What Do You Collect?

As you go out into your life every day, what do you go out to collect?

From the beginning of time hunting and gathering were the main subsistence strategy employed by human societies. It is deep in our genes. In the course of evolution though, we have become more sophisticated; we started gathering more sophisticated things.  But collecting and gathering remains one of the human’s preoccupations. The difference is in what we gather. What do you gather? What do you collect?

Here is a little self-awareness exercise for you. Let’s say you have 1000 units of gathering and collecting power which you use throughout the days of your life. How do you spread these 1000 units between the 10 major things we human choose to gather?

Step one: Write the list below down.
Step two: Add other items you feel are relevant for you.
Step three: Spread 1000 units between all the items relevant to you.

Out of 1000 units of power, how many units to you invest to collect –

1. Stuff (material)
2. Data
3. Money
4. Knowledge
5. Skills
6. Ideas
7. Opportunities
8. Experience
9. Memories
10. People

Step four: Look at your scoring and ask: is this congruent with my values? Do I gather and collect the things that are most important for me?
Step five: Reflect on the results and ask: Do I want to make a change, to realign and redistribute units from one item to another?

© Aviv Shahar