Taking Personal Inventory
How an ordinary retail inventory check inspired a practice for personal growth
I've mentioned the practice of Taking Personal Inventory in a few posts but have yet to elaborate on what it is and where the concept came from. Well, as one of my favorite Lizzo songs says, "It's about damn time!"
Taking Personal Inventory came from getting curious about myself while living my Shopkeeper Dream. Within five years, I had burned out, bounced back to purposeful joy, and landed in a canyon of frustration with the trajectory of my work and personal life.
Things felt off.
I felt off.
Prompted by deep reflection, I began asking myself a lot of questions
One day at the store, as I took a quick inventory check in our backroom, I reached my hand deep into a shelf to get what I needed. The little box I was looking for was throwing the SKU count off, and of course, it was somewhere towards the back, blocked by other yet-to-be-sold goods, and totally uncomfortable for me to reach. At that moment, I realized that asking myself questions about what was personally feeling off, and getting answers, was kind of like reaching my hand into that deep dark corner of our backroom in search for what was missing.
As you know, a retail store's merchandise inventory is in constant ebb and flow. This inventory requires frequent and thorough check-ins to align many aspects of the business for optimal operation.
Our personal inventory is also like this.
Our life is like this.
Like a retail store's ever-changing inventory, we, too, are ever-changing. We require frequent and thorough check-ins to keep things in order and operating at a healthy and sustainable capacity. We must check in with ourselves, learn to tune into our energies, and be willing to dig through the darkest corner in our Personal Backroom to search for the circumstances, beliefs or habits that may be throwing us off.
It's easy to present a neatly organized store (or self) that looks like it has its shit together. But the backroom, the stockroom, the storage room, whatever you call it ... that's where things get real, messy and a closer look is required. This is the space inside of us where we pull up our sleeves, take a big breath, and go deeper.
Taking Personal Inventory is intentionally checking in with yourself to ensure that your professional and personal lives align. To do so, you must take stock of what's missing, what's off, and what's right as rain. From your personality to your deepest fears and desires, Taking Personal Inventory often and honestly can make a huge difference in how you launch, grow, and evolve your dream. The practice brings a deeper awareness of the steps you've already taken and clarifies the decisions you're about to make. The clearer you are, the more buoyant you can be in your business operations and personal well-being. And being well through it all is. the. goal.
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive."— Howard Washington Thurman
Being alive requires knowing what makes you feel alive.
The sooner you know this, the sooner you and your business will thrive. It all starts with curiosity about yourself and results in finding your YES, Your Energetic Spark.
At every stage of the entrepreneurial journey—before, during, and after—we must honor ourselves and our business by being curious about ourselves and our business. Why? Because business is personal. Everyone's personal inventory checklist (or rather, questions) will vary, but I have found the ones that I share in my book to be universal for reflection.
When we take action based on meaningful reflection, we make fewer reactionary decisions and create more peace within ourselves and our business. From this vantage point, we see the whole picture and respond to challenges in more productive ways as they arise, avoiding burnout, doubts, and frustrations along the way.
So, make it a practice to check-in with yourself, whether you have five minutes or five days. Taking Personal Inventory will lead to aligned actions. And with each checkmark, you will take more control and ownership of how you experience your business and every aspect of life.
Stay OPEN,
AMM
My book:
OPEN: Big Lessons in Small Retail and Living the Shopkeeper Dream
