Is your life’s supply chain in order?
A supply chain is the entire path that a good or service traverses – right from when it is a raw material to the time it is delivered as a product to the consumer. The more complicated a supply chain, the greater the risk. A single break can disrupt the whole chain and cause chaos.
In a simple, uncomplicated supply chain, the product reaches the consumer with minimal intervening forces. If you milk a cow and drink the milk, the product (milk) goes directly from the supplier (cow) to the consumer (you.) You know the supplier and the quality of their product.
On the other hand, if you purchase purchase your milk in a tetra pak from a supermarket, the supply chain is far more complicated with several links or steps in the chain starting from the time the cow is milked. The milk is then processed, packaged, transported, and placed on a supermarket shelf as you see it.
We can learn some useful life lessons by observing how businesses handle their supply chains. Managing your life’s supply chain is, of course, radically different from that of an entity manufacturing products to meet the market’s demand. We are unique human beings and not business resources. Still, there are some great concepts you can apply to experience life as the fabulous adventure it is rather than as a mundane existence you barely tolerate.
Life’s not always cozy and perfect. When life seems difficult, you can consciously allow it to flow where it will and watch where it takes you. You do have the option of trying to force it to stop or try to swim back to where you were or create a similar situation. This happens because of a fear of the unknown. The result is a repetitive cycle with superficial differences in the setting. What you need to do is change the cycle. This process becomes easier if the core elements of your life’s supply chain are in place. It helps you follow your own story without dedicating yourself to make others’ stories happen at the cost of your own.
“You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.” – Paulo Coelho
Broadening the supplier base to mitigate risk is a crucial business strategy. Heavy dependence on a single supplier or region is not on the cards. Diversifying the supplier base spreads the risk and keeps the chain running smoothly.
In life, this is akin to depending on a single source of income. That makes for a fearful, half-life. Make it your business to study, respect, and understand money. Save. Diversify your investments. If one source of income disappears, another exists. This frees you up to explore new life options instead of getting stuck some place for the ‘sake of money.’
In business, things don’t always go your way. A supplier might disappear or a crucial link might break. You take it in your stride and move on without rancor or blaming someone. Any successful business person knows that ill-will affects only one person – you. It diminishes the quality of your life and prevents you from living your best life.
When things don’t go your way, move away from negativity. Make your boundaries clear, though. Never give time to those have no time for you or make you feel diminished. Feel free to prune them right out of your life.
Instead, treasure those who are present. Connect more closely with friends and those you vibe well with. Never forget an act of kindness. Maybe it was a kind word when you needed it. If there is a way to return the kindness, do so. Otherwise, keep passing on the kindness in any way you can. Strengthen these strong links as much as you can.
“The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.” – Mark Twain
In a supply chain, business needs are taken care of by various entities ranging from suppliers to distributors. In life, there are no middle men. You hold your entire supply chain in your hands. The end product is a result of what you have decided to include in your life. It is about managing and getting comfortable with yourself. Understand your unique needs and ensure that they are supplied. For this, you need to engage with yourself more. Nothing is more rewarding than understanding yourself better, growing, and enjoying being who you are.
In the end, when you go through your inventory and consider how you enhanced your life’s supply chain – whether it was managing risk, resource allocation, supplier assessment or crisis management – you can look back on a life well-lived; an enjoyable journey rather than one dominated by fear and reluctant conformity. Remember, this is your life’s supply chain and life will be as good or as bad as you make it.
“People try to create an outwardly perfect life, but the quality of life is based on the inward.” – Sadhguru