Best Life Defined

By Michael Angier

“Decide what kind of life you really want . . . and then, say no to everything that isn’t that.”

I assume you want a better life, that you want to improve on where you are. Maybe a little. Maybe a lot.

Regardless of where you find yourself at this point in time—and regardless of your age—you can certainly improve. After all, the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.

You may be wanting to take your on-purpose, comfortable life and simply make it better. Or maybe your life is a train wreck. Either way, you have to start with the end in mind. It’s important to acknowledge where you are, but what’s more important right now is getting clear on where you’re going.

Your best life doesn’t just happen. It doesn’t automatically unfold, and it’s certainly not handed to you. You have to design and create your best life yourself. Because if you don’t, other people and outside circumstances will do it for you. And do you know what other people have planned for you? Hardly anything at all. 

What Does Your Best Life Look Like?
No doubt you have some idea about what your Best Life looks like. I assume you have some goals—some things you want to accomplish or experience before you make your departure from planet Earth.

Have you ever envisioned in great detail how you would like to have your life unfold? Do you see it? Can you taste it? Do you believe it?

The clearer you can become on all the things you want in your life—and the reasons why—the easier it will be to achieve them.

We all want to be happy, and I personally believe we are happiest when we are in pursuit of our highest and best.

For now, let me share with you, in general terms, what I mean by your Best Life. It should give you some seminal ideas for your own Best Life Plan.

It’s a tall order, but I think your Best Life is a life without regrets. Your Best Life is a life by design—not default.

Your Best Life requires your best self. If you want your life to get better, you have to get better.

I believe your Best Life is a life of clarity, purpose, passion and prosperity. A life designed around your values, principles and intentions.

Simply put—a life on your terms. You get to design, define, create and live Your Best Life. You are the architect, the builder and the home owner.

Top Seven Results of Living Your Best Life
The following seven benefits are what I consider the biggest payoffs for creating a life well lived.

1. Significance & Meaning
2. Time, Location & Financial Freedom
3. Happiness, Fun & Adventure
4. Purpose & Integrity
5. Confidence & Self-esteem
6. Rich, Supportive Relationships
7. Health, Fitness & Vitality

Sounds worthwhile, yes?

Your full and unique potential is unknown. But certainly worth going for, don’t you think? Who can count the number of apples in a single apple seed?

“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.”         —Norman Cousins

The Path to Your Best Life
The illustration below shows what I believe to be the best path to your best life—however you might define it. The bottom four tiers are foundational. The top three are much more dynamic. But all of your goals, projects and tasks should stand in support of your core values, purpose, mission and vision. 

The Path to Your Best Life

Anything, Not Everything
My belief is that you can do anything in this life. But you can’t do everything. That’s why it’s so important to choose your goals, your projects and your tasks wisely. And to base them on the foundational steps of core values, purpose, mission and vision.

Otherwise, you’re making choices and spending your precious time and energy on your own or others’ whims. Getting clear on your core values, your purpose and your mission, will help you to avoid regrets and feel like you invested your life in the best way possible.

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow, what a ride!’ ”     —Hunter S. Thompson

The bottom line is that unless you invest the time, energy and money in designing, creating and living a life you truly want, you’re going to be spending a lot of time and effort supporting a life you don’t want.

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