Be clear on your principles

Being clear on your principles is important because they will affect all aspects of your life, many times a day. For example, when you enter into relationships with others, your principles and their principles will determine how interact. People who have shared values and principles get along. People who don’t will suffer through constant misunderstandings and conflicts. Think about the people you are closest to: Are their values aligned with yours? Do you even know what their values or principles are? Too often in relationships, people’s principles aren’t clear. This is especially problematic in organizations where people need to have shared principles to be successful.

The principles you choose can be anything you want them to be as long as they are authentic-i.e., as long as they reflect your true character and values. You will be faced with millions of choices in life, and the way you make them will reflect the principles you have - so it won’t be long before the people around you will be able to tell the principles you are really operating by. The worst thing you can be is a phony, because if you’re a phony you will lose people’s trust and your own self-respect. So you must be clear about your principles and then you must “walk the talk.” If inconsistencies seem to exist, you should explain them. It’s best to do that in writing because by doing so, you will refine your written principles.