Surely most of us have heard this one: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket!” 

What does that mean…?

- Ask the stock investor what it was like to lose everything in one fell swoop…on one investment.

- Ask the job hunter what it was like to have her hopes set high on a single company…only to never be offered the job.

- Ask the sales rep what it was like to ride out the month on one client…who decided to pull out at the last minute.

Who hasn’t, at one time or another, ridden all their hopes on a single sale, project, relationship, career, company, job, etc? What if you don’t have anything to fall back on…a Plan B?
…

“No single venture should support your entire emotional life.”

(John Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership Bible, p. 910)

I think there’s definitely a lot of wisdom in this. How about we call it developing a good emotional portfolio?

I get a huge rush from any kind of success or win. Maybe it’s just a guy thing, but sometimes the higher the stakes, the bigger and more exciting the win, the more I have my emotions riding on it.

The let-down when that puppy doesn’t come through can be a real shock!

This is when I have to decide, AHEAD of time, where my emotional investments will lay. That way I’ve created a little buffer for myself in the event that things don’t pull through for me.

So what’s in my emotional portfolio?

• Journaling
• Exercise
• Mentors and coaches
• Prayer, meditation, reflection
• Places where I give or contribute to others
• Quality friends - people who know me well and even go so far as to identify themselves as my “biggest fans”

How do you keep your emotional portfolio balanced while going for your dreams and goals?

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