Have you ever met even one business owner who wasn’t motivated by their desire to live a good life? I haven’t.

In fact, so many of my Celeste Giordano Coaching clients broke out of their safe 9 to 5 careers eager to carve their own path, set their own hours, and open the door to endless opportunity. Plain and simple, they wanted to take the action necessary to build a good life.

But, how exactly do we define a “good life”? Do we measure it by the level of your financial success? The quality of your social relationships? The quantity of your leisure time?

Sure, having a million dollars in the bank or a beautiful home certainly makes a person comfortable and secure. But that doesn’t necessarily translate to a good life – the kind of life that makes you excited to get out of bed every morning.

What constitutes a good life is actually a very personal question. Have you ever considered what really makes your life vital?

It’s important to regularly set aside time to ask yourself, “What, for me, makes a good life?”. Once you have the answer, pursue those things passionately and don’t let anything stop you.

One of my own mentors, the late Jim Rohn, believed that a good life contains six key essentials. I’ve learned so many profound lessons from Jim that I’d like to share those essentials with you. I encourage you to take note and ask yourself if these essentially feature prominently in your life.

1. Productivity. If you don’t produce, you’ll be hard pressed to find real happiness. Life is about producing, doing, achieving and trying your hand at new things. When we produce, we thrive; when we fail to produce, we crumble under the weight of disappointment and regret. Producing results in your relationships and in your business will inevitably leave you feeling a sense of accomplishment that makes life more rewarding, and indeed, worth living.

Business Tip: Identify 3 measurable tasks you can conquer consistently in your business each day. More importantly, stick to your plan with the help of an accountability partner. Following your plan will create a sense of accomplishment, boost your confidence and create forward momentum that will motivate you throughout your week.

2. Quality friendships. Great friends are worth their weight in gold. They offer an unbelievable support system that can get you through the greatest challenges. For all the material success I’ve achieved in my career, I wouldn’t have really enjoyed that success without meaningful friends to share it with. True friends see you for who you are, and love you nonetheless. Don’t make the mistake of believing friendships will naturally sustain themselves. Work at developing your friendships and never take them for granted.

Business Tip: Reflect on your friendships and ask yourself if you’re a giver or a taker. Real friendships are reciprocal, with each partner giving and taking. Try to identify ways to support your friends. You can do this by making a point of calling them every few weeks, inviting them into your home, and referring them business whenever you have the opportunity.

3. Culture and tradition. There’s a saying that the beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people. For many people, cultural traditions are integral to their identity and vitality. Many of our cultures leave us attached to meaningful traditions, different languages, unique forms of dress, vibrant music, ethnic foods and beautiful ceremonies. Making your culture and traditions a regular part of your life can be energizing and remind you who you are and where you come from.

Business Tip: Make time for the aspects of culture that speak to you and share those cultural experiences with your friends, peers and clients. Sharing pieces of your culture – whether you host a themed event or make reference to your cultural interests in your professional bio – is sharing a part of who you are, and can help keep you grounded.

4. Spirituality. Your spirituality is the foundation that guides your values, and your values dictate (or at least they ought to dictate) the choices you make in every aspect of your life. In addition to a moral compass, belief in something greater can provide a sense of peace that once you’ve made your best effort, God will lead you where you’re meant to go.

Business Tip: Be true to your beliefs and surround yourself with people who share your values. When you do business with people whose values reflect your own, you’ll have greater peace of mind that you’ll be dealt with respectfully, honestly and honorably.

5. Embracing Opportunities. Challenge yourself to live a vital life. You can’t build a vital life without leaving your home or office. Living your best life involves making your best effort to seize the opportunities you see before you. Do your utmost not to miss your kids’ games and performances, social events, birthdays, anniversaries, and special trips. Yes, it’s important to be sensible and responsible, but push yourself to do and experience all that you can.

Business Tip: It’s also important to capitalize on all the business opportunities you can, and create your own opportunities. Attend networking events regularly, introduce yourself confidently and follow up consistently. You can’t sell yourself or your services to people you have no relationship with, and you can’t build relationships if you aren’t getting in front of new people on a daily basis.

6. Friends and close family. Having the love of your family is love’s greatest blessing. It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that one of the most critical essentials to living a good life is spending quality time with the ones you love. Like any relationship, your family ties are only as close as you make them. Choose to actively invest your time and energy into these relationships. The rewards will be immeasurable. Inspire your family, and they will inspire you. Invest in your spouse, and – make no mistake about it – your spouse will invest in you.

Business Tip: Running your own business will always demand your time, and lots of it. But, it’s absolutely key that you schedule time consistently to connect with your children and, if you’re romantically involved, your partner or spouse. You run a business so that you can take care of – and enjoy – your loved ones. Don’t forget that a large part of taking care of them is being there with them emotionally and physically.

When you push yourself day in and day out to grow your business, remember why you’re doing it. When you attend late-night networking events and wake up bright and early to make your prospecting calls, don’t lose sight of why you’re taking these actions: to live the best life you can, be true to yourself and your beliefs, and share your successes with those who mean the most to you.

At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I teach my clients the strategies, mindset and formulas they need to know to build a Legacy Business and live their best life, at and outside the office. If you’d like to “Double Plus” your income this year all while creating a lifestyle that allows you to spend time doing the things you love with the people you love most, contact me today.