Background:

I’ve had the idea to write a self-help book that categorizes and addresses the different areas of life for a few years now. It took a while to land on 8, but these are the ones that I feel are optimized for well rounded growth. It’s also the 8 that I personally have used throughout numerous stages of my life. There may be areas that don’t apply to you (right now), but that just means you can put more focus on the areas that do. And on that note, Don’t look at these as 8 problems to solve, look at them as 8 solutions. Attempting to address all of them at once is overwhelming. Take action on 1,2, or 3 of them first and then move on to the other areas after. If you decide to get in great shape (fitness) and clean up what you eat (diet), then that will help you deal with the fact that you don’t have any friends (social life), for example. It is absolutely possible to utilize the free information I’ve provided and have great success with regular self-assessments. But for those who would like the extra support and personalized insight, this is where my coaching sessions come into play.

The significance of each area:

Self-care

Addressing this will cause an immediate domino effect with the other areas. Whether it’s taking care of a nagging injury, getting a mental health check-up, or even just taking a bubble bath, it’s important to focus on YOU and what you require for optimal health. Think of yourself as a machine. You need to maintain the machine in order for it to operate efficiently. Sometimes you need to WD40 this notch here, maybe replace a part there, and then BOOM. You’re back in action!

Career

Here’s the secret to success: quit your fast food job and invest in crypto. Just kidding. I think that it’s important to focus on the emotions causing your career anxiety. There is a clear difference between working a job that fulfills you and one that drags you down. Maybe you need a mindset shift, a different industry entirely, or just a damn vacation. Regardless, you need to find some kind of enjoyment or contentment out of a place where you spend 30+ hours of your week.

Education

Modern society places a huge importance on college education. The reality is that not everyone will end their tenure with a degree. Many people that take semester breaks to work are coping with the fact that they simply aren’t built for college education, but feel they NEED it in order to be a normal member of society. Recognizing if there’s a place for higher education in your life is important because it can be a huge source of anxiety. I won’t urge you to go to college, nor will I tell you to drop out. That decision will be made by YOU with the confidence that your future will be better for it. For those who are older or not interested in college at all, it’s still important to be actively learning. Reading books, writing, analyzing self-development content, getting certifications, traffic school, these all contribute your non-college related education.

Social Life

Everyone knows we’re more connected than ever before due to social media, but there have been some unintended side effects. We’ve lost valuable connections to our families, friends, and communities. The dating scene has become notoriously difficult with intergender relations becoming increasingly resentful. That said, we can only blame society for so long before we take action and figure out how to nurture our social life. This may be the hardest area for many people because it requires putting yourself out there, but the reward of having family to rely on, a group of brothers, and a woman by your side will be invaluable.

Fitness

Keeping an active lifestyle is important for everyone. You don’t have to join a BJJ gym or start powerlifting tomorrow, just make sure that some kind of physical activity is prioritized in your day. You’d be surprised by how much your overall health will be impacted if you start simply taking a walk for 30 minutes. If you don’t want to be a massive bodybuilder, it’s okay! Perhaps you’ll find the most benefit from cardio. Part of why people fail their fitness journeys so often is because they do workouts they don’t actually enjoy.

Diet

So you like eating chocolate cake? That’s great! You can definitely fit that in a healthy lifestyle. Let me ask you this though, do you truly believe you earned it or are you acting out of the primal instinct to gobble sweet thing? I’m not here to tell you not to eat a whole pizza in 10 minutes. I mean, who am I to judge, right? BUT I will say that it’s optimal to have a diet that reflects your actions and goals. When first starting a self-development journey, one can find so much benefit from simply cutting down on their sugar intake

Hobbies

So you’ve gone through and worked on all these areas so far, good job! Don’t forget to balance it all out by doing something you genuinely like to do, for FUN. And by the way, getting turnt up at the club every friday night isn’t a hobby... That’s going to be under Social Life. As we get older, we get so caught up in responsibilities that we forget to do something that takes our mind off the BS we put up with on a daily basis. OR we try to find out how our hobbies can make us money somehow. It’s okay to unwind by reading a book at a cafe or learning to play an instrument. In fact, the time spent scrolling your social media can be used for this! Nothing of value will be lost, trust me.

Spirituality

The reason this section is last is because you could realistically be in a position where you haven’t been able to address your self-care, you’re overworked, unfulfilled, you dropped out of school, you don’t have any friends, you haven’t worked out in years, you eat top ramen every night, and you don’t have time for your hobbies. What the HECK can give you the motivation to keep going another day when you feel your life is falling apart in real time? God. Or the universe. Whatever you believe to allow you to muster the strength to keep going. Many men in the military believe in God, same for those who have survived addiction and do contact sports. When you are pushing past your limits or are in a situation of life or death, believing in a higher power can be the only thing that brings comfort. I was a staunch atheist for years so I understand the perspective. You aren’t lesser for not believing in a higher power or for having a vague sense of spirituality. I do still believe that this is an important area to focus on regardless. Meditation has become very popular the past few years and finding a way to meditate that best suits you can be highly beneficial.