Order is a powerful and underappreciated aspect of life. Without order, we may experience increased uncertainty, anxiety and frustration.
Order requires deliberate effort. It is not a “natural” state. When we leave things alone, disorder tends to be the result.
Consider a garden. Left unattended, it will grow weeds. Relationships tend to fade in the absence of purposeful communication. Metal will rust over time when not properly cared for. Our brain, if not stimulated, will lose its ability to reason, remember and function properly.
Creating Intentional Order
A purposeful and fulfilling life requires effort. While our natural state may go toward disorder, we can create order through intentional effort.
A happy life is designed, not discovered. While we cannot control all circumstances and outcomes in life, we can control the orderliness of our lives. Despite the whirlwinds we will face, we can find peace and comfort in that order.
Finding Your Order
Just as a financial plan is essential to creating order among your finances, a life plan can be helpful in creating order to your life. What do I mean by life plan? A few reflective questions may help:
- What is important to you?
- What activities bring you the greatest satisfaction?
- After this life, what will you miss most?
The next step is to identify what you can do today and tomorrow that will help you realize what you want out of life. And then prioritize them. This becomes your order.
We are inundated with tasks, information and distractions. That will not go away; in fact, it may increase over time. But we can take control of our life today by creating deliberate and intentional order. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.
Joanna Amberger
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
3 Financial Group
1888 Kalakaua Avenue, Suite C312
Honolulu, HI 96815
808.791.2925
www.3FinancialGroup.com
(c) 2019 The Behavioral Finance Network. Used with permission.
