I realized that life is about balance. Without managing all aspects of life pillars, it’s hard to find balance my goals.

In 2020, I was heading the marketing function of a top-performing startup.

The business was flourishing like crazy. Revenues were increasing. Brand recognition went up from 30% to 64%.

I was massively successful!

And I was quite miserable.

The work required me to stay connected 24/7. My meals were short and filled with junk food. I hardly had enough time for my family. And I was under massive stress!

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Life was simpler when I was a kid.

I just needed to do well in exams! That was the proven road to success.

But little did I notice that there were other elements to life.

My parents were taking care of my food & health, pushing me to go for sports, taking me to social gatherings, and providing for me.

That was the case for most other kids too.

As parents took care of most parts of our lives, we could just focus on one thing. Our parents made sure our lives wouldn’t fall out of balance.

Adult life is quite different though.

And my life experiences made me realize that I needed to find a balanced cocktail for my life. Otherwise, I would forever feel incomplete.

Enter the Five Pillars to Balance My Goals

The idea came to my mind when we were constructing a home in our village.

The roof of the house was built on a number of pillars. Only after those pillars became strong enough, did the work for the next floor start. To grow any further, the building needed to have strong pillars first.

And if even one of those pillars remained weak, the next level would always be at risk of collapse.

What would be my pillars? What do I need to build to pursue balanced growth?

And here’s what I found —

Pillar 1 — How Connected Am I With My Religion?

As I’m religious, my spirituality is an integral part of me.

I needed to keep learning about religion more, practice it, and become a better person as per the lessons.

However, I understand that not everyone is religious. Even if that’s the case, meditation or mindfulness can be excellent ways to get in touch with your inner self.

Pillar 2 — Am I Financially Free?

Money is important.

Financial freedom is even better.

I had to juggle a student loan, the responsibilities of my family, and other requirements with my salary.

My second pillar was building my way toward financial freedom. I started writing online, creating my personal brand, and reading up on investments to support that journey.

Pillar 3 — Am I Physically & Mentally Healthy?

Well, I am entering an age when I truly realize why health is considered the biggest wealth of all.

I started doing medical checkups to set up a baseline. So that I could improve from there.

That led me to eventually identify the right diet and workout routine for me.

Pillar 4 — Am I Knowledgeable Enough?

My mind is my biggest revenue earner.

If I don’t keep upgrading it, my mind can become obsolete.

It’s not only about what I know, but also how I communicate that. To aid my growth, I enrolled myself in a voice training coach by Roger Love.

Pillar 5 —Am I Taking Care of My People?

The definition of my people can vary from person to person.

I know my definition. So, I started to help them as much as I could.

What I Did With Each Pillar to Balance My Goals

• The pillars identified the areas that I felt were necessary for my growth.
• Once I identified them, I created 5-year goals for each of them.
• And then I divided them into annual goals and tasks.
• To measure my progress, I set up a few dashboards via Notion.
• After that, it was about doing the work and keeping track of my progress. Of course, it’s never that easy. But at least I now know my direction.

Why The Pillar Approach Was Hugely Beneficial

It’s balanced

With these five pillars, I started taking care of my spirit, mind, and body. I was building my expertise while accumulating wealth. And I was taking care of my people.

I finally felt that I have the balance I sought.

It encourages growth

When you know that you are overweight, you want to lose weight.

When you look at your wealth score and see it’s low, you decide to find more income sources.

The pillars show where I am in each of my focus areas. That knowledge itself is enough to push me toward the next level.

It iterates life’s true nature

Life is a journey.

The pillars have this visual parallel with the construction of a building. Like a building, life can keep growing. Or it can stop like an abandoned property with some haunted rooms.

Final Thoughts

It’s easy to get tempted by just one aspect of life. And ignore everything else.

We all know that rich person whose family never sees him. Or the bodybuilder who only spends time at the gym.

While such unhealthy focus often gives you success, it can’t give you peace.

For that, build a balanced life using the five pillars like I did to balance my goals.