An honest review on balance, success - and how to get them

One of the central threats to achieving our full potential is stress. Many get pulled down, on their way up, because of this virus. And while people worry about everyday things and push for more and more performance, knowing how to achieve peace of mind is often one of the last items on the list. To try and sail a boat in the middle of a storm normally asks for the full attention on what happens next and asks one consider sailing to their destination after the storm has passed. However - if a storm is not something you'd like to stay in your way, then calming the mind or at least securing moments of calmness, will make it possible to sail through most, or all turbulent waters.

People need stability as well as adventure, so the plan is - get peace of mind and a plan. This will yield results and goes hand in hand with a good night's sleep.

  “Action expresses priorities”, Ghandi said. 

Over the decades, seasoned professionals told everyone with an ear to listen about the pathway to success. Books were written, solutions provided. More so, in this digital era of information freely available to anyone with access to the internet, many continue to float on a self-improvement river but reach the end of the day without significant progress.

The munching on personal development fruitcakes like “how to be an entrepreneur” is enticing to ambitious professionals, and some mentors have extended their hand with high quality content in return for a currency — however, time and energy are also required as part of the student’s investment. But in this fast pacing world of the 21st century, the ability to pay for the last two items is often lacking, for at the end of a busy work day we hear the winds that howl down the corridors and through the vaults of willpower, declaring bankruptcy.

There is a lot of buzz about vision, missions and goals. Highest sits the vision, for both the personal and the professional life. Missions get stacked somewhere in the middle, addressing things like:”how to get promoted in two years” or “learning the basics for playing the guitar in six months”. Look lowest and find there stand the goals, containing the revered “to-do” checklists. 

The nuance of setting priorities right and follow-ing up on them determines future results. Caution is advised, as facts can be deceiving if no one listens to their hearts. When serenity is overlooked for obvious reasons like bills to pay and too much good will gets offered to toxic people, it’s easy to fail achieving an objective.

Derek Sivers, american entrepreneur and TED speaker, experiences close to 22 years outstanding success in the business world and has supportive, fun and witty people in his life. It’s true, there’s always some project he’s working on, though his agenda is not as full as outsiders might imagine. Derek talks about success and setting priorities; whenever he receives a proposal, from anyone, be it personal or business, the answer is:

 "It's Either a Hell Yeah, or a No. "         

But cutting corners is what people resort to when it’s hard to live by a first things first, second things not at all mentality. And in the business world it's not always easy to say no. Not saying no is also one of the main reasons why most of us hit bumps when attempting to change the mixture of people we hang out with, and why Jim Rohn’s quote of “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with” is generally true. 

Happiness and fulfillment are absolutely important, on the big scale of things. But If we’re talking mostly about Improving human productivity in a few lines, then it’s kind of the same as building a skyscraper. Let’s consider, (1) the foundation of a skyscraper, as being the — personal life. It stands to reason then that (2) the number of floors added every day is the — workplace productivity. The following are core things to look out for:

Personal life - (1) the foundation of the skyscraper:

Relationships with other people, especially with family and friends are important as they represent a significant source of tension when things don’t really go that well. Fulfilling connections with people, on the other hand, are empowering and a source of happiness.

Secondly, life walks by one day at a time. A typical day starts once the alarm clock rings just to be snoozed 3 or 4 times before getting ready for work. But a productive day is a bit of a brainteaser. It starts once night sleep kicks, preferably not later than 11 p.m in and ends just before going again to sleep, the second day. Why? Because going to sleep at a reasonable hour helps the body and brain properly rest and wake up before the roster sings. 

How to wake up with enthusiasm without attacking the snooze button? Psychology talks about a technique called re-framing. Look at your next day similar to how you would look at your birthday, or Christmas. Think about the cool things you have on your checklist and what benefits they will bring in your life.

Human abilities are influenced by the Circadian rhythm(your body clock) throughout the day. Assuming a schedule of sleep no more than seven hours with the wake up hour slightly before 6 a.m., during mornings the logical part of the brain operates at peak performance. This is why many recommend to review your day’s checklist shortly after waking up. Next steps are having a workout, a short meditation session and after that learning or working on something important, for up to 90 minutes. And if you want to cultivate a new habit, then practicing it daily during this time is going to help.

It’s also in the mornings, after a good rest, when the willpower tank comes back fueled up. Since the mind has access to fresh resources, it’s quite faster to recognize inter-dependencies, make logical connections or action plans. It’s also easier not to become obsessed or tied to a certain outcome because. If it’s morning, then there’s an entire day ahead, filled with possibilities.

The other two imperative ingredients for a day with continuous energy, sharp thinking and mental fortitude are hydration and nutrition. It is critical to remember that dehydration affects mood, cognitive and motor skills, increases pain sensitivity and affects memory. 

As for nutrition, there are multiple negative side effects of improper eating, such as being overweight and having clouded thinking. The advice on-line regarding nutrition is often mind-boggling, but digging deeper for quality information neuroscientists agree that a wide array of micro-nutrients are necessary for the brain to truly perform. Consuming a wide range of spices, vegetables and fruits of all colors gets to cover that demand.

Not to forget weight control, the big NO goes to processed foods. Natalie Butler, corporate dietitian for Apple, is one of many authorities which support the balanced diet. Eating healthy requires a food with fats, since they offer a sustained source of energy during the day as well as lean protein and carbs coming from fruits and vegetables. 

Workplace productivity - (2) number of floors added each day to skyscraper:

Looking for important things hiding in plain sight, we have the job description. In any business endeavor, every man and woman has an organic, active role, with significant influence and impact whether they’re aware of it or not. This makes vital the understanding of how one's work affects their colleagues and the business, especially when aiming for performance. Add soft skills in the mix and that’s a recipe for great, long-lasting results.

Secondly, splitting up the workday according to the body clock makes a lot of sense when 9 to 6 is the average workday. One effective system is the following:

Start of the workday: Coffee! Although some nutritionists advise against the use of the delicious coffee after lunch, most people agree that it’s a great idea to kick-start the morning.

Morning to lunch time: The brain is in peak performance. This is the moment for Deep Work. Now is the time when the to-do list needs a review that must include any early emergencies and important points. Bottlenecks also have to be highlighted. 

Once the list is finished, maximum focus is best given to game changing opportunities and the most difficult tasks. To reap the most benefits, avoid interactions, emails, texting, calls and any form of interruption, as much as your position allows it without becoming a problem for your peers. The only interruptions allowed should come from real emergencies or not postponable meetings.

After lunch: Whether lunch happened or not, energy levels typically drop for about two to three hours, making this the time for routine work. Cultivating a habit to allocate this period for routine work increases the chances of getting it done in this window.

Late afternoons and evenings: Energy levels are not so high anymore so this is the time when the brain shifts gears towards the Creative functions. Work where out of box thinking needs to step in gets best done now. A good opportunity to tick some of the other boxes on the checklist.

End of the workday: Ideally, a draft of the next to-do list already took shape by now. Which means that just a quick review of it is needed.

Worth to looking out for are the following:

Making assumptions is a ever fateful source for mix-ups and headaches. Usually problems appear when acting without knowing enough of the facts. Sometimes, thinking in terms of probabilities is part of the job, yet other times taking risks is not worth it. Keeping an eye out for way too risky moves is always a good practice. 

When extra responsibilities weasels in it’s important to have a clear understanding of where they are coming from. Are they part of just being proactive? Or is it problem caused by some system or process malfunction.

Maybe someone "forgot to add a comma". If that's the case, then just spending 5 minutes with a peer and having a friendly conversation about it usually solves the problem. The conversation might also reveal that an escalation must take place. For any concerns on feelings being hurt, the solution is to treat everything with elegance and empathy, yet still with the interest of the business in mind.

One perk worth mentioning in this category is working from home. The extra flexibility provided is also a chance to work with less interruptions than in the office. Professionals with several years of w.f.h. experience recommend having a space where, when you go, you know for a fact that work will get done.

Wrapping it all up:

Working smarter and not harder alleviates some of the stress in our lives. Using systems that work helps improving results and improves self confidence, awareness and calmness while everyone else is worried about the storm. Some prefer to not bother with personal or professional development much and that’s okay. It does not change the fact that anyone who seriously wants to make big things happen reaches a point where they understand what the cost is and that in order to pay it, you also need a working system with a clear mind.

Jerry Seinfeld happily pays for that price. He talks about sustained effort, every day. Every day of the year, no matter if it's a holiday or work, he spends time on writing comedy. What makes the difference in the long run is self discipline and consistency. That is the cost, that is the price.

Consistency and clarity of thought are two of the fine printed "make it or break it" terms in the contract for success. And though at times it is a challenge, anyone can sign that contract.