Your Personal Board of Directors

When we think of where we are going in life, we often look to others around us and through the history books to find individuals that we want to become more like. Whether it's a grandparent whose perseverance has changed their family tree or a distant historical figure who shaped the world, we all have a great affinity to achieve what they have achieved during their lifetime.

How can we keep their inspiration with us, all the time? Create a personal Board of Directors. Many leadership and business books suggest we should all keep a brain trust of successful people around us to bounce ideas off or help us through the countless decisions we make daily. But, we can also create a historical brain trust of those we may not interact with every day; however, we can gain inspiration from nonetheless.

Here are the steps I take with my historical Board of Directors:

1. Pick 10 Personalities

   Write down your top 10 influential personalities. OK, this is actually the hardest part. We can all think of three or four right off the back. But, pick those who you may not know the detailed history of, but know the principles they stood for: Abe Lincoln's honesty or Martin Luther King's equality message. Most importantly, pick 10 who you consider to have your values and follow the principles you want to live up to.

2. Sort Them Out

   Now, create a notebook with sections for each person. A three-ring binder works best with sheet protectors you can insert paper into.

3. Research your Board

   Look up and printout news articles and research on each of your board members. Take your time to highlight how they became the person they are, what guided their decisions, and what their toughest struggles were. As you gain material, place them in your binder, highlight the main points, and write down your notes that are important to you.

4. Find Some Books

   As you progress in your research, find books written by and about each of them. If it's a relative or friend of yours, talk to those that were around them throughout their lives and take an oral history.

5. Here's The Fun Part

   Now, as your board of directors has taken up a life in your notebook, you have a resource to turn to as you face daily decisions. Ask yourself, what would your board of directors suggest? And, start incorporating their daily habits into your own. One of my influences has always been Thomas Jefferson who stated "no person will have occasion to complain of the want of time, who never loses any." And, I try to fill my schedule, as he did, with actions that reward myself in health, knowledge, and friendship.