested in careers including the regular round of preparing business plans to ensure the attainment of Corporate Objectives. We prepare associated budget forecasts, seek the necessary signoffs and approvals, publish the final Plan and set about cascading it down the line.

With all our focus and energy, we set sail on the execution of the Business Plan, motivating, cajoling and encouraging all those in our sphere of influence to get on board and make it work.

And the rest of our world goes on, partially planned, formally unstructured and largely reactionary.

Why do we not apply the same level of scrutiny, inquiry and planning to our non corporate life. How many of us have a specific, tailored and formal “Family Business Plan”.

How many of us succumb to FoMO illness – the Fear of Missing Out.

In the meantime, we exhaust ourselves and we exhaust our entire family. We straddle the never ending treadmill of income, expenditure and image with too little self scrutiny or planning about why we do what we do and what it is doing for us.

Then again, if there was a Ted Talk or Personal Development book titled “Family Planning”, it may have a very different appeal to those of us requiring more calm and defined purpose in our life.

 

*I made these up but suggest they are at indicative of such programmes, if not actual titles.