Our Two Metaphors for Life
To explain what we do at The Life Consultant™, we use two similes. The one we describe on this page is the idea that life is like a business. The other is the idea that life is like a ship on the ocean; you may read about that simile here.
Why Life Is Like a Business
A business needs several things to be successful, whether it is making sneakers or spaceships. It needs a guiding vision; this encompasses the business' aspirations, and the desired impact it wants to make in the world. It needs a mission, it purpose and direction in the present, and its short-term goals. It needs concrete plans to bring the vision and mission about. (It has wisely been said that "a goal without a plan is only a wish.") A business must have a body of expertise to carry out its work, expressed in the knowledge and skills of its workforce. It needs financial resources to get anything done, of course. And, it needs a community: the workforce, the vendors, the customers.
Life is like that, too. A person needs a guiding vision, that persons aspirations, and the desired impact that this person wants to make in the world (from raising a family to exploring the moons of Saturn). People need clarity about their mission, their direction in the reset and their short-term goals. Like a business, people need concrete plans to bring their visions and missions about. A person needs expertise to carry out that individual's work in the world, and to generate the financial resources required to support themselves in their preferred lifestyle. And people certainly need community: friends, special significant others, and so forth. Without these things, a person is, to some greater or lesser degree, adrift on the Sea of Life.
However, the fact of the matter is that many people have not launched the Business of their lives in a sustainable way. They may lack purpose, a clearly defined destination, expertise in knowledge or skills, a way to generate sufficient income to support their preferred lifestyle. They may lack the knowledge or means to maintain themselves or their health. They may lack the knowledge or skills to build a community around themselves.
That's where life consulting comes in. We help people clarify the purposes and goals of their life. We help them to plot a course to gain the knowledge and skills they need to support themselves. We help them establish practices of self-care. We also help them to build their community and "find their people."
