scaling

The good old "scale of 1-10" tactic - that's what I mean by scaling. When's the last time you used it to gauge where something currently stands vs where you'd rather it scale? It's a "model" I use in my coaching work to help people gauge their today vs their more idealized number for the future. Then it gives us something to work toward and check-in on session to session and see how we're doing.

I decided to do a bit of scaling for my own life and then ask myself some key questions. And I thought in sharing this exercise that I'm doing - it may help you ask yourself some similar questions if you decide to scale something in your life.

For me, I typically use a scale to measure my overall level of happiness and contentment as that's something I strive to have each day - without it life is a lot less enjoyable. When I think about when I first launched my business, and then when I got my dog KoKo and even when I moved into my new space (fresh start) I think I was at a 10. And then somewhere along the way that started to drop - the growing pains of a having a start up business and the challenges that arise from that, the fear that ensues, the heavy level of discipline I put on myself to not spend any money and as a result not do a whole lot socially and then my on/off relationship with online dating (that I've since concluded is not a love/hate one it's pretty much hate/hate and so I'm swearing it off once again). So if I consider what was happening when I feel I hit a rough patch this past summer, my scale was probably at a 3. But since then, specifically these last couple months, I feel like I've been slowly climbing back up toward 10 -- probably at an 8 or a 9 right now.

So a couple of key things I'm asking myself now:
1. What has my cup much more full now that I'm around an 8?
2. What do I need to do to stay at an 8?
3. What does 9, or even 10 look like?
4. What would I have to do to drop back down to a 3, or worse?

I'm still working on those answers but it's worth pointing out that I realized it's just as important that I understand what led me to where I am now, but also what could move me forward even more and perhaps most importantly listing out what would have to happen for me to start to go backwards again -- and then make sure I don't do those things! Powerful stuff and a real reminder that the control all lies within us.

So...what's on your scale?