What Does It Take to Live In Alignment?
In business and in life, the most successful people are the ones that know what they want and take the action to achieve it. These are the people living in alignment.
We all want to live the life we love and love the life we live. Living in alignment is about connecting to our true nature, discovering what’s possible, and exploring what success is to us and what that means for our lives.
So what does it take to live this kind of life?
The first step is recognizing what is not in alignment in your life. Where do you find yourself going off track? What is causing you stress? What is holding you back?
For example, poor habits are something that holds you back from being at your best. If you don’t manage your time well, or constantly seek a dopamine hit by looking at the news and social media on your phone, you’re hindering your focus, productivity, and alignment.
If you don’t know that there’s a problem, you won’t be able to fix it. Take a good, honest look in the mirror and assess yourself.
The second step is understanding your values. What’s important to you? Things like integrity and family are both examples of values.
Once you’ve assessed what matters to you, you need to ask yourself if you’re living true to those values. For example, if you value protecting the environment, but you leave litter wherever you go, you’re not living true to that value.
Aside from values, you also need to contemplate what it is that drives you. What does success mean for you? Is it traveling the world? Is it having amazing relationships with amazing people? Is it having the financial resources to be able to do the things you want to do without worrying about your budget?
To go a little deeper, you need to define your ultimate intent. What gets you out of bed in the morning? What is your purpose? What is your reason for being? To live in alignment, you need to understand where you want to go so you can create the path to get yourself there.
A key piece of living in alignment is intentionality. Many people spend their lives operating like buoys, completely beholden to the ocean, and lacking any direction for themselves. And like the buoy, they never get anywhere, which leaves them feeling unfulfilled and unsuccessful.
Living in alignment also requires self-care. Tune into your body. When your body informs you there is a problem, listen to it. All too often, people don’t pay attention to the signs their body gives them. If you’re stressed or overwhelmed, your body tells you. You may feel fatigued and lethargic. You could develop aches and pains suddenly. Your appetite or sleep cycles may shift. The body and the mind are intertwined. If you don’t take care of one, the other will suffer.
You also need to address your fundamental needs. There are 4 Basic Human Needs:
Certainty - To have clarity or understanding on things (i.e. knowing you have a roof over your head, knowing you can put food on the table, knowing you will get paid at the end of the month, etc.)
Uncertainty (Novelty) - To experience new things. To be able to grow and learn
Significance - To feel valuable, important, and impactful
Connection - Having trust and feeling seen and heard by another. Feeling that someone cares about you
Taking care of each of these needs is essential to fulfillment and alignment in your life. You can’t achieve your ultimate goal without maintaining your fundamental needs.
The final step is accountability. No one else is going to hold you accountable for living in alignment. It’s all on you. If you’re off track, recognize it and work to get back on track. Acknowledge and get rid of the things that hold you back in your life. Don’t lie to yourself and don’t give excuses. Avoid procrastination. Sure, you could start making changes tomorrow, but then tomorrow turns into the next day and next turns into next week and then it becomes next year and you’re still in the exact same place. Don’t enable or allow yourself to do that. Your future self will thank you.
While many of us are out of alignment in this world filled with volatility, uncertainty, chaos, and ambiguity, that doesn’t mean we can’t get ourselves back to living the lives we want to and operating at our highest level. It may take some effort and some introspection, but the results are worth it. When you live in alignment, life becomes full of possibilities, and you gain the power to seize them.
P.S. Want to learn more about how to live in alignment and as your highest and best self? Check out our Evolve the Leader Within Seminar Series. This series shows you how to achieve a deeper level of fulfillment and a heightened ability to lead yourself and others to effectiveness. You won’t want to miss it.