One can never predict what will happen in life. You can embrace life and live each day to the fullest or you can keep waiting for the right set of circumstances, which of course rarely comes. You may experience disappointments, frustrations or set backs, but some how you need to keep moving forward. It is not what happens but what you make of it that will dictate how you manage. Consider what qualities and strategies you need to develop in order to live your best life.

Here are my 5 rules for living your best life.

1. Take care of your self first.

Self care is mandatory. So often people put themselves last on their to-do list. It is necessary to make sure that your needs, both physical and emotional, are being met consistently. If you are tired, run down or eating poorly, it impacts your functioning both at work and in your personal life. Have you ever noticed that when you don’t have enough sleep you can become short tempered and impatient? How do you take care of your emotional needs? It is important to build in time to do things that you enjoy and connect with friends and family.

2. Say "no."

It is only 2 letters, but "no" is one of the most powerful words in the English language. It is important to be able to use it. When you are able to say no it does not mean that you don’t care about others but rather that you are able to set appropriate boundaries and limits. This is another way of taking care of your self. People sometimes worry that if they say "no" that others won’t like them. It is necessary to pay attention to what you can and can’t do and not worry about the other person’s reaction. I challenge you to say "no" to some of the things that you no longer want to do. Notice what it feels like to create more space in your life.

3. Don’t Spend What You Don’t Have

Many of us have become used to living on credit or impulse buying. This is a dangerous way of navigating the world. It can create constant debt which contributes to greater anxiety and less productivity. With the present change in the economic situation, perhaps now is the time for you to re-think your spending habits and change what is no longer working. Pay attention to how you are spending your money. Write down exactly what you spend on a daily basis. You could be quite surprised.

A financial consultant suggested to a client that they pay attention to how much they were spending on specialty coffee drinks for a one month period. This person was shocked to discover that they spent between $8-$10 daily on coffee. By the end of the month they had spent $240-$300. By making coffee at home or at the office, they saved a great deal of money.

4. Give to others.

Be compassionate and charitable. This speaks to the relationships in your life and how important it is to create a balance between give and take. It is often assumed that being charitable refers to a donation of money. That is only one way of being charitable. Sometimes the giving of time, energy or compassion is far more powerful. Taking the time to listen to someone when they are going through a tough time or giving the benefit of doubt can be very giving. It is often the little acts of caring and sharing that create the positive relationships in our lives. Giving to others is often a way of giving to your self.

5. Develop resilience or consider adopting the "Bugs Bunny" Philosophy of Life

Whatever pops up, just deal with it. That is what Bugs Bunny does. Remember how he pops his head out of the ground and often encounters a challenge. He then figures out how to manage the difficulty and gets on with life. You can’t necessarily always predict what will happen or prepare for every contingency, so you need to develop strategies for managing the unexpected and challenging life situations. This requires you to develop and strengthen your resiliency.

Consider your 5 rules for living your best life. What is truly important to you and aligns with your values and vision. I would love to hear your thoughts.