Methodology
How to fix a human:
Ok, so it’s not really going to be that easy. But easy and simple are two different things, and I’m hoping to make this program of concentrated self-improvement as simple as I possibly can.
To that end, here’s the concept in a nutshell:
- Balance in everything (That’s all over the Bible.)
- What gets measured gets improved (Peter Drucker, I believe.)
- What gets measured and reported gets optimized (That’s all me.)
A more detailed explanation
I believe every human being has an array of needs and desires that can and should be met to an adequate degree if they’re going to be happy and satisfied with life. I also believe that everyone instinctively knows this fact, but that the majority of mankind approaches the equation with an inaccurate understanding of what those needs and desires are and what their relative value is in the grand scheme of things.
The classic example is the widespread human tendency to use the size of one’s paycheck as the sole measure of success. There’s no denying the fact that not having enough money effectively limits your ability to accomplish certain things and having more money can make things easier. But in the grand scheme of things, money — while important — isn’t nearly as important as it’s often perceived to be. And the ultra-wealthy who have sacrificed family relationships, friendships, and even their own health in pursuit of wealth will often come to realize this fact too late.
So, with the idea of balance in mind, I decided to break down my own needs and desires into various categories so I could reasonably compare my goals and activities to determine how balanced I am at any given time.
Of course, if two things are going to be effectively compared, they need to be somehow quantifiable. So, determining how balanced or unbalanced I am in each area is going to require detailed tracking, reporting, and analysis. And finally, optimization will require continually adjusting my efforts to make the most of what I learn.
The goal, in the end, is to improve by establishing positive habits, thought patterns, and behaviors, and eliminating negatives. To identify those actions, attitudes, and inputs that have the greatest positive and negative impacts on me and filter my life accordingly.
The 4 Main Life Categories
Here’s the overall breakdown of needs and desires that I’m working with heading into 2017:
Physical
We all need to maintain our body temperature, eat, drink, sleep, and excrete waste. It’s reasonable to conclude that going at least a little ways beyond those basic physical needs will lead to additional enjoyment in life, and can even extend that life by a few years.
So, this category will include any improvements necessary in my diet, exercise, living conditions, and overall health.
Mental
The human brain is an amazing thing. Your mind really should blow your mind. It’s capable of such incredible feats, and so much of what it does happens automatically without us having to give it a conscious thought. Truly, the human brain has to be the most awe-inspiring biological construct in existence.
That all being said, my brain’s a mess.
I’m forgetful, easily distracted, illogical, and have a deadly tendency to procrastinate. I procrastinate so much, I’d probably put off breathing if it wasn’t one of those automatic things my brain does for me.
This category will include any improvements I’ll be making to my mind, which I hope will be extensive.
Emotional
I’ve heard people say “everyone’s medicated,” and I don’t think that’s too much of an exaggeration. I don’t mind telling anyone that I’m currently taking 80 mg of Prozac daily for what has been diagnosed as Clinical Depression. It does seem to stave off those really low lows that used to pop up routinely. Of course, I was diagnosed by my family doctor and have never seen a psychiatrist or considered alternative answers… until now.
It’s not that I want to “cure my depression” or anything. Believe me, I understand more than enough about mental and emotional illness and I realize that nothing in this world is going to completely eliminate it if that’s actually what I have. But I do believe there are factors at work on my emotions that have never been explored or even considered.
This category will cover improvements being made to my emotional well-being, perhaps tied into physical, mental, or spiritual pursuits.
Spiritual
Although I personally consider this aspect of a balanced life to be the most important, I left it to last because it’s the hardest to explain.
I’m Christian, and my religion is a big part of my and my family’s life. I’m not going to get into denominations and specific controversial doctrine in this blog because it’s just not the time or place for that kind of discussion. But I personally have found The Bible to be a valid source of practical guidance and encouragement, so I will quote scripture on occasion as I discuss the subject.
According to Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:3, “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.” That indicates to me that all humans have a spiritual need, but that we’re not all conscious of that need. And those who aren’t conscious of it aren’t happy. Ergo, if I want to be happy, I need to constantly remain conscious of my spiritual need and fill that need adequately.
Obviously, this category will include any improvements I undertake in an effort to feed my own spiritual need.
Will these main categories change as I go along? Perhaps.
Right now I think these four areas cover it all. But as I proceed, if something new pops up or if I’m finding too much blending of categories to establish effective results, I’ll make the change. After all, in an effort to optimize me, it would be silly to stick to an outdated understanding of myself.
The Happiness Formula
In addition to achieving balance in all four Life Categories, I’ve determined that my personal happiness depends on a few other factors as well:
Creativity
I have a need to create, and when I don’t support that need in some way, I find it impacts me mentally, emotionally, and even physically.
As a professional writer, I’m fortunate to be able to flex my creative muscles almost every day as I figure out ways to make unglamorous B2B topics more interesting and engaging. But that in itself isn’t enough to satisfy my creative need, so I also have numerous fiction writing projects in motion, I write poetry when the mood strikes, and I enjoy drawing.
In part to support this need, and also because I think it’s mad cool, I’m going to begin carrying around a Rustico Wasatch leather journal and a barebones sketching kit at all times. In my murse.
Priorities
Although I’ve been preaching balance thus far, the fact is nearly every decision I make is going to require some sort of prioritization — placing one person, place, thing, or idea above another. I can’t remember where I heard it, but this quote affected me:
“Nearly every stressful situation we find ourselves in can be traced back to our decisions failing to reflect our established priorities.”
I can definitely see the truth of that statement in my own life, and as part of my optimization efforts, I want to make sure my priorities are straight and that I’m consciously using them as part of the decision-making process.
At this moment, my list of priorities looks like this:
- God
- Family
- Other people
- Self
- Work
- Recreation (including all other pursuits)
For example, if I need to make a decision regarding something that’s going to impact me for the good, I’m going to ask myself, “Will doing this affect my relationship with God?” If it won’t, the next question is, “Will it harm my family in any way?” If both answers are no, I still want to consider, “Will it bother anyone else (whose opinion I value)?”
I shouldn’t have to worry about the action’s impact on my work or any other pursuits. I’m more important than they are. At the same time, it would be foolish of me to give up work — or choose to rush through it and do a poor job — just so I have more free time for recreation and other pursuits. Just as foolish, in fact, as it would be for me to work so hard and for so many hours that I neglect my own health, my family, or anything else that appears higher on the priority list.
Solitude
I’ve consciously learned this about myself in recent years, but I probably knew it instinctively for much longer.
While I enjoy excitement, I love to laugh, and it can even be invigorating to immerse myself in some sort of new and interesting experience, I crave quiet and solitude more than anything else.
As a husband and father of two who works at home, you can imagine that quiet and solitude are not easy to come by. But when I can’t get them, I get ornery. So I’ve had to figure out how to make it happen no matter what. It’s a powerfully important aspect of my mental and emotional health, but (as noted above) needs to be balanced against higher priorities too.
The most obvious manifestations of my need for solitude throughout the 2017 optimization process will be my goal to rise each morning at 5:00 am, and the inclusion of daily reading, prayer, journaling, and meditation into my daily routine.
Appreciation
This sounds terrible to admit, but it’s the truth:
I have an inborn need to be recognized and appreciated for my efforts and contributions.
This seems to fly in the face of the modesty and humility that I’ve been brought up to consider vital personality traits, but the reality isn’t quite that serious. I really have tried hard to cultivate modesty and humility, and I make a concerted effort not to brag or try to get undue attention for my accomplishments.
But that doesn’t change the fact that when I work hard and achieve positive results, when people who should notice don’t, or they notice but focus their attention on where I fell short, it can devastate me. I’m honestly not sure at this point if this is an aspect of my personality that needs to be removed or if I need to learn how to be more assertive about obtaining adequate recognition. I simply know this is a fact about myself.
Throughout 2017, I’m going to work toward answering that question.
Positivity
Similarly, I thrive on positivity and wilt if I’m surrounded by too much negativity.
This doesn’t require much explanation because I think it’s a trait I share with most people. But, again, I’m not sure how I’ll approach optimizing this aspect of my personality in 2017. Should I make an effort to lessen negativity’s impact on me, to become more resilient? Or should I instead work toward eliminating negative people and ideas from my life?
Both possibilities have their merits, so I’ll have to cross that bridge down the road a bit.
Reporting
Every evening, I’ll be posting a daily report on this blog that includes a number of metrics I’ll be using to help quantify my life, identify areas of improvement, and optimize. I’ll also be routinely publishing my analyses as trends become apparent and/or I’m able to reach new and interesting conclusions.
Each week, I’ll be publishing a longer article based around one of the four major Life Categories that will be more theoretical in nature (although I’ll likely use my own example and experiences as grist for the mill).
You can expect a quarterly summary at the end of March, June, and September, as well as a yearly wrap-up report on December 31st. All reports will be collected on the Results page for easy access.
