Are you the CEO of yourself? Do you have the internal leadership qualities, such as self-direction, motivation and organization, to fulfill your personal aims? Are your aims clearly defined and realistic? No matter what your status or position in life, there is at least one area in which you will always be the CEO - that is of YOURSELF! Think to yourself, “I am the CEO of me, and therefore, it is my responsibility to effectively organize my life.” Nobody else runs your life - not your boss, spouse, parents or teachers. In the end, the choices are all yours - which partnerships/relationships to enter, how much of your time and energy to invest in specific projects, and ultimately, what direction you want to set for your life.

Here, we list some of the habits that good leaders embrace in order to create and execute formulas for success for their own lives and in the organizations which they manage.

TIPS:

1. Get into the habit of creating a WEEKLY REPORT on OR before each Monday, which speaks not only to your goals for the current week BUT ALSO that give a review of your tasks and accomplishments from the prior week. It is important not to neglect your prior week’s aims, and simply look ahead to the coming week. The plan must be specific and realistic, taking your true time into account.

BE SPECIFIC with your goals. For example, do not just say “I will study for this certification exam.” but rather use proactive language, such as “I PLAN TO study for the CFP Examp for at least 3 hours by the end of this week.” and “I will limit my web surfing time to 2 hours this week.” You are the CEO, so the ultimate decisions are yours, but these are just some examples. 2. Recruit a Board of Directors. This is a group of 2 - 4 people, aside from yourself, who will help to provide some input into your life, decisions and the way you are managing it. In short, just like a good corporate board, they keep you honest and in line with your personal goals. For your Board, you should diversify the types of people whom you bring on, and once a year, evaluate whether the Board needs to be revamped. The Board should receive a formal review/report from you, the CEO, before your annual Board Meeting. Here are some tips for going about the formation of your Board.

• At least one person (not a parent) who is elder than you, whom you trust, respect and feel has qualities or achievements that you aspire to.
• At least one person from the opposite sex.
• Recruit people who you believe will truly take the time to dedicate at least 2 hours per quarter (8 hours per year) to the specific topic of your life (your entity).
• At least one person that does not have a direct vested interest in your life’s decisions (non-spouse, non-family member); we are seeking true objectivity.