Do you want to own your day, your week, what about your month? Successful people are always looking for an edge or leverage of some sorts on a daily basis. Continuous improvement is one of the most important factors in attaining success. These improvements are often small and come in waves so don’t expect to “figure it all out” in one day. Below I will share seven tips on how to begin to improve your daily process and become the best version of yourself.
1. Identify your Sleep Animal. Business Insider wrote an article on studies performed by sleep specialists (see image below) the study shows the chronotypes, or a person’s internal clock and rhythm, this can be key in scheduling our your days.
2. Keep a Journal or Entry Book. Studies have show that when we write down an idea or note we retain it at a far greater rate. Therefore writing down 5-10 ideas a day will not only stimulate your creative region in the brain but will also help you figure out which ideas are worth pursuing.
3. Set small goals regularly. Setting small attainable goals regularly throughout the day has shown to increase productivity and quality assurance. By condensing the serving size of goals it allows our brain to run more efficiently when the problem solving department in called upon.
4. Disconnect. Recharge. Reset. Many of us have the bad habit of running ourselves ragged when we are working on projects, bids, class work, etc. Scientist have proven that our work productivity and focus decrease significantly over long spells engulfed in work. This is why it is extremely important to take “stretch breaks” from time to time when working on a time consuming task — not only will your limbs thank you but so will your brain.
5. Learn something new EVERYDAY! One of my favorite motivational phrases reads, “if you’re not growing, you’re dying.” What resonates most with that phrase is the abstract yet concrete idea that knowledge is power and without this power of knowledge we will eventually stop growing and die. So in order to stave off death continuous education is a must!
6. Read. Reading has the ability to exercise our minds in ways no other activity can. Studies have shown that those who read more tend to be more creative, understanding, and better conversationalist. So whether you’re reading a business blog to keep up with industry trends or a NY Times best selling fiction thriller the positive stimulation your brain receives is aids in improving its daily functions.
7. Listen with intent. To your friends, family, coworkers but most importantly your body/ yourself. We were created with 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason; your ears are the gateway to knowledge all you have to do is open them. When we implore this practice we open up ourselves to new opportunities, improved workflow methods, and a plethora of other advantages. I challenge you this work week to engage in thought provoking conversations that force you to listen and think objectively.
Finally, take action! I don’t know if I can stress this enough but my biggest hurdle was the devil’s advocate game I constantly found myself playing. I would generate thousands of ideas but would never take any action on the ideas. It wasn’t until I was challenged by a close friend to practice the empowerment I preach! Application is the only way to truly improve on our current situation; I challenge you to take action and implement one if not all of these improvements to your daily process. We have to scale our daily activities in order to improve our workflow. Thanks for tuning in, we look forward to seeing you next week! Please leave comments below if you have taken action to improve your daily process with some of these suggestions!
#BeGreat #FocusedOnTheMission
-TC