The quality of your life depends on a series of decisions and actions you take as you grow and mature. And these decisions don't end when you become a business owner. Let's look at the chain of quality which determines your quality of life.

The quality of our mentors and teachers determines the quality of information we have. The quality of information influences the quality of our beliefs and dreams. The quality of our beliefs leads us to the quality of questions we ask and the quality of decisions we make. Our decisions determine the quality of our actions which creates the quality of our results.

The first link in our chain of quality is the quality of mentors and teachers we have in life. Our parents, schoolteachers and bosses all have significant influence on us. But as we take on positions of responsibility, we still need quality mentors and teachers. Which authors do you read? Whose seminars do you attend? What blogs do you follow? If you are not seeking new mentors continuously, your quality of life will suffer.

We all want better quality of life - for us, for our children, for other people. So I've been looking at the process of achieving a higher quality of life. To have better quality of life, we need better quality of results. Trying our best is important, but, in the end, it's the results that determine if our lives have changed.

To achieve better results, we need to do quality actions. We need to do things that improve ourselves, make a difference. We have to do the right things. I recommend a clear 90 Day action plan that lists very specific actions to drive our results. The more specific we break down the actions, the easier it is to accomplish them.

Quality Actions and Results are what we are aiming for. To accomplish them, we will need two more ingredients necessary for a higher quality of life.

Just as the quality of teacher we have determines the quality of information we receive, the quality of information is the foundation for our beliefs and dreams. Our beliefs and dreams are strongly fixed within us, but new information can allow us to change those beliefs and dreams.

As we are exposed to better quality of information, we can begin to see alternate options. We may believe we cannot affect our business revenues - that they are randomly determined by weather, economy or competition. But when we are alerted to the huge impact small adjustments can make, it enables us to begin to take steps to determine our own goals.

And changing the quality of our beliefs and dreams leads us to ask better questions and consciously search for alternatives. The quality of our questions then allow us to make quality decisions which lead to better quality of actions which create quality results.

Quality of life is a direct path from quality mentors/teachers. As a business owner, you owe it to yourself, your customers and your team to always be learning, always be challenging yourself to become better at what you do. You keep up on the technology of your industry - you need to also learn and keep up with the technology of business.

Michael McKee is a long-time member of the Omaha business community. If you have something to share with Michael McKee, you can write to michael@omahadailyrecord.com, or you can attend at the Omaha Empowerment Breakfast (OmahaEmpowermentBreakfast.org). This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a licensed professional.