Are you Living Your Life Effectively like Managing a Business

According To Henri Fayol, one of the most influential contributors to modern concepts of management, to manage is to forecast and plan, to organize, to command, to co-ordinate, and to control. The same concepts can be equally applicable to managing your life effectively:

1. Plan

Business: It is about forecasting future conditions and setting objectives, developing means to attain objectives, setting long and short-term plans, establishing policies and standards to follow.

Personal: You will assess your personal strengths and weaknesses, identify your aspiration and interests, and set goals. You design short and long-term goals to achieve your long-term objectives. You will capitalize on your strengths and employ the most effective ways to reach your goals. Your goals should cover your career, family, finance, health, and relationships which are all about your life.

2. Organize

Business: Fayol’s theory is about allocating work among people and determining their responsibilities.

Personal: At a different time you play different roles such as manager, father, husband, and friend. Your aim is to perform effectively according to the role you play.

3. Command

Business: This is the exercising of centralized authority and leadership

Personal: On a personal level, you are to take initiative and be disciplined to work on your plan daily to reach your objectives. You are your own boss to make things happen. Adopt an attitude of doing it now.

4. Co-ordinate

Business: This is to ensure that work is carried out efficiently and cost-effectively towards a common objective.

Personal: You are to ensure that your daily life is smooth going by using such a tool as a to-do list to carry out the tasks for the day. You will be productive by doing those things that matter to you the most and ignore small staff.

5. Control

Business: This is to ensure plans have been carried out and to check deviations against the established goals.

Personal: At regular intervals, you review your performance. Are you progressing according to plan? Do you need to make changes because of the changing situations? Celebrate when you are making headway according to your plan.

A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master gardener of his soul, the director of his life. ~James Allen