Who's In Your Lifeboat? ...

Hopefully, you learned from the things you did right last year and from those instances where you could have done better. I don’t mean to go Twilight Zone on you, but we are all actors on this stage called life.

Thanks to COVID-19 our ongoing real-life movie seemed to have a new script everyday with adjusted nuances for work and home. And thanks to technology home and work became one for many of us.

The radio and music industries have always tweaked their business models. However, last year’s adjustments became isolating and called for a closer understanding of the world and our inner circle.

Annual Exercise …
It’s become routine for me, over the last 10 years, to start the New Year by double checking who has my back. To explain further, the Lifeboat exercise been a part of my knowledge base for a long while. For years I have googled to find out its origin, but I never have. What I do know is how helpful it’s been to identify people I can trust with my life on a personal and business level. The exercise reminds me to appreciate those I choose to be in my Lifeboat.

The Hardest Thing …
The most challenging part is being honest with myself about family, friends, clients, and business associates. I examine my reasons for including or excluding certain people. This is one of my "food for thought" exercises for my psyche and my life. I hope you find it as useful as I do.

How It Works …
Once upon a time in your life (that’s how all fairy tales begin) you have found yourself metaphorically needing a lifeboat. A need to know who you could count on in any situation. There are variations on the exercise, but the bottom line is; Who do you want in your Lifeboat?

First Choose How Many…
To do this exercise you can choose the number of people allowed in your lifeboat. I have 15 in mine, but you can choose as few or as many as you would like.

The Rules…
I have only two rules on my variation of the exercise when it comes to making passenger choices. First, those you choose must be people you need and can trust. Adding family members out of a sense of obligation, not desire, will negate the experience and your boat would theoretically sink. Remember this about people who can help you navigate your life. It’s a different twist to the term “friends with benefits.”

Second, you must choose people that are alive, and you personally know. Sorry, this is not “Who would you like to have over for dinner?” This is not a vessel for wishful thinking. Therefore, no Dr. Anthony Fauci, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Dua Lipa, Jay Z, Selena Gomez, Barack or Michelle Obama, Leonardo DiCaprio, Oprah, Jim Carrey, Scarlett Johansson, LeBron James or any others from a list of “most admired.”

Are You Lifeboat Worthy? ...
After you’ve made your list, it would be a good time for self-reflection to determine if anyone would want you in their Lifeboat. This is about your beliefs, attitudes, behavior, decision making process, and how you conduct yourself at work and home. It’s also about being self-aware enough to see the consequences, possibilities, liabilities, and opportunities for your actions.

Choose Carefully…
This your Lifeboat; a support system, think tank, and compass for living. You need to take your time to complete your list. Be honest with yourself because the people you choose might make a difference in how your year turns out.