Combining the Areas of Existence | The Probabilist . com

Combining the Areas of Existence December 14, 2006

Posted by The Probabilist in : [Articles], Consciousness, Creativity, Goals, Personal Growth, Purpose, Beliefs, Responsibility, Vision, Work, Abilities , trackback

This article continues on the Four Areas of Existence article I wrote an introduction to earlier. It’s supposed to give you a better idea of how you can begin to mind map and combine different purposes or tasks together that you can think of by using the areas of existence model. This will then help you to evaluate each of their importance in your life.

At this stage it’s crucial to just throw out lots and lots of alternatives that you currently have the capability to think of. I’ll give you some examples of how I’ve used this technique and what kind of answers you want to receive.

For instance, I could think of tasks like composing music, building a business, writing a book, learning a programming language, giving speeches, joining a humanitarian organization, playing games, inventing a new widget, creating a new model of reality, calculating probabilities, etc. The point is that the list is filled with things you currently do, want to do, could do or have to do. The next step is then to start organizing the answers into the four areas of existence.

For instance, I can combine my ability of statistics, math and probability calculus (mind) with my purpose to help others (spirit) and reach the conclusion that I’ll write a book about how to overcome a gambling habit by showing that it’s a reasonable thing to do. Or I could combine my passion for games (heart) with my physical needs (body) and thereafter create and patent a board game that helps people improve their health and finances.

Once you’ve managed to place a specific task into one or several areas it’s time to evaluate them one by one. An effective method in this process is to use the four actions framework that was presented in Blue Ocean Strategy. The actions are reduce, raise, eliminate and create. If one task offers very little meaning to you and it only addresses one area of your existence then choose to eliminate it or reduce its impact in your life. On the other hand, think about the uplifting and empowering aspects in your life and raise their significance. Once you’re at it you might start to see gaps in where everything is placed and hopefully create completely new tasks or thoughts that address two, three or even four areas. The one that resonates with you the most in all areas is your general purpose in life, for now. Always leave room for improvement or something new that is better.

In my case, my general purpose that tells me what I must, can, want, and should do could be to become financially independent. But it’s a very general and vague purpose. Therefore, I can break it down into more specific tasks I actually do to accomplish this general mission, like writing a book or creating a game, which then addresses one, two or three areas of my existence. My general purpose could also be to “invaluate everyone’s reality”. Or perhaps I could phrase it as “improving the odds in life”. The general purpose is sort of a tag line while you have several distinct tasks that tangibly put your purpose into action.

The goal itself, for instance reaching financial freedom, then opens up even more time and effort to be put into tasks like these. Just keep mixing different aspects of your life together and try finding a solution that takes into account all of your unique demands, skills, passion and purpose. It’s your life and your purpose, so it has to be congruent with your own needs, abilities, desires and contribution. But don’t force yourself into reaching a goal in this exercise, it can take a long time and it is continuously subject to change as you yourself continuously raise your level of consciousness and personal development.