5. Set and Keep Boundaries

We need personal rules and limits for what we will expect and accept from others and ourselves. Boundaries are like compasses that help to guide our actions. They allow us to make decisions with confidence. They add integrity and consistency to our lives. Set firm boundaries that will guard you and guide your daily decisions.

What are the boundaries for each important area of your life?

6. Live with a Purpose in Mind

Living our unique purpose makes us feel joyfully alive. It allows us to envision and enthusiastically dedicate our time to worthwhile missions of our choosing. Living purposefully, we focus on our objectives with the resolve needed to finish what we start.

You already have a purpose. However, it is important to recognize it and keep it clearly in mind. Think about the things for which you would like future generations to remember you. Give yourself permission to embrace and achieve them. Become the master architect of your life and those things you will leave behind.

What is your action plan for fulfilling your life's purpose?

7. Balance the Roles You Play

Functioning well in our careers, families, and communities depends on allocating enough energy to each of these areas. To care for others, we need to keep ourselves fit mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Staying balanced keeps priorities in perspective and brings success and enjoyment to all the roles we play. Look at where you expend most of your energy now.

What are your most important priorities each day?

The Importance of Personal Responsibility

Woven throughout these actions is a theme of personal responsibility. People who live successfully do not shift the responsibility for their circumstances to other people. They accept ownership of their actions, consequences, and experiences.

Successful people are proactive. Instead of waiting for breaks, they make their own breaks. They identify and fine-tune their attitudes, beliefs, and actions. They search for ways to do more of what they enjoy. Proactive people meet challenges head on and affirm that they will achieve the desires of their heart.

Responsible individuals are life-long learners, always seeking to increase their skills. They welcome change, and they change with the times. They communicate with others clearly and live with a spirit of cooperation throughout the many changes life brings.

What personal challenges repeatedly hold you back? What are you willing to accept ownership of in order for your life to work?"

A Call for Action and Commitment

Think of several ways you could apply each of these strategies. Reflect on each of the questions and write an answer for each one.

By doing so, you will begin to outline a strategic plan that belongs to you. Work your plan, and keep fine-tuning your actions to point toward the results you want to achieve. Commit to turning these actions into life-long habits beginning today. Imagine how attractive your life will be when you have designed it to work the way you want!

About The Author

© Copyright 2004 by Steve Brunkhorst. Steve is a professional success coach, and the creator of Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration, a popular mini-zine bringing great stories, motivational nuggets, and inspiring thoughts to help you achieve more in your career and personal life. Visit Steve's site at http://AchieveEzine.com