You make hundreds if not thousands of choices every day of your life. Most are small, even sub-couscous. Like choosing a cup of tea over coffee. Many are not.

When you're 80 and look back on your life, or others do - what evaluation do you want about:
1. how you handled your life/yourself
2. how you raised your family
3. how you treated others such as in business, co-workers, friends.

All the little decisions you make add up and reflect your character as a person.

So here is a 3 step plan for you to help you in your decision making so that when you look back, you'll be proud.

1. Decide What You Stand For
What virtues do you aspire to, and hold in high regard. What are your values? What do you stand for? What are the organizing principles of your life?

• Money is exceedingly important
• Honesty comes first
• Your children are your priority
• Spirituality should be an important part of your like
• Doing good deeds, helping others
• Show love and compassion
• Your list could go in to the hundreds. Which is impossible.

2. Group what you aspire to into 5 Core values

• Accountability
• Excellence
• Generosity
• Integrity
• Respect
• Family
• Spirituality
• Fun
• Truthfulness
  

For example integrity would encompass telling the truth, treating others as you'd have them treat you, standing by your word.

3. Use these core beliefs to guide you through your decisions.
Your guiding principal of integrity would prompt you to tell that cashier she gave you too much change as you handed back the extra $2.

Debbie Mayo-Smith (BSc Hons Econ) is an International Motivational Business Speaker and Managing Director of SuccessIS! (http://www.successis.co.nz) and a leading specialist in easy practical ways to improve business profitability, personal productivity and Internet marketing. Debbie lives in NZ and travels the world speaking, writing and training. By the way, if you'd like to get lots of neat tricks like this, plus marketing and business development tips, why not enrol for our free newsletter?