Four Non-Negotiable Rules for Business…and for Life

As a first-time business owner, I’ve done all sorts of strategy and planning for my business.  Business models, strategic visions, strategic plans, action plans, visual plans… you name it.
 
Turns out I only really use four guidelines – or rules – to keep my business focused and on track.  And it also turns out that Marianne Williamson uses them as well.  She calls them the “Four Laws for Miraculous Work Creation.”  I call them the only way to live my life.  Regardless of what you choose to call them, here are my four non-negotiable rules for business… and for life:
 

The Rules

Here’s my interpretation – and application – of the four:
 
1. Be Positive – Engage in your world as though it were a friendly place place for you 24/7.  Assume the best in everyone, and trust that everything will work out the way it needs to.  Shine bright, and shine often.
 
2. Send Love – No, I’m not talking about baskets of kisses here.  (Those are reserved for my kitten, Wilhelmina Crabbycakes.)  I’m talking about wishing the best for everyone you meet.  Truly seeing them and hearing them, being present for them… being present with them.  Celebrating and reinforcing the good you see in the world… and in each other.
 
3. Have Fun – Really… it’s okay!  You can have fun doing those seemingly-mundane activities… you can have fun in each moment of your life.  After all, having fun is a choice.  (And if we’re honest, isn’t that true for each of these rules? )  While I may be engaged in serious work with significant outcomes, I can still take a page from The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and enjoy the adventure!
  
4. Kick Ass – Yes, kicking ass is a personal and professional requisite in my book.  But kicking ass means more than simply doing something as well as you can… it means doing Work that fuels your passion and feeds your soul.  The passion and personal meaning you bring to your work sparks the alchemy that transforms it from being proficient to being kick-ass.
 

Warning Signs

 
These may sound like rules for life in general… but my business – and the way I am in my business – is an extension of me.  Therefore, there’s only one set of rules for all of it.  And I’ll tell you: when something’s not feeling quite right in my life or my business, it often boils down to me being out of alignments with one of these four rules.
 
For example, I know I’m out of alignment when:

• I’m feeling snarky about the world or life in general
• I find myself resenting an obligation or request
• I’m dreading what I get to do next
• I want to be able to just “go through the motions“

Getting Back Into Alignment

Nobody follows these rules 100% of the time… we’re human, after all!  Having fallen out of alignment with these rules at least once in my life, I can share my approach to getting back into alignment:

Pause.  When I notice one or more of these warning signs in myself, I know it’s time to take a step back and assess the situation.  What’s causing me to feel this way?

Breathe.  Now that the warning sign has done its job and I know what’s “off,” I want to let go of that warning feeling so I can focus on realigning.  And meditative breathing is the best way I’ve found for “emptying” myself.  I take one slow, deep breath after another, imaging that each breath blows away a bit more of what’s throwing me off, until I feel empty and clear inside my head.

Return to the Rules.  At this point, I’ll run through the four rules in my head… and it’s quick work to discover where things broke down:  “Oh, I said yes to something I knew wasn’t right for me, and now I feel resentful instead of loving… which is making me snarky towards the world and pissy instead of joyful, so no wonder I’m not feeling like I’m kicking ass.”  (This is actually the reason for me being out of alignment with the four rules about 99% of the time, by the way.)

Forgive.  Once I can see what’s really going on, I actively – and repetitively – forgive myself and anyone else I think is involved with me making that less-than-ideal choice to say “yes” to something I knew wasn’t right for me.  Oftentimes, this is as simple as continuing to breathe deeply while naming/picturing the folks involved and telling them (in my head) that I forgive them.

Learn. Some lessons only need to be learned once:  “oh… working under the summer sun all day literally makes me sick with sun poisoning.  Next time I volunteer for an outdoor all-day event, I’ll make sure my needs for shade are met so I can stay positive, loving, have fun, and kick ass!”  Other lessons, however,  get to be learned over and over again: “oh, see that?  You know that these types of projects drain your passion and suck your soul… let’s look at why you said “yes” to this particular one so we can make more aligned decisions in the future… “

Course Correct.  In other words, I change what needs to be changed so I can return to alignment.  Sometimes the changes are easy and sometimes they are harder.  Sometimes no change can actually be made to the conditions around me or the situation I’m in.  And when that happens, I remember that even in those situations I can change how I respond inside.  And really, that’s oftentimes enough.

Let Go and Carry On.  By the time I get to this point, it’s time to let go of the situation so I can move forward while fully embrace my four rules.  Remember when I talked about raising my arms and exclaiming “Adventure!”?  That’s me letting go and returning to being positive, loving, having fun… and kicking ass!
 
What are your non-negotiable rules for business and life?  Share them in the comments section below… I’d love to hear!

I cannot wait to see what you draw forth,