Article: Think about the ideals, values, and moral attributes that are important to you.  These might include being a good friend or being healthy. Values and ideals are the ideas about life that you think you need to excel. They are different from goals in that goals are more concrete actions that can be completed. The first step is to figure out what excelling at life means to you, as well as for your values and the kind of life you want to have.  It may take time to sort through all of these questions and to decide what excelling at life truly means for you.  Try to create the broadest possible definition of excelling in life: short-term, long-term, big dreams and small successes.  Get a journal or notebook that you dedicate solely to your new vision of your life and how you want to see yourself succeed. Start by making a list of all the ways you could excel at life, whether they are realistic or not.  Write down your highest aspirations all the way down to simple things like doing the dishes every day. You may find that your definition of excelling at life can start with making small changes every day, whether it has to do with your personal health, finances, career goals, family, romance, personality traits such as being more kind, or nurturing your friendships. Look at your list of the ways you can excel. Then look at your list of values and ideals. Begin to figure out how they match up. Which goals accentuate your views about life and the kind of person you want to be? Start to group the ways you want to excel into similar categories, such as career goals, hobby goals, health goals, family and friendship goals. Then group these into long-term and short-term goals. You might have a health goal of being able to weight-lift 300 pounds, or you might have a career goal of becoming a journalist, or you might want to wash the dishes every night. Now that you have started to get clear on what excelling means for you, start prioritizing your goals.  Which ones are long-term goals that will make you feel like you are excelling at life?  Which goals can you practice on a daily basis in order to feel like you are living your life in a positive direction?  Excelling at life can be as simple as interacting with people with kindness, being a more organized person, investigating bigger life changes like a career change, or making an effort to spend more time with your family and friends. The most important part of defining what excelling at life is for you is that it resonates with who you are as an authentic person and what kind of life you want to live. Your journal will become your personal source for focus and inspiration.  Perhaps you have people in your life who inspire you because of their attitudes, strength, and perseverance. Find a picture of them or something that reminds you of them, and paste it in your journal. Use your role models to inspire you and remind you of what you aspire to be. You can also consider famous people, such as musicians or athletes, who inspire you because of their life, their actions, or that you can look up to and admire. For example, the Dalai Lama has been a symbol of peace for decades, even under great adversity.  You don’t have to become the Dalai Lama to remind yourself of his strength and attitude. This reminder can help you stay focused on the kind of person you want to be and the life you want to live. Think of these people as inspirational tools.

What is a summary?
Make a list of your ideals and values. Make a list of all the ways you can excel in life. Make a list of your goals. Prioritize your goals. Find role models.