How People Make Decisions That Are Bad For Them

He looked shocked.

I was having a conversation recently with a guy who was telling me about his nephew, a high school senior. “He should be an engineer,” the guy told me. “Engineers make great money. The job market for engineers is good. My nephew should definitely become an engineer. Don’t ya think?”

“No,” I said.

(That’s when he stared at me, stunned).

“What?” he replied.

“No,” I repeated. “I don’t know your nephew. What are his strengths?”

“His strengths?”

“Yes, his strengths. What are his strengths, his gifts, his passions? What is he interested in?”

“Passion?” The guy scoffed. “Nobody chooses a job based on PASSION!”

I calmly replied, “It’s important for him to discover who he is…what his strengths, passions, and interests are…” and he looked at me like I was speaking gibberish.

I haven’t seen the guy again, and am not sure which career path his nephew will choose. But I know one thing for sure: if the nephew doesn’t understand himself, and if engineering doesn’t align with his strengths, passions, and interests, it might not be a great decision to become one.

We’re all guilty of making bad decisions. These decisions can greatly affect the course of our life. Whether we get involved in relationships that aren’t good for us, choose a career that doesn’t light us up, neglect our self-care repeatedly… we make bad decisions at times.

Why So Many People Make Bad Decisions

Making bad decisions can drastically change your life, leaving you unfulfilled and dissatisfied. When people make recurring poor decisions, they may not reach their potential.

People make bad decisions for many reasons. Their mindsets, lack of self-expertise, and following societal norms are three of the reasons they make poor decisions.

Your Mindset Determines the Quality of Your Decisions

Mindset, according to Merriam-Webster, is a mental attitude or inclination. It is important to recognize that your mental attitudes and inclinations are present and can greatly affect your ability to make decent decisions. Living your best life starts with your mindset. If you think small, make decisions based on limiting beliefs, and consistently avoid taking meaningful action due to fear, you will never reach your full potential.

Jim Taylor, PhD, explains cognitive biases as:^[1]

“the tendency to make decisions and take action based on imited acquisition and/or processing of information or on self-interest, overconfidence, or attachment to past experience.”

He describes many cognitive biases. One bias, the myopia bias, he explains, is when you

“see and interpret the world through the narrow lens of your own experiences, baggage, beliefs, and assumptions.”

The homecoming queen/king bias, Dr. Taylor writes, is when you “act in ways that will increase our acceptance, liking, and popularity.”

When you make decisions based on your cognitive biases, your choices aren’t always wise. It’s important to realize your mental inclinations are present.

Understand Yourself, but Don’t Let Your Feelings Lead You Astray

If we aren’t self-experts, it’s hard to make good decisions. Lions are amazing, strong, powerful, majestic animals. They know where they belong in the food chain, and they know where to live. They know how to hunt and how to act. However, what if a lion didn’t understand this, and attempted to live in the ocean? Surely it would NOT thrive in the ocean. The same goes for us. If we don’t understand who we are at the core, it’s hard to make the best choices that enable us to fully thrive.

When you understand yourself, you are better equipped to make good decisions. This does not, however, mean that you should always make decisions based on “how you feel.” In fact, making decisions based on your feelings can sometimes significantly restrict your growth.

For example, recently I was asked to speak to a group of business professionals. While I’m an extrovert and love being around people, and am very comfortable working with my coaching clients from around the world, standing in front of a crowd as a speaker is currently out of my comfort zone. My immediate response was discomfort, but I said “yes” to the invitation. Why? Because speaking is one of my goals, and I know as I move toward that goal I will be uncomfortable at first.

Stepping out of your comfort zone is necessary in order to experience growth. As Brian Tracy says,

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”

Following Societal Norms Can Lead to Bad Decisions

Societal norms affect people’s choices every day. The people you spend time with and society in general often influences the jobs you choose, the hours you work, the level of success you reach, your habits, and everything from your worldview to your view of what a “good” relationship with your significant other is.

Blindly following the crowd can cause you to live an unfulfilled life. Just because everyone you know works 9-5 in an office doesn’t mean that’s the best fit for you. Just because everyone you know has their kids in a bunch of activities doesn’t mean that’s the best plan for your family.

How to Make Great Decisions That You Won’t Regret

Three keys to consistently making great decisions are being aware of our mindsets, understanding ourselves, and making decisions intentionally instead of passively following the crowd.

Be Aware of Your Mindset

It is important to understand that your mindsets can lead you to make poor decisions. Success starts between your ears, with your mindsets. People often avoid making positive changes in their lives and doing big things because they believe achieving their biggest dreams is not possible for them. They settle for less than their full potential. Many people have an internal dialogue that is less than friendly toward themselves.

Start paying attention to your thoughts. When you think about achieving a big goal you have, what thoughts do you have? Are you encouraging toward yourself? If you discover that your self-talk is discouraging, work on modifying your thoughts. For example, if you think, “I can’t start a business; I don’t know how,” modify that sentence to “I don’t know how to start a business right now, but I can learn.” If you think, “I can’t lose weight; I failed last time I tried,” modify it to “I didn’t achieve my goal last time, but this time I’ll do x,y, and z to get great results.”

One way to minimize the risk of making poor decisions due to your mindset is by collaborating with an expert on your decision, or learning from people who have already done what you aspire to do. For example, when making career decisions, you can hire career counselors or executive coaches. If you want to retire when young and travel the world, learn from people who have done exactly that. Learning from experts and mentors who have achieved what you aspire to do can help you stay inspired and encouraged.

Become Self-Experts

Becoming self-experts is an important key to making good decisions. When you have a strong understanding of your strengths, your priorities, and the impact you want to make on the world, you can make purpose-driven decisions and live more fulfilling lives.

I highly recommend the book, Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. The book helps people discover 5 of their strengths. Having a strong understanding of your strengths can help you choose a career path that allows you to maximize those strengths, rather than choosing a career that isn’t a good fit for you.

Make Decisions Intentionally

Being intentional with your decisions rather than passively following society’s recommendations for your life can help you make choices that align with what matters most to you. Pause to reflect and think about why you’re making the choices you’re making. Are you living your life in a manner that enables you to become the best version of you, and make the impact on the world that you are here to make? Or, are you living the life that society wants for you?

One simple step to being more intentional in your life is to write out a tentative schedule for your day. When you tell your time where to go, it can help you minimize time spent on time-sucking activities that don’t align with who you most want to be.

Also, as Jim Rohn says,

“You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”

Being intentional with who you spend time with can also steer you toward better decisions.

Although nobody’s perfect, and nobody has a perfect life, working on these strategies can help you make better decisions, leading to less regrets and a more fulfilling life.

Reference

[1]

^

Psychology Today: Cognitive Biases Are Bad for Business

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5 Keys to Discovering Your Life’s True Mission

In today’s busy world, it’s very easy to get caught up in the daily grind. It’s easy to spend your time rushing from one task to the next, crossing items off your ‘to-do’ list, and at the end of the day wondering where your time went. Eventually, if you’re like many people, you end up feeling trapped in a lifestyle that’s not fulfilling and you question whether you’re really living your purpose.

So, how do you break free from the treadmill existence and feel a strong sense of purpose in your days?

Here are 5 important keys to discovering your life’s true mission and focusing your life on what truly matters to you:

1. Cut Out the Noise

In order to discover your life’s true mission, first you’ll need to filter out the noise. We are bombarded nonstop by distractions that steal our attention away from what matters most. The average American checks their phone 150 times per day. According to another study, the average American spends 10 hours 39 minutes each day consuming media.

When you’re constantly plugged into this hyper-connected world, it’s very hard to focus on what matters most to you. Intentionally cutting out the noise is one critical key to discovering your life’s true mission. By getting rid of it, or cutting back on the unimportant, time-sucking activities in your daily schedule, you’ll create the space in your life to discover who you are and the difference you want to make in the world.

2. Become a Self-Expert

Becoming a self-expert is a crucial step in discovering your life’s true mission. We are all wired differently, with different strengths, gifts, and personalities. You have something unique to offer to the world. As you discover your innate strengths, it’s important to give yourself the opportunity to maximize those strengths. Frequently, when we utilize our innate strengths, we can make a bigger impact, and our success feels purposeful because our actions are aligned with who we naturally are.

As you work on becoming a self-expert, it’s important to pay attention to what lights you up and what tugs at your heart. What are you passionate about? Do you feel a strong sense of compassion for people who suffer from something specific, and you’d love to help relieve their suffering? Are you determined to solve a certain problem in the world? What really energizes you and totally lights you up? If you’re not sure what lights you up, check out this free workbook to find your passion.

3. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone and Serve

It’s easy to feel unmotivated and uninspired when every day is the daily grind. If you don’t feel a strong sense of purpose in your daily life right now, chances are that feeling isn’t going to magically disappear. You’ll need to change things up in your life and get out of your comfort zone.

In order to become the best version of you, and live your best possible life, you’ll need to step out of your comfort zone over and over. You’ll need to experiment and take action on a regular basis in order to discover what lights you up, which path you want to take, and the difference you want to make in the world. You can research over and over but until you get out of your comfort zone and take action, you’ll likely continue to feel confused.

When you get out of your comfort zone to serve others, you not only feel a sense of fulfillment because you’re brightening someone’s day, but you also learn a ton about yourself. You learn how you make your best difference. Perhaps you’re a great listener, or an awesome leader, or you have a profound way of encouraging others. As you break out of your bubble and focus on serving others, you will gradually start to uncover your life’s true mission.

4. Learn to Think Big

Too often, people hold themselves back from living their potential because of thinking small. What if Mother Teresa would’ve said, “Ah, I’m just one person. I can’t really help the poor?” What if Walt Disney would’ve said, “My big dream is crazy; people would never come to Disney World. Who do I think I am?”

Living your best, most meaningful, fulfilling life, where you’re spending your days on fire for your purpose, starts with your mindset. You really can make an impact on the world. Work on your mindset and your ability to think big. Immerse yourself in learning from people who have already done what you aspire to do, and surround yourself with others who inspire you to make your best difference in the world.

5. Take a Small Step Every Day

You don’t have to move to a remote island by yourself in order to discover your purpose. You also don’t have to march into your boss’s office tomorrow morning and say, “I quit!” and embark on a soul-searching project while you watch your savings account rapidly deplete. You can start by taking a small step every day out of your normal routine to make a difference. Ask yourself, “What’s one thing I can do today to make someone’s day a little better?” When you spend time every day intentionally brightening the world, you will find yourself having more and more fulfilling days and the daily grind feeling will be a thing of the past.

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Doing These 7 Things Can Skyrocket Your Success

Are you ready to be more successful? Try the following tips for more success in your life. These strategies have greatly helped me and I hope you they can do the same for you.

1. Define success on your terms

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, success is “the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame” or a “favorable or desired outcome.”

It is very important to define success on your terms. Do you desire wealth, respect, or to be well-known? Deciding what you’re aiming for will allow you to start planning how to get there. Defining success on your terms, and working toward what truly matters to you, can help you live a more fulfilling life.

2. Find the sweet spot where your strengths and passions collide

Having passion is awesome, and it’s great when you discover the sweet spot where your strengths and passions collide. When you do what lights you up, and it aligns with your innate strengths, you can greatly increase your success. If you’re not sure what your passion is, check out this free workbook. Having passion for what you’re doing will help you persevere when times are tough.

3. Work on your mindset

Having an amazing mindset can help you make huge strides toward success. Start paying attention to your thoughts. Are they encouraging and uplifting, or do you speak to yourself harshly? Envision the life you desire living, even if it’s very different than your current life. Establishing a clear vision of what you want to achieve, and believing it’s really possible for you, can help you blaze your trail to success.

 4. Write down your goals

One of my favorite life hacks is writing down my goals. At the end of each year, I set aside time to write my goals for the next year. I set big, specific goals that are measurable, and then I break them down into smaller goals so I know exactly what I need to accomplish each day to stay on track. Writing down your goals will take some time, but this habit can drastically increase your success.

5. Tell your time where to go

If you don’t tell your time where to go, it’s easy to let it drift away from you. Each evening, spend a few minutes writing down a tentative schedule for the following day. When you set a tentative schedule for your day, it will help you be intentional about how you’re spending your time. Without designating time slots for the tasks you need to do to be more successful, it’s easy to waste your time doing mindless activities that don’t add value to your life.

6. Surround yourself with awesome people

One of my favorite quotes of all time is by Jim Rohn, a businessman, who said, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”

Who are you spending your days with? Are they people who are inspiring? Do they encourage and support you in your journey to become the best you possible? Connecting with awesome people can greatly affect how you choose to live your life and the level of success you reach.

7. Exercise

When you set and reach physical goals, it can help give you the confidence and momentum to achieve things in other areas of your life. Also, exercise helps us to feel our best, and when we feel our best, it helps us achieve more in our lives.

No matter what your definition of success is, I hope you find these tips beneficial. Continue to work toward living a life that you absolutely love, one where you spend your time doing what truly matters to you.

Best wishes as you aim to reach new levels of success in your life.

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7 Ways to Help Your Child Choose a Career

Recently, a stranger told me his grandson was about to graduate from high school. He said, “I told him he needs to go to college and he should definitely be an engineer. Being an engineer is a great profession. Don’t you think he should be an engineer?”

“I’ve never met your grandson, and without knowing who he is, what his strengths are, and what he’s passionate about, I can’t say what career he would enjoy. I think it’s great when people choose a career where their strengths and passions combine,” I said.

He cocked his head sideways at me. “Hmmmph,” he scoffed. “Passion. Nobody’s passionate about their job. A job is a job,” he ranted.

I smiled at him, and politely disagreed, telling him that it is possible to do work you absolutely love.

When it comes to choosing a career, people are given all kinds of awful advice, including:

“Choose the prestigious career.”

“Choose the career that will give you the most money.”

“Choose the safe path.”

“A job is just a job. Work isn’t meant to be fulfilling.”

“So-and-so likes her job, so you should do that too.” Or, the opposite: “So-and-so hates his job, so you should never do that.”

We spend many hours each week, decade after decade, doing work. Doing work you love makes life much more fulfilling. Therefore, it’s imperative we do a good job of guiding and encouraging our children in their quest to find and do work they love.

According to this article, 80 percent of college students in the United States change their major at least once. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that college students change their major at least three times on average during their college career. Choosing a major, and changing it multiple times, can be a stressful time for students.

When students are in college, they frequently don’t have the life experiences or self-knowledge yet to choose a career path that will best fit them.

Thankfully, there are some things you can do to help your child navigate these decisions.

Here are some tips to help your child choose a career.

1. Resist treating your child as an extension of you

Your child is a unique individual. They are not you. The things that might drive you absolutely crazy about a certain job might be the things they absolutely love doing. Resist the urge to tell your child to avoid a certain path just because it’s something that doesn’t interest you. Your child might not be interested in attending your alma mater or doing the work you do.

2. Help your child discover their strengths and passions

Encourage your child to visit with a career counselor to take aptitude tests. The Myers-Briggs test, Strong Inventory, and Holland Code were three of the tests I found beneficial when redesigning my career path. While I don’t recommend basing huge decisions off of one test, I do believe it’s very beneficial to take a variety of assessments and look for patterns among the results. If your child is interested in a career that doesn’t appear to line up with their natural strengths, that doesn’t mean you need to immediately rule out that option as a career. Instead, brainstorm how your child could bring their innate strengths to that field. Their uncommon perspective and strengths in that field could allow them to make a very unique, valuable contribution.

Have them take the strengths assessment in the book Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. Pay attention to what comes easily to them that others seem to struggle with. Having a great understanding of their innate strengths will enable you to help them maximize these strengths. Also, help them figure out what lights them up. This is a free workbook to help people discover their passions. I encourage you to print it out and have each member of your family complete it.

3. Help find a mentor for your child

Seek a positive, encouraging role model for your child. If your child shows strong interest in a certain career path, help your child find an inspiring mentor in that field. Having a great mentor can fuel your child’s career aspirations.

4. Expose your child to a variety of activities to see what piques their interest

Give your child opportunities to try new activities. Expose them to nature, the arts, science, museums, animals, travel, people…there are so many opportunities to enjoy together. Pay attention to what piques their interest. If there is a subject they are curious about or they shows excitement toward, encourage them to learn more about that topic. Oftentimes, the decision to choose a certain line of work comes gradually, as people continue to explore their interests more deeply.

5. Find your tribe, and encourage your child to find theirs

As Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” As a parent, have you built a wonderful tribe of people around you? And, are you encouraging your child to find their tribe? Challenge your child to get out of their comfort zone and get involved. Whether it’s sports, a service organization, a business club, or any of the many other possibilities, encourage your child to spend time with inspiring peers. Who your child chooses to hang out with can greatly affect how big they dream, what they believe is possible, and the opportunities they seek. Having an amazing tribe of people in their life will help them grow into their full potential and can affect many decisions they make.

6. Set a great example

Your child watches your every move, so work on being a great example of doing work you enjoy. When your child sees you building a career you really love, they will know that it’s possible for them to also find and do work they love. You’re never too old to spend more time doing what you love, so seek what lights you up and do more of what you love and less of the unimportant junk.

7. Be patient and encouraging

Remind your child that the quest to do work they loves is often a long process of self-discovery and experimenting. They may change course as they navigate their career path. Be patient with your child during these difficult decisions, and encourage them to keep learning more about themselves so they can keep growing into the amazing person they are meant to be.

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6 Signs It’s Time to Change Your Life

Is it time to make some changes in your life? It just might be. Life is too short to not live it to the fullest.

Here are some signs it’s time to change your life.

1. Every week, you cannot wait for Friday.

Fridays are fun, but one thing I’ve discovered in my quest to find and do work I absolutely love is that almost every day can be really fun. If you’re saving all your living for the weekends, it’s time to truly think about your lifestyle and consider making some changes. Don’t get me wrong; it’s great to have plans you look forward to on the weekends, but what if you could have that excited Friday feeling most, if not all, days of the week? It takes a lot of self-discovery and work, but it’s truly possible to live a life you love—even on Mondays.

2. You live for your vacations.

Vacations are great, but what’s even better is building a life you don’t need to take a vacation from. As Seth Godin said, “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” Vacations are fun and exciting, but even better is building a life where you have the potential to do what lights you up many weeks of the year, not just your two allotted vacation weeks.

3. When you stop and think about it, you’re really not focusing your life on your priorities.

Write down your 3 top priorities. Then write down the 3 things you focus most of your life on. Are you spending your time living your top priorities? Consistently spending time doing what matters most to you is one of the keys to feeling fulfilled in your life. If you’re not focusing your life on what’s important to you, it’s time to make some changes.

4. You have no idea what lights you up, and you don’t have the space in your life to discover it.

If you haven’t found your passion in your current life, you’re not going to find it if you continue to do your same routine, over and over, year after year. In order to discover what lights you up, start by creating the space in your life to seek it. Give yourself time to figure out who you are, what your strengths are, and what picques your interest. Experiment with learning new things, spending time with inspiring people, and doing more of what excites you and less of the things that suck your energy.

5. You’re frequently jealous.

If you find yourself frequently feeling jealous of someone, there are 3 changes to consider making:

1. Make a point to focus on your path instead of his or her journey. Sometimes this involves taking a break from social media.
2. Get inspired from the person you’re jealous of, and work toward a similar goal in your life.
3. Decide what the other person has is not something you are willing to put in the effort to achieve, so you’ll cheer him or her on but choose to not be jealous.

When you are feeling jealous, consider why you want what the other person has, and what your motives are. Living a life on your terms, focused on your priorities, passions, and strengths, will provide you with much more fulfillment than trying to be somebody else.

6. You can’t remember the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone.

According to Neale Donald Walsch, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” Your life can become even more amazing if you stretch beyond your comfort zone. If you’re not sure where to start, try the tips in this article about small ways to step out of your comfort zone.

Life is too short to spend your years not living to your full potential. If you decide you’re ready to change your life, I encourage you to start taking small action steps toward the life you want to live. Keep moving forward.

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5 Ways to Live a Life You Love

According to a 2013 Harris Poll, only 1/3 of Americans are very happy. The problem isn’t only in America. Millions of people are frustrated with their lives and desperately long to make some big changes.

The good news is you really can design a life you love. No matter who you are, or where you’re from, it’s possible to design a life where you spend your time doing more of what you love and less of the unimportant junk. It takes a lot of work, but you really can take steps every day to live a fulfilling life on your terms.

Here are some ways to live a life you love.

1. Search for what lights you up

Discovering your passion can take a while, and it involves a lot of self-discovery, effort, and experimenting, but the journey is well worth it. When you find and do what lights you up, life is so much more fulfilling. Here is a helpful free workbook to help you discover your passion. If seeking your passion seems overwhelming, remember that it is often an ongoing process. You don’t have to quit your job, leave your family, and move to a deserted island to find your passion. Start looking for things you enjoy, no matter how small they seem. Pay attention to what fills you with energy and what leaves you feeling drained. Continue to take frequent, small steps forward to learn more about who you are and what excites you.

2. Be intentional with your time

One daily habit I use that has really helped me to spend my days doing what I love is writing out my schedule for the day. It doesn’t have to be exact, but having a tentative plan for my day helps me maximize my hours and minimize time spent on unimportant junk. In order to live a life you love, it’s important to intentionally set aside time to do what you love, and to design your days so you minimize time wasted on things you don’t enjoy. It’s very easy to get stuck in the daily grind, following a similar routine day after day and feeling like you don’t have time to do what you really want to do. Start setting aside time to do things you enjoy, even if it’s just a small amount of time to start.

3. Choose awesome friends

The people you hang out with influence your life in huge ways. They affect your habits, how big you set your goals, and what you believe is possible. By choosing a circle of amazing, inspiring friends, and by being a great friend to others, your life will be much more enjoyable. If there is something you want to accomplish, start hanging out with people who are already doing what you aspire to do. There are clubs for all kinds of interest groups, and if you can’t find one near you, join one online, or consider starting a group yourself.

4. Set big goals

As Michelangelo said, “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” Do you set goals? If so, how big are they? I challenge you to set goals that are out of your comfort zone, so you can continually grow. Set your goals as specifically as possible, write them down, and create an action plan so you are regularly taking small steps toward your giant goals.

5. Discover and maximize your strengths

Many people don’t have a clear understanding of what their strengths are, or how to best maximize their strengths. One book that has greatly helped me discover my strengths and learn how to best utilize them is Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. The book explains that functioning in your strengths zone affects multiple areas of your life, stating, “a strengths-based approach improves your confidence, direction, hope and kindness toward others.” Rather than leaving your natural strengths untapped, I highly encourage you to read this book and develop your strengths.

It takes self-discovery and massive intentional action, but it’s definitely possible to design a life you love. The steps above will help you start closing the gap between your current life and the life you dream of living.

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6 Ways to Find and Do Work You Love

According to a Gallup State of the Global Workplace survey of people in 142 countries, only 13% of people are engaged at work. That’s a tragedy. Many of us spend more hours working than we spend doing anything else, so shouldn’t we aspire to find and do work that we love? Shouldn’t we strive to do fulfilling work? How would the world be different if the large majority of people loved their work? Would we be more productive and innovative during our workdays? Would we live more fulfilling lives?

According to a Harris Poll, only 1/3 of Americans are very happy. If we did work that totally excited us, would we arrive home from work feeling more happy? And if so, would we be better spouses and parents?

Millions of people succumb to the popular thought that “a job is just a job,” yet I encourage you to consider the fact that work absolutely can be something you totally love. When you find and do work you love, you can shine. Doing work that excites you allows you to make your best contributions to the world.

Here are some ways to find and do work you love.

1. Discover who you are.

The more you understand who you are, the more you’ll be able to choose a career path that best suits you. When I was struggling to choose my next steps during a major career decision, I took a variety of personality tests to help me make my decision. I don’t recommend basing your entire career decision off of one personality test. Taking a variety of tests, however, and looking for trends among the results can be incredibly eye-opening and helpful. Some of my favorites are the Myers-Briggs test, Sally Hogshead’s website http://ift.tt/Sj7Jmc, and the Holland Code. Discovering my strengths through the book Strengths Finder 2.0 was also very helpful for me, and I highly recommend you read it if you haven’t.

2. Find what lights you up.

When you discover what lights you up, and you combine it with your innate strengths in a job that fits your personality well, you can make a huge impact. Finding what lights you up might take awhile, but it’s worth seeking. Here is a great workbook to help you find your passion. Discovering what lights you up can help you enjoy your life immensely.

3. Choose work that allows you to focus your life on your priorities.

I’m convinced that one reason millions of people are dissatisfied with their lives is because they choose careers and then try to fit their lifestyle around their careers. Instead, it can be beneficial to first think about your priorities and your ideal lifestyle, and choose work that fits into the life you desire. Choosing a career path that allows you to focus your life on what matters most to you can greatly increase your life satisfaction.

4. Dare to blaze your own trail.

If you’re feeling stir-crazy in your career, it might be time to shake things up. Consider this: a dolphin is an amazing animal that thrives in the ocean. Put the dolphin in a rainforest, however, and it will quickly die, even though the rainforest is a perfect environment for many other creatures. Does the fact that dolphins don’t do well in the rainforest mean that dolphins are big losers who should change themselves? Of course not. All it means is that the rainforest isn’t a suitable environment for dolphins.

If you’re feeling frustrated and stifled at your job, it’s time to do some self-reflection. Even if your job is pretty decent and the people around you are enjoying it, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the best fit for you. It might be time for you to blaze your own trail and design a career that suits you amazingly well.

5. Seek help.

It can be helpful to seek the assistance of a career counselor or a coach to help you choose the best career path for you. Having the objective insight from someone not closely involved in your life might be exactly what you need to have a breakthrough.

6. Build your tribe.

Build a tribe of encouraging, inspiring people in your life. As Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” Choose the people you hang out with wisely; they will greatly affect what you do with your life and their support can help you do work you love.

When you do work you love, life becomes much more awesome. Continue your quest to do work you love. It can be a difficult journey to navigate but totally worth it.

Featured photo credit: Philip Male/https://flickr.com via flickr.com

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10 Questions to Ask Yourself to Make This the Best Year Ever

Ask yourself these 10 questions to help make this your best year ever.

1. Why do I do the work I do?

There are millions of ways to make a living. If the steady paycheck is the only reason you remain at your job, and you loathe your work year after year, I highly recommend you consider figuring out what truly lights you up. Check out this free workbook to help you find your passion.

2. Am I focusing my life on what truly matters to me?

Think about what you want your priorities to be. Are you focusing your life on your priorities? It’s easy to get caught in the daily grind of a mind-numbing routine. Carefully consider how you’re spending your time. When you focus your life on what really matters to you, life is more fulfilling.

3. What bad (or even mediocre) things can I let go of in my life to make room for the amazing?

There are only 24 hours in each day, so making time for the amazing things in life will require you to let go of certain things. Think about how you’re spending your time. Are there activities you can get rid of to make room for things you really love?

4. Am I surrounding myself with people who inspire me?

One of my favorite quotes is by Jim Rohn, who said, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” Think about who you hang out with. The people you surround yourself with will make a huge difference in the kind of life you live.

5. Am I setting big enough goals?

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”

—Michelangelo.

Setting big goals and working toward reaching them keeps life exciting, and helps ensure that you are continually learning. Big goals often require us to step out of our comfort zone, which is where growth occurs.

6. Have I convinced myself I’m “fine” when I’m really not?

In her TED Talk, how to stop screwing yourself over, Mel Robbins describes how telling ourselves we’re fine when we’re really not can hold us back in our lives. Are you seriously doing fine, or are you telling yourself you’re fine to avoid taking action and making changes in your life?

7. Am I taking care of myself?

Taking care of yourself is important, in the multiple areas of wellness. You can be your best when you take care of yourself. Check out this article, 50 small things to do every day to really love yourself.

8. Am I settling for a less than an amazing life?

It really is possible to do work you love, to have a wonderful relationship, and to spend your time doing what truly matters to you. Yet millions of people succumb to living their lives in quiet desperation, wishing things in their life would change, as they settle for less than what they really desire. You have the potential to make a big impact on the world, and to live an amazing life.

9. If this was about to be the best year of my life, what would be happening?

This question can help clarify your big dreams. Picture this being the best year you could possibly have, and describe it in great detail. Where are you working? Who are you spending time with? Where do you live? What do you accomplish? Your answer to this question can help you design your life so you can make your dreams your reality.

10. Am I the person I want to be?

Think about the best version of you. Are you acting as if you are that person? Who do you want to be? How do you want to be remembered? How do you want to act as a friend, family member, and coworker? What do you want to stand for? Are you being the person you want to be?

Some of those 10 questions are hard. They’re intended to get you thinking about what you’re doing with your life, and evaluate whether or not change is needed.

If you’re not living a life you love, keep working toward it. It’s possible to design a life you love.

Featured photo credit: Douglas Scortegagna/https://flickr.com via flickr.com

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8 Ways To Declutter Your Home

Looking to declutter your life this year? Why not start with your home? Here are 8 simple ways to declutter your home.

1. Determine why you want to declutter

Before you start, think about why you want to declutter. Do you want to live a more simple lifestyle? Are you hoping to sell some items for extra cash? Is your goal to have less items to make your home life more efficient?

Having a meaningful reason for your decluttering efforts will help you stay motivated when it gets tough. Decluttering is a lot of work, so decide exactly why you’re doing it, and remember this reason when it gets tough.

2. If you’re not sure where to start, try your bedroom closet

I started with my bedroom closet and have gradually been streamlining my wardrobe. It feels great to get rid of clothes that are outdated, poor-fitting, or just taking up space in your closet. Now I have less clothes, but I’ve found that having a small amount of items I love is much more enjoyable than a closet packed full of items I only somewhat like. Starting with your closet can help you build momentum to declutter the rest of your home. Since your closet is a place you use every day, decluttering your closet will allow you to immediately see the results of your efforts. Plus, having only clothes that you feel great in can build your confidence, and you’ll spend less time searching for what to wear each day.

3. Think of the habits involved in cluttered areas

Think about where you tend to accumulate clutter. For me, this is my kitchen counter. The biggest source of clutter on my counter is incoming and outgoing mail. Therefore, I’ve been streamlining this process. Instead of letting mail sit on my counter in a big messy pile, I’ve sorted it immediately into a small bin for the appropriate recipient, and junk mail is immediately thrown away. That way, I don’t end up looking through the mail multiple times. I have gradually automated most bills, which helps decrease the mail pile and streamlines my finances. Outgoing mail now has a designated spot. This is still a work in progress, but it has become much more efficient and less cluttered with these changes.

4. When you purchase a new item, get rid of 2 items

One way to gradually declutter your home is to get rid of more than one item every time you purchase something. This has worked great for me to declutter the kids’ items they’ve outgrown. When they get new clothes or new toys, I give what they’ve outgrown to friends with younger children. When you get rid of 2 items per every item purchased, you will slowly declutter your home and the process doesn’t feel nearly as overwhelming as a giant overhaul all at once.

5. Turn your hangers around in your closet

Turn all your hangers backward in your closet. If you wear the item on the backward-facing hanger, turn it back around so it is forward-facing. After a predetermined amount of time (6 months, 1 year, or another amount of time you choose), get rid of any clothing items on the backward-facing hangers, because you haven’t worn them in a while.

6. Get your whole family involved

As you work on decluttering, involve the entire family. Even young kids can put shoes away, match socks, and help pick up toys. Work on developing designated places for certain items, and make sure everyone in your family understands where these items go.

7. Consider rotating toys

I have 3 very young kids, and the playroom looks like a disaster some days. One thing that is helping (although it’s still mass chaos here at times) is to rotate the kids’ toys. We put some items in a bin and rotate the toys every couple of weeks. That way, the kids are really excited to play with their toys and there is less clutter.

8. Think about why you have your belongings

Getting rid of certain items can be so freeing. As you work on decluttering, think about an item you’re struggling to get rid of. Is it useful? If so, have you used it in the recent past? Do you love it, or would you not even miss it if you got rid of it?  Getting rid of certain items can be tough when you have an emotional attachment to them. Certain things were hard for me to get rid of, as I’m pretty sentimental, but I can’t even explain how freeing it felt to get rid of things.

Decluttering is an ongoing process. It takes a lot of time and effort, but it feels great to have a less-cluttered home.

Featured photo credit: Steve Larkin/https://flickr.com via flickr.com

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30 Things To Let Go Of In 2016

It’s the beginning of the new year, and millions of people are vowing to achieve big things this year. Just as important as the goals you are reaching toward, however, are the things you are intentionally letting go of. A big part of designing a good life is being able to let go of things that hold you back in life and things that are not important to you.

Here are 30 things to let go of in 2016 to make this the best year you’ve ever had.

1. Let go of self-sabotaging habits. Work on being kind and loving to yourself. Click here to learn 50 small things to do every day to really love yourself.

2. Let go of perfection. Waiting to do something until the timing is perfect often means you’ll never do it at all.

3. Let go of saying you’ll do things “someday.” This life is not a dress rehearsal.

4. Let go of trying to please everyone all the time. You’ll never be everything to everyone and that’s okay.

5. Let go of living the life that everyone else has planned for you. It’s time to design your life the way you want to live it.

6. Let go of the pressure to spend your entire career at a 9-5 job you don’t love. Make a point to find your passion this year. This free workbook is a great start to help you find your passion this year.

7. Let go of being paralyzed by fear. Remember the biggest risk is often doing nothing; the biggest risk is that you’ll wake up years from now and wish you would have acted on your dreams.

8. Let go of neglecting yourself. You can best serve the world when you take care of yourself.

9. Let go of toxic relationships. You deserve to spend time with people who are uplifting.

10. Let go of letting your past define your future.

11. Let go of constantly competing with people. Focus on your path and work on improving yourself every day.

12. Let go of sitting on the sidelines. Life’s too short to sit there and watch it pass you by just because you don’t think you have the ‘perfect’ body, you’re ‘too old,’ you’re ‘too young,’ or you’re too (fill in the blank).

13. Let go of items you don’t need. Decluttering your life is incredibly freeing.

14. Let go of trying to be good at everything. Instead, focus on being great at a few things that line up with your priorities and strengths.

15. Let go of thinking you can’t make a difference right now. It’s often possible to turn a difficult job into an amazing mission, right where you are.

16. Let go of always saying yes. Learn to say no to certain commitments so you can say yes to what matters most to you.

17. Let go of of excuses. Decide what you want and go get it.

18. Let go of self-doubt.

19. Let go of procrastination.

20. Let go of blaming others.

21. Let go of negativity. You really can live an amazing, fulfilling life that you love. It’s time to work on having a great mindset.

22. Let go of thinking small. There truly is power in thinking big.

23. Let go of time-wasting activities that prevent you from working toward your meaningful goals.

24. Let go of inaction.

25. Let go of being ‘too busy’ to do what matters most to you.

26. Let go of worrying about what others think of you. It’s time to find your tribe of like-minded, encouraging people, and blaze the trail you want to blaze.

27. Let go of being closed-minded. Great innovations happen when people dare to dream about possibilities.

28. Let go of refusing to try new things. You never know what you might love. Sign up for a random community ed class, try a new physical activity, or start a new book club. Life is so much richer with new experiences.

29. Let go of feeling unworthy of your dreams.

30. Let go of thinking your dreams are impossible. Set big goals and surround yourself with people who encourage, support, and inspire you to reach them.

It’s going to be a great year!

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