Your life’s ultimate goal is to become your best self.

I often think about what the best version of ourselves is–is it being a successful business person, a great parent, a crusader for local causes? I’ve come to the conclusion that these elements don’t create the definition of a person. Even though the first thing we ask strangers is, “What do you do for a living?”, it doesn’t mean that profession is our definition. These pieces help to define the background of who we are.

The best version of ourselves is the point where we feel confident in who we are and what we’re achieving and still capable of doing. It’s the point of ethics that we most value. Society has general definitions of ethics about food, religion, sex, etc. etc.

Your immediate goal is to start taking the road that is going to get you to your best self.

Read and listen to what others feel. Experience your world and cultivate your own perceptions. The best way seems to be by taking money out of the picture–if money didn’t matter, how would you live (such as eating organic or local foods), what would you do (write novels instead of climbing corporate ladders), and how would you spend your time (in the flower garden instead?).

No one ever knows exactly what we want in life. The key is to define a few of the things we do want and don’t want. Then start hiking.