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5 Basic Rules of Life Design
by Kathy Gates
One way to measure a great life design is how well it
accommodates what you want to do. The goal should be to create a life with as
few barriers and obstacles as possible. Safety measures such as reserves and
boundaries benefit you, plus there are a number of conveniences that simply make
a life more efficient and enjoyable to use.
Like a good room design, thinking ahead about who you are and
how you want your life to function is a good place to start.
1. Your life should be easy to manage. Yes, life is managed, and
it’s either managed well or it’s not. Does this mean nothing bad ever happens?
Of course not. Bad things happen to everybody. But if your life is managed,
you’ll be better able to handle adversity when it does come your way.
2. Your life should reflect your strengths. Too many of us spend
too much time slugging away at things we’re just not that good at. Instead,
focus on your skills. Showcase your strengths. Make every part of your life mean
something, and do not allow yourself to be content with sub-standards that are
beneath what you can really do. Be the best that you can be, and delegate the
rest.
3. Your life should be about you. Not your mother’s life, not
your neighbor’s life, not the Brady-Bunch life. It’s all about YOU. If you’re
living somewhere that you don’t want to live with someone that you don’t want to
live with doing something you don’t want to do -- well do you need to go any
farther to find out why you feel miserable most of the time? Surround yourself
with the things that you love, people you love, environments that you love.
4. Your life should be consistent in its make up. What I mean by
that is what’s called cognitive dissonance in psychology. If you feel one way
inside and do something else on the outside, you’ll be in constant conflict.
When I was in college, I worked for a man who had me lying to customers all day
long. I don’t believe in lying. Every night I went home sick.
5. Your Life should be quick to download. Using the analogy of a
web page, if your life is overstuffed with too much glitz and glitter, and not
enough real content, it will not only be difficult, but also not satisfying.
You’ll see it as a transparent existence, and so will everyone else. Put meaning
in your life by adding things that are important, that have real content, real
substance. Even though it may mean simplifying and eliminating some of the glitz
and glitter, what remains is attractive and useful and wonderful!
What design rules have you broken? Have you not yet committed to
a design at all? Maybe you have a little of this and a little of that, and none
of it works together to create the smooth comfortable life you want. Start with
the basics, and use these design rules as a guide. You can make a life a
beautiful as you want it.
Kathy Gates is a Professional Life Coach in Scottsdale AZ. I help people deal
with the stress of everyday living in a more organized and efficient manner. Get
more information at my website Real Life Coach,
http://www.reallifecoach.com/
and sign up for the newsletter.
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