Business strategies and suggestions are everywhere (this blog being no exception). There are methods for marketing, sayings for selling and building blocks for business. We are advised on how to deal with pricing structure, profitability analyses, performance incentives and personnel management.

Often the constant evaluation of the overall function of your business overlooks the most important asset contributing to the growth of your business.

You.

Here are seven areas of your life to review and, if needed, take action to initiate growth.

Eating

•    What are you eating?
•    When are you eating?
•    How much are you eating?
•    What would be easy to add?
•    What would be easy to subtract?

Exercise

•    How does it feel to live in your body?
•    Do you have an exercise habit?
•    Can you commit to 20 minutes, 3 times a week, to start?
•    Would you benefit from having a workout partner?

Education

•    Are you increasing your knowledge within your industry?
•    Are you increasing your knowledge outside of your industry?
•    Are you curious?
•    Are you sharing your knowledge to educate others?
•    Is your knowledge increasing your wisdom?

Earning

•    Are you aware of your internal dialogue regarding money?
•    Can you identify any strong emotional reactions around making money?
•    What message are you currently getting about money from those around you?
•    Have you set goals for your income?

Emotions

•    Do your emotions tend to fluctuate widely through a day? A week?
•    Are you struggling with any unresolved situations?
•    Is any emotional baggage interfering with the life you want?
•    Can you make thoughtful choices that change your emotional states?
•    Would you benefit from getting professional help to resolve an emotional issue?

Enjoyment

•    How would you rate your enjoyment of life on a scale of 1 to 10?
•    What choices can you make, today, to raise that number?
•    How do your choices affect your enjoyment of life?
•    What habits and hobbies are parts of your life that contribute to enjoyment?
•    What relationships are enjoyable? What relationships are not enjoyable?

Enthusiasm

•    Have you defined what you are passionate about in life?
•    Do you know why you do the work you do? The reason you get out of bed in the morning?
•    Can you state what you stand for in the world?

This is by no means a comprehensive list. My hope is that by skimming through these questions your awareness will be opened up, provoking you to create questions and categories of your own, to discover those areas of your personal life that you can target for improvement.

Starting with ourselves is the best strategy for success and satisfaction – in work, in relationships and in life overall.

So make your first and largest investment in your most important business asset.

Yourself.