Having been there myself – not too long ago – I know that it feels like an impossible situation with an ever-elusive starting point that bounces about in Mexican Jumping Bean fashion from one major area to another. 

Here’s where I started:

What are the principles or concepts that guide your life? What are the things that guide your thoughts, actions and decisions? 

Mine are simple:

1) To serve, 2) To love and be compassionate, 3) to have FUN. 

The next phase of my life is going to be geared much more heavily toward serving others. My next career choice (Career Coaching & Advising) is about serving others. And the way I am structuring my fees is designed to support my second principle of being compassionate. My goal is to come from a place of love and compassion in everything I do; this may be totally counter to what I’m suppose to do from a Business Guru Standpoint, but I don’t care. It follows my personal values. It is me being in total alignment with myself. 

Lastly, for me, life has to be fun. I have to enjoy myself.  Life was not meant to be spent being miserable. And if it happens to be one of those situations where it just isn’t going to be fun, then figure out how to make it fun. If it is broken, then FIX IT. If it is outside of your control, then move on. If it isn’t fun anymore, then stop doing it.

You can always say no. You can always change your mind. But if you know what your guiding principles are, then you can bounce things against those principles to see if they still fit for you. And if they don’t, you have a perfect explanation for why you are saying no, moving on, or letting it go.