What if you could be . . . exactly what you wanted to be?  Exactly who you want to be?

What if it were possible to shed every bad habit and self-limiting behavior and break free into the person you were born to be  — the person you search anxiously as you look into your face in the mirror each morning?

It’s what we all want.  We crave that feeling of self actualization – of being and living completely self.But you’ve tried, I know.  Your bad habits dog you as you tried to step into your new life.  Your relationships anchor you as much as they uplift you.  The days slip by, one after the other, and you look back and realize that your most true self is still trapped in the core of you, no closer to ranging free through your days than it was a month ago.  A week ago.  A decade ago.

Life, as the song says, has been patiently waiting for you.

You can break free of the habit of mediocrity and reach self actualization; you just have to know how.

In recent blogs, I guided you through the process of preparing for your quest toward self actualization – taking stock of your personality, passions and values.  If that was packing your gear for this journey, then this next step is creating your road map.

I want to look at your life, and, for each of the following elements, consider whether you are satisfied or dissatisfied.  As will all of the other stages in this process, expect to spend some time meditating and journaling.  There are few things more worthy of your investment of time.

• Care
• Nurturing and Development of Your Self
• Self-Esteem
• Confidence
• Identity
• Boundaries
• Spirituality
• Centeredness
• Growth
• Presence
• Self-Management

We’re going to delve more deeply into each of these items in the next couple of blogs, but for now I just want you to go through them and see which ones jump out at you as strengths or problem areas.

Remember, self-actualization has nothing to do with being selfish or self-centered; in fact, just the opposite.  By knowing who you are and knowing how to live authentically, you put yourself in a position to reach out to loved ones and strangers with a power and passion you’ve ever known before.

Roger K. Allen, Ph.D. is an expert in personal transformation, leadership, and teams. His tools and methods have helped hundreds of businesses and tens of thousands of people transform the ways they work and live. To learn more, visit www.rogerkallen.com.