The primary duty of every human being is to evolve into our best self. Every day of our lives presents us with opportunities to experience, learn and grow. The wise person recognises this and commits himself to the work required to constantly expand one’s personal frontiers. In my own life, I try to spend as much time as possible in the process of self-examination. I try to figure out what I am doing right and, perhaps more importantly, what I am doing wrong so I can make those all-important course corrections to improve the way that I work and live. The goal of all this “innerwork”, is to continuously recreate myself into the person that I have always dreamt of becoming.

Set goals

The starting point for recreating your life is to gain clarity on what outcomes you desire. Write a few paragraphs outlining what you want your life to look like two years from now, personally, professionally and even spiritually. Then list all the barriers you must overcome as well as the skills you must develop. I also recommend that you set about defining your 90-day, 180-day and 360-day goals in the areas of personal development, family and relationships, career and finance, social life and adventure / fun.

I have prepared my goals on four sheets of paper that I call my “lifemap” and I revisit these on an almost daily basis to keep myself focussed and dedicated. When you know what activities offer you the best return on your investment of time, it is easier to say no to the things that do not count.

Birds of a feather

You become your environment. I am very careful as to who I spend my time with. I try my best to surround myself with people who are passionate, principled, peaceful and dedicated to doing great things. I also look for people who are intelligent and innovative. In spending my time with such individuals, some of their brilliance rubs off on me and I gain insights which help me live a richer life. As David Schwartz noted in his The Magic of Thinking Big, “go first-class in your environment” so that you become an inspired thinker who makes a difference.

Self-discipline

It is impossible to create anything great without self-discipline and dedication. The good news is that we all have an enormous capacity to be disciplined. If you find that your will power is low, it is simply because you have not accessed the abundance of self-discipline which resides in you. Once you cultivate your self-discipline, you’ll find that you have the energy, stamina and focus to do all those things that you know you should be doing. The three best ways to build self-discipline are to get up early, finish what you start and do the little things that you don’t like doing but know that you should do.

Zoom in

Your life five years from now will be determined primarily by the thoughts that you were thinking and the actions you are taking. If you focus on what is not working in your life, you will find that those negative perceptions will grow and invade your mind. However, if you focus on what is working and the high points, you will realise the power of positive thinking. Take a few minutes every few days and write a gratitude list of all the good things in your life. For example, note that you are healthy, have good friends, live in a great country, can access wonderful wisdom, and have the opportunity to enjoy a sunrise once in a while. By engaging in the art of gratitude, you will shift your mindset into one of abundance and prosperity.

Gentle touch

All too often, we are hard on ourselves if we do not create the life we want as quickly as we know we can. Life and personal expansion is a process. We are all works in progress. Do not expect perfection of yourself, only excellence. If you make a mistake, understand that this is a gateway to growth. The real key is to turn your stumbling blocks into stepping stones towards higher awareness, greater leadership and more fun along the journey of your life.