Want to learn the ideas in Life Matters better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of Life Matters by Andy Andrews here.
Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.
Video Summaries of Life Matters
We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on Life Matters, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Andy Andrews.
1-Page Summary of Life Matters
Essential Forces
To live a balanced life, you need to incorporate your family, work, time and money into a coherent pattern. The key is balance. It’s not enough to just touch each base every day; you have to do it in the right way so that they all complement each other.
To identify your priorities, examine where you spend your time and money. A good place to start is by reviewing your credit card bills, which are concrete evidence of the things that you value. Many executives are shocked when they see these bills, as they do not reflect their true values. Divorce rates and broken families can be blamed on people who advance at work but neglect their family lives.
It is important to have a balance in life. To achieve this, analyze your life’s key elements and understand that you need success in each one of them to live a better quality of life. Prioritize these elements using your own wisdom or “navigational intelligence” and make the decisions needed to maintain equilibrium between all of them. This can be hard but once you do it, you’ll feel fulfilled and energized by having balanced out all aspects of your life.
The Three “Gotta Do” Steps
To balance your life, you need to master three concepts. First, validate expectations – it’s important to assess a situation realistically and adjust your attitude and actions appropriately. This is best illustrated by Admiral James Stockdale who was imprisoned during the Vietnam War. He maintained his belief that he would prevail despite all odds against him because of his realistic appraisal of the situation. Other inmates didn’t survive because they set unrealistic expectations for themselves or others around them. It’s important to maintain realistic expectations in order to succeed at whatever challenge you’re facing.
- If you want to be successful, make the most of your efforts. Figure out what you can realistically accomplish and then maximize your time and energy to achieve those goals. Having navigational intelligence means being able to deal with unexpected situations in life and recognizing opportunities when they arise. You gain this wisdom from experience, which will help keep you focused on reaching your goals as quickly as possible. The other essential ingredient is being open to new experiences so that inspiration can come through at any moment.”
These are the things you need to do in order to enhance your life.
At Work
Work is an important part of life. People spend more time at work than they do with their families. If you’re struggling in your job, the people around you will also suffer from it as well. Therefore, if we can figure out how to make work more enjoyable and effective, then everyone’s lives would be better off for it.
Most people approach their jobs with the goal of providing for their family. Studies show that this can be very satisfying. Having a purpose gives work additional meaning, which helps bridge the gap between work and family life.
The best way to make the most of your work is to be proactive. The following steps will help you maximize your efforts: * Focus on the organization’s top goals and objectives.
To be a good team player, you must create partnerships with your boss and co-workers.
Discover your talents.
Once you’ve established a solid foundation at work, it’s time to share those positive experiences with your family. Bring your kids to work, tell stories about co-workers and their experiences, and involve your family in projects. This will bridge the gap between family and work, which expands everyone’s experience.
