As you journey on your path toward achieving career and life success, you’ll need the right tools to help you stay focused, support your progress and lead you toward a thriving, balanced and happy life. In my seminars at Leader’s Studio and in my postings here at Leader’s Notebook, I’ll help you develop those tools.

Before we dive in, though, I want to share with you a few basic ideas that are critical to ensuring that you get what you want out of your life. In my book, How to Use What You Got to Get What You Want, I outline four principles that will ease your way to achieving your dreams.

In work as in life, I live by these four simple principles. These principles keep me on course and facilitate every business and social interaction I have. They free me to be creative and productive. They enable me to see and take advantage of opportunities. They are the first thing I share with the management team in every company I’ve managed and consulted with, and they form the basis of our working relationships. When we follow these practical principles, the flow of communication is smooth; productivity and morale are high.

These four simple principles are the most powerful, readily adoptable tool I’ve used in my career and in my life. I want to share them with you now.

Discover Your Life Mission
First you have to know what it is that you truly desire before you can focus on achieving it. Clear your mind of the outside messages telling you what you should strive for. Ask yourself, what is your mission in life? What is your reason for being? Set aside time to go into nature, journal, meditate, reflect and listen to your inner guidance. Your life mission is the North point in your personal compass. Use it to guide you in your work and life decisions. When you are aligned with what is really meaningful to you, you come alive!
Once you determine your life mission you can then plan the necessary steps toward achieving it. Use the four principles outlined here to guide your decision and actions.

1. Tell the Truth
   Tell the truth to yourself as well as to others. We all know horror stories of corporate heads who have not told the truth which have consequently brought down huge companies and resulted in financial ruins for many innocent people. The lies that we tell ourselves are just as harmful to ourselves as those the corporate chiefs told the world. Facing the circumstances honestly even when it is unpleasant gives you the opportunity to fix it then rather than waiting nervously for something or someone to uncover the truth and to avoid the subsequent scramble to try and make it right. In this interconnected world, our reputation precedes us; it makes it even more important to tell the truth.
2. Make Partners
   Your goals are big and meaningful, you need help! Make partners. Enlist people in your business, your family, your friends and community to support you in your goals. Find the common ground.. When people see how your objective can also benefit them and the world, you will be supported in making your dreams come true!
3. Make Big Mistakes: Take Calculated Risks
   Dare to take big steps forward. We can never know everything before we proceed, there are uncertainties in life. To move ahead and to achieve anything of value you will have to take risks and yes, potentially make a big mistake. Do your best to plan and prepare, seek help and inner guidance, and then proceed courageously and joyously knowing that you have already developed a contingency plan in case you need it. You can learn from the situation and adjust to the circumstances and come out ahead and wiser. In today’s world you have to advance or be left behind.
4. Die by Your Own Sword: Stand Up for Your Ideas
   If you believe in something, stay firm in your convictions. Many people and the media around you are all too eager to project their ideas on you and to tell you what to do and think. Listen to your inner guidance and also be open to outside wisdom.

If you are committed to your idea after diligent work and research, pursue it. You’ll sleep better and feel confident that you are doing what’s right for you. Do the necessary research and work to make sure you are on the right track. Integrate all the information and act from a centered place. Most important, enjoy and learn from the process!

With these four very simple principles you can go far. Set time aside to review them and to think about how you can integrate them into your life. Let me know how it goes!

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