π― The Personal Board Meeting
The best decisions come from scheduled conversations with yourself.
Read time: 3.9 minutes
Welcome to Better at Life, the weekly newsletter where I share one simple, actionable idea you can put into practice today to build better habits, sharpen your mindset, and live with more intention.
A few weeks ago, I realized something.
I had spent hours in meetings talking about goals, priorities, budgets, and long-term plans.
We reviewed what was working.
We talked about what needed attention.
We made decisions about where to focus next.
It struck me that we do this naturally at work.
Teams have weekly check-ins.
Companies have quarterly reviews.
Boards meet to discuss the future.
But when it comes to our own lives, many of us just… keep going.
We think about our health while rushing out the door.
Our finances while paying bills.
Our relationships after an argument.
Our careers when we’re already feeling burned out.
The biggest decisions in our lives often happen in the middle of our busiest moments.
That’s backwards.
The most important decisions deserve our clearest thinking.
I call this The Personal Board Meeting.
A recurring appointment where you step out of your daily routine and lead your life instead of simply reacting to it.
Write this down:
If you don’t schedule time to lead your life, you’ll spend most of it reacting to it.
This Week’s Action
Block 30 minutes on your calendar this week.
Treat it like an important meeting.
Because it is.
Bring a notebook.
Silence your phone.
Then review the areas that shape your life.
- Health
- Relationships
- Work
- Finances
- Personal growth
- Fun
For each one, ask yourself three simple questions:
- What’s going well?
- What’s drifting?
- What’s one decision this area needs from me?
Don’t try to solve everything.
Leave the meeting with one meaningful next step.
Why This Works
Most of us don’t lack self-awareness.
We lack dedicated time for reflection.
Without it, life becomes reactive.
Urgent tasks crowd out important ones.
Small problems become bigger because we never paused long enough to notice them.
A regular Personal Board Meeting creates space to think before life forces you to react.
It helps you make intentional decisions while they’re still small.
Try This
Create a recurring appointment on your calendar.
Once a month.
Give it a name you’ll recognize.
“Personal Board Meeting.”
Protect it the same way you would a meeting with your biggest client.
Because no relationship will influence your future more than the one you have with yourself.
Weekly Reflection
Before you move on from this email, pause for a moment.
Ask yourself:
When was the last time I intentionally reviewed my life?
What area has been asking for my attention?
What one decision have I been postponing?
Write it down.
Then schedule your first Personal Board Meeting before the week is over.
If this idea feels useful, feel free to pass it along to someone who might need it this week.
A good life rarely happens by accident.
It grows through small, intentional decisions made over time.
Sometimes all it takes is making time to hear yourself think.
See you next week β a little better at life.
______
Dr. Chris Mullen
Bring Better at Life to Your Organization
If these ideas resonate, this is also the work I bring into organizations and leadership teams.
I partner with organizations that want clearer thinking, stronger decision-making, and more sustainable performance.
Engagements typically include:
- Keynote speakingΒ for conferences and leadership events
- Leadership development workshopsΒ for teams and managers
- Team strategy sessionsΒ focused on alignment and execution
For senior leaders seeking deeper application, I also maintain a small executive coaching practice.
