The 5 Choices - Part II

Took me a while to finish up the exercises for the 2nd Choice.
I realized that I couldn't really do productive work at home.
So now I'm writing out this blog post at a Starbucks, sipping on my hot chocolate.

This can be addictive~

Choice 2 - Go For Extraordinary, Don't Settle For Ordinary

1. Identification of Roles

I'm supposed to identify the different roles that I play, or want to play in my life, and prioritize 5 to 7 of these roles which I feel is more important.

More Impt Roles

• Life Partner

• Son

• Friend

• Company staff

• App Developer

• Financial Freedom Pursuer

Less Impt Roles

• Solo Trekker

• Obstacle Racer

• Mindfulness Mediator

• Maths solver

The less important roles seemed a bit trivial and not very conventional, but are things that I want to do in my life. But these roles are not the roles that I want to focus on at the moment, or I felt that the more important roles are roles that would add value to my life now.

2. Life Wheel + Performance Evaluation

In this step, I drew a circle and divide the circle equally by the number of roles I have identified. I drew inner circles as well to have concentric circles, and each region of the concentric circles represent the evaluation of how I am performing in those roles.

Life Wheel + Performance Evaluation

I felt like I was doing my best as a life partner to Dearest, but I wasn't being Extra-ordinary yet. And my worst performance was as an app developer, because seriously speaking, I am no where near it. Haha.. Feels a bit like a wake-up call.

3. Anchoring Purpose & Passion in a Q2 Role Title

Next, the book advised me to renamed the roles that I have identified, but embed them with a purpose and passion. Not so sure how the "Q2" is supposed to help guide this renaming, but I'm guessing the role titles are supposed to be "Important, not Urgent"; roles that I should be consistently working in.

For each of the 6 initial (and boring) role titles, I have individually thought through carefully on what I want to achieve in these roles, and thought of the most suitable names to re-title them. I showed them to Dearest, and she praised that the "Son -> Freedom Enabler" was a really apt title for the things that I want for my parents.

The book advises that these roles can change over time, as my purposes and passion would change as my life progresses. Perhaps reviewing them in a half-yearly manner would be ideal to rethink my priorities.

4. Craft a Q2 Role Statement for Each Role

This exercise is quite similar to life goals setting; to come up with an aim, and the concrete steps to achieving that aim. The template for this exercise is to start out with the retitled roles with "As ...", the aim "I will ...", and the concrete actions "By ...". A rather exhausting exercise for me.

5. Making My Roles Tangible: Setting Q2 Roles

The final exercise is to come up with some immediate course of actions to fulfill my roles, in the format of "From X to Y by When". So I came up with some immediate things that I want to do now.

Role: Journey Companion

Action: Making a project schedule and lead the journey for the wedding and renovation By 14 May 2017

Role: Freedom Enabler

Action: Make a list of food to avoid/eat for diabetes for mum By 13 May 2017

Role: Lasting Buddy

Action: Organize a dinner with the e4 guys By 18 Jun 2017

Role: Diligent Researcher

Action: Finish off the book "Invisible Influence" By 31 May 2017

Action: Read 3 academic articles By 12 May 2017

Role: Aspiring Developer

Action: Schedule fixed time periods for Udemy lessons By 11 May 2017

Action: Finish at least 3 lessons By 14 May 2017

Role: Freedom Aspirer

Action: Schedule fixed time periods for working on Financial Blog contents By 11 May 2017

Action: Decide on regular purchase of ETFs (amount and when) By 10 May 2017

These exercises took me quite a bit of effort to finish them, but I'm glad I did. They made me sit down and review my priorities, evaluate them, and come out with a course of actions to pursue them. 

Onwards to Choice 3~!