Blog #6: Turning Maslov’s Needs into Actions

Blog #6 in the series on success foundations, Context: age 28, male

One thing that I love about Maslow’s hierarchy is that it consistently reminds me of the importance of strong foundations and the idea that you have to take care of the basics if you are going to have any chance of being successful. So often we forgo food, rest, etc. in the pursuit of our goals when in fact its in spite of them. Maslow’s hierarchy reminds us that we must handle basics first. 

But what I don’t love about Maslow’s HIerarchy is that in general terms I understand the principles but they are all defined as needs and not really actions for me to take. They leave open ended what I need to do to satisfy these needs. How do I feel safe? How do I ensure I am well rested? How do I achieve prestige? How do I achieve my full potential? For this reason, I like to use  a refined and more action oriented prioritization to help me align with my actions with my needs. 

P1: Health

P2: Relationships

P3: Productive Output

This is my hierarchy for very simple reasons. 1. You can’t do anything without your health. 2. Relationships amplify the joy in your life, can multiply your productive output, and can support you when you are most in need. 3. In order to advance your life, enjoy your life etc. you need to be productive, you need to create the change, the environment, the outcomes you want in your life. In practice this prioritization is again simple, highest priorities should not be superseded by lower priorities. Health is paramount and if productive output or relationships are negatively impacting your health you need to make changes to better serve your health. Similarly, productive output shouldn’t come at the expense of important relationships. This isn’t to suggest that your highest priority is how you spend all your time, but when you are thinking about how to spend your time make sure that highest priorities come first. So what actually constitutes a successful life, continue reading here for more information.