We may not always be happy over the success of others, but there is something to be gained from watching how the success stories build up and then maintain their narrative! So what are some simple things you can do every day to help you focus your mind, find more success, and achieve better balance between work and life? Remember, you don’t have to do all of these, but give a few a try and see what works for you!
Carve Out the Early Morning
You might be not be thrilled about getting up at five or four thirty in the morning (because who is?) but it’s worth the first few days of feeling tired and getting your body used to a new schedule! Early mornings (or your equivalent for those on shift work), are a great time to get things done because it tends to be a lot quieter, you can control what you do with those hours, and you can get things done before the demands of work, home, and life settle in. This could be your time to exercise, read, write, pursue a hobby, or whatever else you do to keep yourself balanced.
Drink Water
If you think about it, your nightly respite is quite a period of time for your body to go without water and then most of us get up and have coffee, tea, or juice and continue to neglect drinking water! Many executives, CEOs and successful people swear instead by drinking water to start their day before having coffee instead. Drinking water when you get up has some great benefits: it rehydrates your body which boosts energy and alertness, it helps fuel the brain, it boosts the immune system, and it can help your metabolism wake up (so to speak). So before having your coffee, drink some water!
Think Outside the Box
We tend to have a very rigid view of how the day should go: work/school, spend time with family, then go to bed. But there’s no reason why any of that can’t be flipped around. If family dinners are a no-go, what’s wrong with a family breakfast? Too tired to knock boots at night; enjoy it in the morning! (This has the benefit that it can make you feel good all day long too!) Do your networking in the mornings over coffee and breakfast instead of over lunch or cocktails. Think outside the box and find ways to flip your routine so that the things that need your energy most actually get it instead of simply thinking that things have to be done in a set order just because that’s the way it’s always been.
Remind Yourself of What You’re Grateful For
This can be done through a journal where you write down things you are grateful for, or a list of things, or a voice recording, or art; whatever your medium is. We often take the positive things for granted and focus on the negative things that could happen which means that it’s harder to stay positive throughout the day. By starting the day with a positive note of writing down things to be grateful for and ending with a positive note of something good that happened, it’s easier to focus on the good things, meaning that you may feel happier or at least more encouraged.
Read the News
The news is on your phone today, as well as at your corner store, so there really is no excuse for not keeping informed. Take time out (over your water!) to read the news every day and find out what’s going on in the world. Being more informed about the world around you is the best way to be a good citizen of the world and you may find things that need addressing that you will be in a good position to address!
None of these things take very much time out of your day, but they can pay off great dividends. Give a couple of these a try and see how they can help your success!
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Charlene is a full time instructor and published author. She enjoys writing about education, digital career paths, job hunts, and for her books, fantasy/mysteries. You can learn more about her novels at Kellan Publishing.
