The Personal Business Plan: A Blueprint for Running Your Life

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What is My Situation?

“I'm taking control of my life –

now, right now”

Tom Petty

We all experience forced choices and there seems to be a built-in urge to organize the world in opposites. Are you verbally or numerically oriented? Does your company focus on innovation or efficiency? What is most important for you – your career or your family life?

Juxtapositions are destructive, because they always create a false picture of reality. If you aim at a harmonious life where you balance different dimensions according to your life ambition, then juxtapositions are decidedly lethal. Each and every time you create a schism inside your head you must try to reposition and challenge yourself. This is valid not least for so-called “soft” and “hard” values. If you find yourself in a situation where you feel you have to choose between prioritizing the hard and the soft values in your life, then you will fail. You should always be in a position to identify a meta-level and think of a solution that transforms the schism into a “both/and” situation, allowing you to transcend trade-offs. A Japanese proverb says: Vision without action is a daydream – action without vision is a nightmare.

Just in order to name a few resolutions of dilemmas:

You must pursue both professional and personal ambitions in order to create an optimal career – look for your life ambition.

You must focus on both your intellectual ...