Cem Hurturk
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My updated North Star Document

My updated North Star Document

In accordance with my vision and mission, I update my North Star document every few months.

My goal this time is to inspire anyone out there looking for a “north star” in their lives…

As well as keeping my North Star document in Notion, I also take a screenshot of it and put it on my desktop for easy access.

My North Star document begins with my character. To identify and classify my character, I use 16 Personalities:

The second part is about my Core Values. At the moment, I have six core values that help me make decisions based on them. It is my goal to say “No” to anything that conflicts with my core values.

The next part is my mantra. When I do “The Miracle Morning” session around 5 a.m. every morning, I remind myself of my mantra.

My vision and mission are the fourth part of my North Star document. I consider this to be the most important part of my document. My vision (what I’m going to do) and my mission (how I’m going to do it) indicate my life path:

My “Not To Do List” follows. There are a lot of things on this list that I do NOT want to do in my life. This list is always on my mind and I try not to cross it off.

Next is my fear list, we all have fears we are aware of and unaware of. I write about my major fears to keep them in my mind. Sometimes I have tons of fears on this list, and sometimes I don’t. If I notice that I have fears in my mind, I list them here and write the worst case scenario if the fear becomes a reality. Most of the time, we live our lives controlled by illusionary fears.

The Wheel of Life is the final part. I use this small tool to keep track of my life. In my North Star document, I paste a screenshot of my “Wheel of Life” updated using this tool. Your Wheel of Life will be displayed once you have scored each section. It will give you an idea of how balanced your life is overall and what areas you need to focus on. Put a date on it and review it at least every few months.

It’s that simple. Every few months, I review my North Star document for 10-15 minutes. I would like to thank David Henzel for teaching me and inspiring me to create my own North Star document five years ago. It’s a game changer.

My Random Thoughts

Is This My Best? Questioning Our Efforts in Light of Our Values

Is This My Best? Questioning Our Efforts in Light of Our Values

We’ve all been told at some point, “Do your best.” It’s a phrase I often say to my kids too: “Do your best, don’t worry about the rest.” But what does it really mean to do your best? How can we be sure that our efforts are not just diligent, but also directed in the right way?

10/2/2024
Anger Doesn’t Change the Flow of Life

Anger Doesn’t Change the Flow of Life

I used to believe that pushing harder—controlling every detail, reacting fast, fighting outcomes—was the way to get what I wanted in life. But over time, I’ve learned that anger doesn’t change reality, it just drains you. Life moves like a river, with its own current, and the more you resist it, the harder things become. This post is a reminder to myself to stop fighting, let go of the need to control, and trust the flow instead. Peace comes not from force, but from learning to steer with the current—not against it.

4/21/2025
Freedom Comes From Having Options

Freedom Comes From Having Options

Sitting in my new home in London, I reflect on how long it took to get here—and why that delay mattered. This post is about the power of having options in life, why mastery alone isn’t enough, and how real freedom comes from building your next move before you need it.

9/29/2025