Four Guiding Principles to Contemplate Over the Long Weekend

I have four guiding principles each of which is written separately on their own post it note above the desk in my office.

·?????? What problems do I want to solve?

·?????? Question Everything

·?????? Follow your inner voice

·?????? There are so many ways to make a difference

These guiding principles adhere very closely to my broader core values in business and in life.

Each was chosen as an inspiration and motivator to guide me during the good times and support and uplift me in times that prove to be more challenging.

What Problems Do I Want To Solve?

This was the nagging question I asked myself after I sold the last of my 3 tech businesses.

I knew that I needed to do work that was meaningful, that truly helped others play to their strengths and passions, understanding that my favorite part of entreprenurship and leadership, (aside from building strong, collaborative teams, working with innovational products, being my own boss and being in control of my own "paycheck"), was watching members of my team grow and thrive.

I encourage anyone who is at a beginning, an ending, a crossroads or a transition to spend uninterrupted time and reflection on answering this question for themselves.

Reflect on Your Interests and Passions: Think about what topics, issues, or industries you are passionate about. What excites or motivates you? These areas are often where you will find the problems you are most driven to solve.

Identify Skills and Strengths: Consider what skills and strengths you have that can contribute to solving specific problems. What are you good at? Where can you make the most impact with your unique abilities?

Consider Your Values: Reflect on what is important to you. What values guide your decisions and actions? Aligning the problems you want to solve with your values can lead to a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

Look at Your Experiences: Think about challenges or issues you've faced in your personal or professional life. Are there problems you have encountered that you feel passionate about solving for others?

To answer the question specifically, take time to reflect on these areas and identify problems that align with your passions, skills, values, and the needs around you. Once you have a clear understanding, you can start focusing on developing solutions and contributing to the world around you in ways that fulfill you.

Question Everything

My partner will tell you that the best thing – and worst thing – about me is that I question everything. ??

For most of my life, I’ve railed against social norms and constructs, firmly understanding that everything around us that is “normalized” in terms of how we live, work and play, is entirely made up.

Entirely.

This is where the questionning comes in.

For this reason, I tried not to choose the path of least resistance at any point in my life. I found it too formulated and "in tolerance" and truth be told I was seldom truly happy or fulfilled in the times when I did. I guess it comes down to my preference to lead not follow.

Societal constructs have been around as long as we've been alive and because of that we don’t question or even think about them deeply but instead beat ourselves up when we don’t meet them.

Weird.

Things like gender roles, at what age you “should” be married by, have kids, “grow up” or change career or life direction – even the question of when you "should” retire. Be clear - the “when” for all of these is entirely made up and arbitrary. It's just so ingrained that we lose the ability to look through and past it. We just believe it to be so.

Or more to the point, question it all together.

Yet, we relentlessly compare and contrast our successes and challenges to cultural norms we didn’t create and in the process make ourselves miserable.

For example, I know people who have limited resources that haven’t worked since they were 50 years old and people with millions who work until they’re 95.

It’s like you get near the age of retirement and people keep asking why you’re still working.

My question back is “why do you care?”.

Personally, I prefer to live by my own guide - not one created long before I was on this earth.

Question everything and forge your own path!

Follow Your Inner Voice

Following your inner voice is very much related to the points made above but goes further.

Your inner voice often represents your true desires, values, and beliefs. By listening to it, you align your actions with who you truly are, which helps you live more authentically. This authenticity leads to greater self-fulfillment and satisfaction because you are being true to yourself.

I like to think of my inner voice as a form of intuition, guiding me toward decisions and actions that feel right, even when they might not make logical sense to others. It’s an internal compass that helps me navigate through life's complexities, especially in situations where there isn’t a clear right or wrong answer.

My belief is that when you follow your inner voice, you take ownership of your decisions. You learn to rely on your judgment and develop resilience as you navigate the consequences of your choices, whether they lead to success or serve as valuable lessons. With this, you’re never the victim which is an empowering place from which to live.

Finally, listening to your inner voice can minimize feelings of regret by ensuring your choices reflect your true self.

I’ve done many things in life that I wish I had not and decisions that I wish I could take back but I don’t regret any of it.

There Are So Many Ways To Make A Difference

Social media and current culture make us believe that you have to be a celebrity, an influencer, an athlete, a billionaire entrepreneur or any other high profile existence to truly impact the world.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

First off, much of the above is smoke and mirrors. Society is attracted to the illusion and easily fooled. We seldom see the real side of most in the public eye no matter their vocation.

Secondly, your ability to impact is not tied to the number of followers on your Instagram account.

Truth is, there are countless ways to make a difference, and that impact can be big or small, visible or subtle or entirely behind the scenes.

The important thing is that each action contributes to positive change and if you’re in alignment with your values, your worth, your strengths and you follow your inner voice, your impact will be measurable by metrics far more significant than likes and followers.

These are my 4 guiding principles.

What are yours?