Take Inventory

When a company takes inventory of the goods or services they provide, they are determining what’s beneficial or not beneficial for their business as well as their clients. They have taken the time to evaluate what it is that adds value, what’s not making an impact and what is damaging their brand. Once they have gone through this evaluation process, they now have a clearer vision of how to enhance who they are as a business as well as better serve their current and new clientele.

When was the last time you took inventory of the relationships and friendships that you are in? Many of us are connected to people that have made us better than we would have ever imagined. However, there are also some of us that have planted ourselves in desert like relationships or friendships with no source of nutrients or resources to grow. We must determine what’s working or not working, what relationships have the potential to have longevity and what relationships are reaching their expiration date and figure out what’s bringing you value and what is sucking the life out of you.

Some of us are holding on to relationships for these simple reasons listed below:

o We’ve known them for years

o We’re afraid to lose them

o We don’t know how to let them go

o They don’t have anybody else

o We’ve invested so much time and resources (most likely money) into the relationship

o They’re not that bad

o I’m not that bad

o They said they’re going to change

o Etc. (excuses), Etc. (excuses), Etc. (excuses)

So, as a result of this we go on allowing “life” to just happen instead of evaluating what impact someone has on us as well as the impact we have on them, whether good or bad. It is important to know where people stand in your life and where you stand in theirs, whether it be family, friends or foe. Knowing will give us a sense of clarity and where people should be placed in your life. Here are some of the steps that I have taken over the course of my life to have more intentional relationships with people:

Pray

Begin your decision process with prayer. Sometimes we go into situations that we have to make a big decision about and just start doing STUFF! Ask God to guide your heart and your mind to make the decision that He believes is the right one.

Self-Evaluate

A part of taking inventory also includes a self-evaluation. You cannot begin to evaluate others until you have taken a close look at yourself first. What influence are you making on someone else’s life? Are you impactful, encouraging and resourceful or are you a hinderance, unsupportive and draining? We have faults too that play a major part in the relationships we are involved in.

Circle Check

Who do you have surrounded around you that’s making an impact on you? Knowing who you are connected to could help you figure out why you have made certain decisions in your life. The people that are closest to you are the most impactful. This includes family. I know this can be challenging for some of us especially if we have a healthy or toxic relationship with our family members. I know that you love your Mama, your Daddy, your Grandma, your Auntie, your sister, etc., but if they are the root cause of what’s hindering you from progressing in life, you have to know what areas of your life they are welcome in (I will further elaborate in the next step).

Categorize Your Relationships

YOU KNOW for a fact who you can tell what and who you can’t and who will support what and who won’t. So, if you know that every time you mention a new business adventure to someone and they say, “why don’t you just get a job and stop wasting time”, know that you can’t talk to them about the business part of your life. Stop including people in discussions and areas of your life where they don’t belong. Everybody can’t handle every facet of your life so stop trying to make them fit into areas of your life where they don’t sow into, support or give you corrective criticism on. Not saying they are bad people; it just means that they can’t see the vision that God has placed on your life, so do yourself a favor and stop wasting time trying to convince them. Once you have determined what people have the most impact on your life, begin to put them into categories of where they are allowed to be. You create the boundary.

So, begin to evaluate those relationships you’re in to see who’s impactful or who’s a hinderance.

Love Always,

Tamika