Leap Challenge Day 6: Define Your Principles

On February 6, 2012 · 8 Comments

LeadershipSaturday’s task was to write out your purpose for pursuing your big dream. A clear purpose statement is the fundamental link between the big picture and the daily grind. It’s why you’re going after your goal.

The other thing that affects and forms both your grand vision and your everyday tasks is your values system. What standards and principles do you hold as non-negotiable? Where are the boundaries that you’ve resolved never to cross—no matter what? These answers drive how you achieve your dream.

Many people think of principles, or boundaries, as restrictive measures. On the contrary, defining your boundaries allows you to push them. Done correctly, establishing boundaries promotes confidence and invites freedom.

Leap Task #6: Write down your principles in your Leap Journal.

One of the best ways to define your principles is to ask the question, “I would give someone free reign to do this as long as they ______.” Fill in the blank. Or ask yourself, “Where is the edge, beyond which, I am unwilling to tread, regardless of the prize?”

Once you’ve decided where you draw the line—and have written it down—you might be surprised at how far out the boundaries really are. Everything inside those lines: Fair Game!

What opportunities did defining your principles reveal to you?


 

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  • Anonymous

    I am glad you brought this up. I was challenged to cross this line last week. That said for me if is simple.

    I need to honor God with my actions. Part of that trust is to know that He wouldn’t want me to do things to achieve my goal that would be against Him. That as long as my purse aligns with his, that he will equip me without crossing that line.

    So I need whatever steps I take to reach my goals need be transparent. That I would put my name to it,  own it, and be answerable for it, weather the results are good or bad.

    All of Great literature (Dante’s Inferno) is about coming to a cross roads and taking the short cut, which  leads to quick short term results, But at great costs, far greater then what was gained. 

    • http://geoffreywebb.wordpress.com/ Geoff Webb

      You’ve got it, Carl. We define the lines now for two reasons: 1. So we don’t cross them and violate what we really care about and 2. so we can color toward those lines and exploit our freedom.

  • http://www.struggletovictory.com/ Kari Scare

    Opportunities that defining my goal revealed to me are ones that line up with Scripture. In that, there is so much freedom to do, be, write, etc. God gives me limits and structure for my safety, and because of that I am so greatful for the guidance of His word for every area of my life.

    • http://geoffreywebb.wordpress.com/ Geoff Webb

      Totally agree, Kari. God is good to us like that.

      I’m also weighing the sacrifices my family will have to make for me to realize my dream. Everyone will have to make sacrifices, but it’s the nature, depth and frequency of those sacrifices that I need to consider (and communicate) now.

      • http://www.struggletovictory.com/ Kari Scare

        Communication is so very important and something I think people talk a lot about being important but don’t really take action to improve.

  • http://juliebird.ca/ Julie Frayn

    As Einstein said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”   Mistakes are human, everyone makes them, I certainly have.  The key is to learn from them, and in the event those mistakes challenge your principles, evaluate those principles and reaffirm what they are for you.  Excellent day 6 task.
    I want to do things that my children would be proud that I did.  I never want them to feel ashamed or embarrassed.   I value honesty and transparency.  I value kindness and compassion. 
    For this dream of finding an agent, it’s about presenting my best self, my honest self, and establishing a relationship with an agent based on that.  It can’t be based on lies, I can’t throw anyone else under the bus along the way.  I won’t step on somebody else’s toes for the sake of my own success.  Those are my boundaries.
    I’ve always considered my struggle with self-promotion to be a boundary.  But that isn’t a principle issue, that’s a shyness and esteem issue.  That has to fall away and NOT be part of the equation anymore.

    • http://geoffreywebb.wordpress.com/ Geoff Webb

      Love it, Julie—especially the insight revealed in the last paragraph.

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