Take a sheet of paper and write down the things that define who you are, the things you are not willing to compromise on, and the boundaries you would not allow yourself to cross if you had the willpower. Write down everything you would fully accomplish if you were that person you want to become. Build Strong Personality
For example, if you value punctuality very much, make it a principle in your life. Thus, you will not allow someone to modify or alter that principle, no matter who it is. You will be a person who will always be characterized as someone who arrives on time, and you will demand the same from the people with whom you interact the most.
Thus, you will turn each of your strongest aspects into a pillar that will sustain your way of being at any time and place. Do not be afraid to be psych rigid, the principles that you will write for yourself will give confidence and strength to your character. Remember that these principles are for you, so don’t think about what others will think or do about them. They are your most personal rules and others must accept them, or at least respect them. Here’re the 5 Smart Ways to Deal with Negative People & Stay Positive.
Having clear and unbreakable principles will allow you to know yourself much better, and will allow you to identify the things you need to have; and the things you need to discard; to be the person you have always wanted to be. Seek those principles to understand the most important things in the central dimensions of your life: work, personal, sentimental, social, etc. So you know what I’m talking about, here is an example:
Try to be very specific, as specific as you can. That way you won’t be tempted to trample on your own principles because they weren’t totally explicit. If you have to consider clauses or exceptions, do so, be as thorough as you can; but make each principle very clear, because they are things that you will never negotiate and you will not be able to violate no matter how much you should or want.
When you are doing this exercise, do not be so strict with yourself, be realistic and do not set principles that you would never comply with. Make sure they are things that already define you or that are very close to being something fixed in your life. This is not a list of things to do later, quite the opposite; it is a list of things not to fail. They do not necessarily have to be things that are already consolidated in your personality, but neither should you put things that you are very far from achieving; try to find a middle ground. Build Strong Personality
“Your time is limited; don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t get caught up in dogma, which is living like others think you should live. And don’t let the noise of other people’s opinions silence your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to do what your heart and intuitions tell you. They already somehow know what you really want to become. Everything else is secondary”. Steve Jobs
Try to set standards that allow you to achieve what you want. For example, if you want to spend more time on your personal projects, such as design or art, write a principle inhabit form. But do not put something like “I will dedicate an hour a day to my passion for drawing”, that is something unspecific and also very difficult to achieve overnight. Start with small but safe amounts, one hour a week or a month, for example. Little by little you will begin to be more constant and you will be able to modify your principles accordingly.
Always remember your principles. Write them down in a safe place. And watch that you are not violating your own code, your commandments. This will be your code of honor, you will polish it and modify it from time to time, but above all, you must respect and obey it. Define each principle honestly, without exaggeration, and taking into account your personal experience. Reflect very well on each point. Take the time to write it down, don’t rush to get it ready in a day or a week.
“We establish rules for others and exceptions for ourselves.” Francois de La Rochefoucauld
I assure you that in a couple of years you will look back and understand that this series of principles helped you to be a person with a strong character, with a solid personality. Do not think that the principles you set for your life will be a straitjacket, but on the contrary, they will allow you to be flexible within the allowed limit, they will expand the path but without leaving it. Of course, your personal experience will tell you which principles are useful and which are not, but don’t be too quick to judge that. Be patient and wait a long time for the results to manifest.
Honoring a code that you have built yourself; which is not a copy of someone else’s way of thinking and which has been the product of your reflection and your maturity, is a trait that other people will admire and respect. At the same time, it will allow you to be true to yourself, your essence and your purposes, regardless of your current situation.
Once you have consciously established the rules of your life, be firm about them. The idea is that your rules represent your goals, your needs, your desires, and your own personality. In a word, they represent what is important to you and if you disrespect them, you are disrespecting yourself.
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