No matter how well your worklife is going, your personal life has the potential to drag everything down with it. After all, if you’re not happy and comfortable in your own home, then were can you be comfortable?
Below, we will consider how those who are successful in their relationships and personal lives behave; and how you can change your behavior to become more like them.
Principle #1 – Dream Big—and Translate Those Dreams into Action
One thing that the successful consistently do is dream big. But unlike most of us, they take those dreams and translate them into action—and, ultimately, positive outcomes.
Principle #2 – Reconcile with Family Members
If your personal life is riddled with conflicts, then you may want to take some time to step back and ask yourself what is going wrong. Consider whether you could simply be the bigger person and reconcile these conflicts with family members, rather than perpetuating them.
Principle #3 – Set Relationship Goals
One thing that people who are successful in personal relationships do is set goals. For instance, they might consider the progression of a romantic relationship and consider whether it is going too quickly or too slowly. They might also try to look one year ahead and decide where they want to be, so they can steer the relationship in that direction.
Principle #4 – Develop Self-Confidence
While a little self-doubt usually isn’t a bad thing, a lot of self-doubt can be highly destructive. It can prevent you from accomplishing many things; and it can prevent you from fully participating in relationships, as well as forming new relationships.
Principle #5 – Make an Effort to be Happy, No Matter What Challenges You Face
No matter what challenges you face at work, don’t bring them home with you. Make an effort to be happy at home; and to spread that happiness to your spouse and children.
Principle #6 – Find Ways to Stay Motivated
The successful always find ways to stay motivated, no matter what the circumstances. If you want to be successful, too, then you must also find something that keeps you fiery, motivated, and hungry for more.
Principle #7 – Be Grateful to Your Spouse or Significant Other
From time to time, show your spouse the gratitude that he or she deserves. Don’t hold back on praise or use it as a bargaining chip. Instead, be open honest, and loving; and you will receive the same in return.
Principle #8 – Commit Yourself to Improving Your Relationship with Your Spouse
Instead of seeing your spouse as a competitor, see him or her as a partner in life. Think about how you can work together to achieve better outcomes for both of you, rather than thinking about how you can get out of whatever task he or she wishes you to do.
Principle #9 – Diet and Exercise is Important
Regardless of whatever else is going on in your life, proper diet and exercise is something the successful never stray too far from. They know that a healthy body is an important supporting pillar of a healthy mind.
Principle #10 – Let Go of Your Fear of Failure
On the road to success, you will experience many failures. This is why it is so important to let these fears go; and instead focus on the process of achieving those goals that you want so badly.
Principle #11 – Define What Success in Your Personal Life Means to You
Success in your personal life can mean different things to different people. Define what it means to you. Does it mean that you become closer and more open with your spouse? Once you define it, focus on achieving it.
Principle #12 – Find Ways to Make Your Life Meaningful
Without meaning, our lives are dull and depressing. With meaning, each day is full of memories and important milestones. So find ways to make your life meaningful; and, if you are married or in a relationship, try to make it meaningful with your significant other.
Principle #13 – Plan Your Personal Life Carefully
Instead of allowing whims and chance events to control how your life plays out, focus on exerting your control over your life. Force it to give you what you want; and take control, as the successful do.
Principle #14 – Schedule Your Life
Instead of panicking about how disorganized events are in your life, make an effort to schedule things carefully. This will allow you to know what you need to do and when, rather than letting chance play the dominant role in determining your fate.
Principle #15 – Set Goals
Goals are important. They serve as a means for you to gauge your progress and to keep your eyes trained on the future. So, do as the successful do, and set goals for your personal life.
Principle #16 – Volunteer for Non-Profit Organizations
One thing that the successful frequently do is give to others. They not only give money, but they give time and compassion. Consider volunteering for non-profit organizations. You’ll not only feel better about yourself, but others will admire you for it.
Principle #17 – Don’t Let Your Past Limit Your Future
In the past, you failed miserably at many things. But that doesn’t have to carry over into the future. Don’t let your past limit your future, but instead, let go of your past failures and focus on what the future offers.
Principle #18 – Accept Responsibility for Your Decisions
While chance will always play a role in your life, your decisions are the only thing you can control. So, take responsibility for your decisions. When the outcomes are bad, accept it as your fault; and when they are good, see what you did right.
Principle #19 – Be a Good Listener in Relationships
In relationships, it is vital that you have someone who you can vent to and with whom you can be completely honest. Additionally, it is vital that you be that same person for your partner.
Principle #20 – Never Go to Sleep without Resolving an Argument
If you’re in the middle of an argument, don’t just go to sleep. Instead, resolve it. Be the bigger person if you must, but don’t allow a fight to continue through the night and into the following day.
Principle #21 – Remain Proactive in Tackling Challenges
If a big financial or personal event is looming on the horizon, don’t wait for it to come to you. Be proactive in dealing with it, so that you don’t end up cornered and with few options.
Principle #22 – Be a Problem-Solver, Not a Problem-Avoider
Instead of avoiding problems, meet them head-on. This is what the successful do; and this is precisely why they don’t ever end up cornered and without options. They take care of problems before they get worse and bleed over into other areas of their life.
Principle #23 – Manage Your Time and Resources Efficiently
Like most people, you have some time and resources at your disposal. Instead of mismanaging them or ignoring them, use them wisely and to your advantage. Be efficient with your resources and you will reap the rewards of personal success.
Principle #24 – Break Your Larger Goals Down into Daily Objectives
Once you have set broad goals for your personal life, make an effort to break them down into manageable chunks. Find ways to set and accomplish daily objectives that advance you further towards your goals.
Principle #25 – Spend Time Reflecting on Your Personal Life
From time to time, reflect on your personal life. Consider whether you are approach personal relationships and goals correctly; and consider how you might improve your approach.
Principle #26 – Commit Yourself to Getting Out of Debt
As I’ve mentioned in other tips, you must commit yourself to getting out of debt. Debt is often the product of delusion and wishful thinking. Instead of letting delusion run your life, drop the debt and get on a path to saving for a comfortable retirement.
Principle #27 – Take Notes
You’re not in school anymore, but taking notes still has a lot of value. If your spouse tells you to get a number of things done, then you may want to write them down. And if you have ideas about how you can improve your personal or financial life, write them down too. Don’t simply let these notes and insights slip away.
Principle #28 – Readjust Your Expectations to Make Them Reasonable
Many of us go through life with unreasonably high expectations of what we can and should achieve. Over time, we readjust our expectations, but only after spending years chasing something that ultimately ends up being a waste of time. Instead of doing this, do as the successful do and shoot high, but keep reasonable expectations.
Principle #29 – Stop Blaming Others for Your Problem
While others may make your problems worse, only you can solve them. So stop blaming other people for your problems and take responsibility for your life and decisions.
Principle #30 – Spend Time Relaxing
From time to time, you should relax with your spouse and family. The successful know that hard work is important, but relaxation is equally important.
Principle #31 – Don’t Panic
Panic is one of the least helpful responses to any situation. It gives you no direction, no insight; and generally overwhelms your senses. If you find yourself in a bad situation, don’t panic; instead, start problem solving.
Principle #32 – Practice Patience with Your Spouse and Children
At the end of the day, the people who will stick with you forever are your spouse and children. Try to stay patient with them, to understand them, and do whatever you can for them.
Principle #33 – Expand Your Horizons by Making New Friends
Making new friends can introduce you to thoughts that might never have occurred to you previously. The successful know that having a mix of different types of friends can broaden your horizons and improve the quality of your life.
Principle #34 – Improve Your Existing Friendships
In addition to making new friends, you should also try to improve your existing friendships. Get closer with good friends; and find ways to grow your relationships with new friends.
Principle #35 – Observe Successful Relationships and Emulate Them
If you and your spouse have friends who have successful friendships or romantic relationships, observe them and copy their approach. Emulate the things that work well in the relationships—and yours may improve, too.
Principle #36 – Try to be Empathetic and Caring in Your Interactions with Family Members
Instead of judging family members and complaining to them, try to understand where they come from; and try to empathize with their situations. Try hard to make their situations in life better; and they will do the same for you.
Principle #37 – Attempt to Improve Your Mindset
Mindset is an important variable that we can all influence. No matter whether it comes to personal relationships or business transactions, improving our focus and our intensity can only have a positive effect.
Principle #38 – Make Important Lifestyle Changes
In addition to improving your mindset, you should also consider making lifestyle changes where they are warranted. For instance, you may want to cut down on excessive drinking or you may want to stop smoking altogether.
Principle #39 – Do Not Resist the Inevitable—Embrace It
If something is truly inevitable in your personal life, then embrace it. Instead of pretending that it won’t happen, let it happen, but be prepared, be accepting, and be flexible.
Principle #40 – Do Not Allow Others to Dictate the Terms of Your Life to You
In many cases, people simply do not realize how much control they have over their own lives. So, instead of seizing that control and using it to improve things, they simply let things play out. If you want to be successful, then you need to get in the habit of taking control and not allowing others to dictate the terms of your life to you.
Principle #41 – Monitor the Path of Your Life
Take some time to evaluate your life. Consider where you have come from and where you are likely to end up. Decide whether you want to deviate from this path to achieve a better outcome. And then implement this plan.
Principle #42 – Accept Responsibility for The Outcomes of Your Work (Good or Bad)
One important part of success is responsibility. Those who accept responsibility for their actions; and move forward from there will feel empowered to make changes. And those who cannot accept responsibility will never fully understand how much they can control.
Principle #43 – Make an Effort to Strengthen Your Resolve
The strength of your resolve will determine whether you break-down at the sight of a challenge; or whether you dare the challenge to cross your path. Strengthen your resolve and success is likely to follow.
Principle #44 – Dispose of Bad Habits in Your Personal Relationships
We all have bad habits in our personal relationships. Perhaps we don’t listen very well. Or perhaps we are very quick to judge. Don’t let these bad habits set the tone for every relationship you have. Instead, extinguish these habits and improve your relationships.
Principle #45 – Strive for Healthiness and Transparency in Your Relationships
No matter whether it is a romantic relationship or a friendship, strive for healthiness and transparency. Don’t hide information. Don’t do anything to intentionally hurt your friend or partner. And, most of all, try to be honest and forthcoming in all of your endeavors.
Principle #46 – Make Everyday a Meaningful Attempt to Accomplish Your Goals
Each day, define how the events will contribute to your goals. When you inject meaning into everyday, mundane events, you give yourself the chance and the motivation to excel further than you otherwise might.
Principle #47 – Break Out of Your Comfort Zone and Try New Things
Trying new things keeps you thinking and helps you to problem solve. So make an effort to step out of your comfort zone, experience the world, and learn more.
Principle #48 – Be Open-Minded and Accepting of Your Significant Other’s Needs
Just as you have needs, your significant other also has needs. Try to be sensitive and thoughtful in responding to these needs, rather than bargaining with your partner for the best deal you can get.
Principle #49 – Try to Do Good Things Each Day
Each day, try to do something good for other people. Help a co -worker. Contribute to a charity. Help your spouse with something he or she is dreading. Whatever you do, make an effort to do something that no only helps someone else, but makes you feel better, too.
Principle #50 – Find Ways to Put Yourself at Peace with the World and Your Life
Finally, one of the most important things that successful people do is make sure they are at peace with the world and their own life. Even if their worklife is riddled with conflict and controversy, they find a way to become comfortable with it all, so that it does not drag them down each day.
