Make choices today that are kind to your future self by lengthening your view, envisioning your eulogy, and writing your life’s ‘headline’ to guide your actions.
Focus on eliminating aspects of your life, behavior, or expressions that are not authentically you, as this is a foundational step to being more yourself and reducing pressure.
Invest spiritually as well as financially to ensure your life is balanced and fulfilling, not just materially prosperous.
Journal not just during failures, but also during times of success to record your habits, routines, and mindset when things are going well, allowing you to reference these patterns for recalibration during future ruts.
Understand that true freedom comes with responsibility, and conversely, embracing responsibility can lead to greater freedom in your life.
Regularly seek solitude, intentionally removing distractions like the internet or phone, to confront yourself, work through internal conflicts, and achieve clarity and presence, even if the initial period is uncomfortable.
Actively seek out and analyze ‘friction’ in your life – moments when something bothers you or gets a rise out of you – as these are opportunities to learn about yourself and understand why you are being triggered.
Acknowledge pre-situation nerves but push past them, acting boldly and believing in yourself more than you initially do, as you often perform better in reality than you anticipate in your dreams.
Stop overthinking or seeking permission; instead, ’throw yourself in the ring’ and ‘go find out’ by taking action directly.
When making choices, project yourself into the future (as far as you can – a week, a month, a year, or even to your eulogy) and consider what ‘residuals’ that choice will yield and how you will feel about it then.
Recognize the great value in denying choices that might offer short-term gains (like money) but ultimately act as ‘debits to your soul,’ moving you away from your authentic self.
Prioritize pursuing ‘solar-powered green lights’ – choices and opportunities that provide long-term, sustained benefits and continue to have a positive impact beyond your lifetime, rather than short-term ‘battery-powered’ gains.
View resistance, challenges, and ‘red lights’ not as obstacles but as necessary forces that slow you down, stop you, and ultimately help you grow and evolve.
Don’t deny your flaws, scars, or imperfections; instead, look them in the eye and work towards moving from embarrassment to laughter, or from shame to forgiveness.
Define who you want to be in the future (e.g., in 10 years) by writing that ‘headline’ first, then consciously live your life story in alignment with that aspirational vision.
Strive to align your work and career with the vitality and aliveness you feel in your personal life, seeking challenges that match your emotional and energetic state.
Recognize that ‘red and yellow lights’ (hardships, crises) often contain valuable lessons, even if those lessons are not immediately apparent and may only be understood much later in life or even across generations.
When interacting with others, especially those with differing views, make an effort to meet them, look them in the eye, and talk to them directly, as this makes it harder to harm or illegitimize their perspective.
Address and resolve your internal conflicts and issues in private solitude to prevent them from surfacing clumsily or awkwardly in important social situations with loved ones.
Engage in daily self-maintenance, similar to a weekly spiritual check-in, to consistently work on yourself, apply lessons, and address internal needs, recognizing that continuous effort is required.
At the end of each day, conduct an inventory of your day’s events from waking to bedtime, and then create a list of goals for the next day, which helps with self-awareness and better sleep.
Engage in exercise and a good sweat to alleviate stress, transforming overwhelming vertical burdens into manageable tasks laid out horizontally, making them easier to tackle.
Recognize that stress, guilt, and fear can be valuable emotions, as stress indicates you care, and all three can serve as motivators or guides for personal growth.
Strive to find the ‘honey hole’ where what’s best for you (’the I’) is also best for the collective (’the we’), recognizing that truly selfless acts often have a deeply personal and beneficial return.
Understand that people are most motivated to act when something is deeply personal; realize that seemingly selfless acts, like fostering connection, are also deeply selfish because they ultimately pay you back.
Trust that positive actions and intentions you put out into the world will eventually return to you, even if there’s an initial fear of loss, much like a boomerang.
To gauge the authenticity of relationships, occasionally try something you know is inauthentic and observe the other person’s response to see if they truly perceive you accurately.
Avoid settling for merely being ‘happy to be here’ or accepting opportunities out of complacency; instead, strive for choices that genuinely challenge and fulfill you beyond basic satisfaction.
Apply the concept of ’long money’ not just to financial gains, but to choices in all areas of life (career, relationships) that provide lasting fulfillment and enrich your ‘soul’s account’.
Engage in journaling as a phenomenal life skill and tool to get to know yourself better, understand your experiences, and track your personal evolution.