How do we measure our life? Darius Foroux, author and podcaster writes specifically about how we can live a life that matters. He has studied how the most successful thinkers of our time measure their lives. What we learn might just be surprising and enlightening. People who are considered successful in the eye of society often look at three factors to measure their lives. They are:

1. Energy
2. Work
3. Relationships

Let’s examine the first two.

1. Measuring Energy: Measuring your energy is easy. All you have to do is look at how you feel physically. What matters is that you find ways to increase your energy. Start by answering this question: What small thing can I do today that has a significant impact on my energy?
   
   Here is something Foroux found that is true for everyone. You can easily improve your energy by exercising more and eating well. Check it out. Think about days when you do those things and how you feel; what do you notice when you don’t? Physical energy impacts mental energy. One fuels the other. Giving the gift of time to ourselves to exercise is equivalent to loving ourselves. Because I have been so impacted by the neuroleadership research about influencing people for change and growth, I literally have to remind myself to exercise using the same cause/effect impact of that research. I can come up with perfect excuses not to exercise until my head reminds me of the contradiction in my actions and behaviors. Then as with SCARF, I see firsthand how much more energy I have and how much more joy I feel.
   
2. Measuring Work: When it comes to work, rather than looking at income, status or generic measures, what if you looked at how much you are still learning. How are you continuing to grow your potential? Clayton M. Christensen, a Harvard Business School professor and author of How Will You Measure Your Life? writes:
   
   “In order to really find happiness, you need to continue looking for opportunities that you believe are meaningful, in which you will be able to learn new things, to succeed, and be given more and more responsibility to shoulder.”
   
   Career and life success is directly related to how much you learn. And more importantly – how much you keep learning. Education never ends. Knowledge must be put into practice. Take your knowledge and contribute to your work, your colleagues, the people you serve and love.
   
   Personally, the reason I love the work of Results Coaching Global is because we teach effective leadership and communication skills. Those skills and tools change people to see their mission to inspire and motivate others for deep change rather than an attitude of direct and comply. We celebrate watching so many of our students climb higher and higher to levels of influential leadership. That knowledge and skill they put into action will ultimately bring out the best of who people are and what potential they have within. Leadership that truly influences and inspires!

Next time: Measuring Relationships – the final ingredient in the circle of life.