I always...

There are things I never... do.

That's not about them. This [ link ] is.

Here is the list of things I will always do, no matter what.

Exercise in the morning.

It gets blood flowing and gives energy boost that will carry you through most of the day if not the whole one.

Almost no one wakes up in the morning full of live and energetic. Most people get out of the bed and they are already tired, they need coffee, they need few minutes to readjust, whatever…

When you get up out of the bed and first thing you do is put on your running gear, on autopilot, you get out and go for 30 minutes run – it will, I promise you, give you better kick than even the most expensive coffee! When I wake up in the morning I don’t look out the window (rain or no rain), I don’t look for excuses why I shouldn’t or what else could I do instead, I don’t check email or turn on TV. Instead I get up, get my gear on and I’m out the door before my brain can talk me out of it. It was hard to start – now it’s a habit.

My body does it automatically, even if my brain is still switched off. Obviously you don’t have to go running every morning if you are not a runner. You can replace running with any type of exercise; you can do indoors, even while watching morning news or listening to your audiobook. Or do yoga if that’s your thing.

The main purpose of morning exercise is to get your blood flowing faster, get the heartbeats up, get more oxygen to your brain and muscles. Think about your blood flow as a river. When it is slow, almost still, its water rots, get murky, muddy, dark and smelly. You have to make sure your river is fast and energetic, crystal clear.

Morning exercise is good to rise your energy levels, and as you know, it is energy that we need to manage through the day to be efficient and effective, not the time!

Morning exercise is also good for mental clarity and psychological stability. Once again – like the running river, it clears your mind and brings oxygen so all parts of your body, not just brain, can breathe free and happy.

Have you ever come across anyone who was miserable after good workout? I am yet to meet person who exercises regularly, without exaggeration and for health reasons, and is depressed, miserable and moaning. Have you seen one? Did you notice how most of successful people are fit physically and mentally? I guarantee you – people looking after their health and fitness have better perspective on life that those who spend majority of their time on the couch or playing video games.

In healthy body lives healthy mind. That’s why I exercise daily and I do it every morning, for better start to every day.

Read in the evening

9pm in the evening. All electronic devices off. Maybe besides one that can play music. Quiet time. Peaceful. No worries. Even thinking about work is switched off. No point. If I have not done what I wanted to do until now – there is no point of me struggling and trying to do it today.

If I haven’t done up until now – it probably was; - not that important (everything what matters is done first) - too big to finish (you can’t do everything, no matter how much you want) - not urgent (efficient time and energy management during the day will let you do what you must and have time for what you want) therefore it can wait.

Sharpen the saw

... is one of the famous 7 habits of effective people (S. Covey). You do that by opening your mind to new ideas and by learning something that is not necessarily related to your work. We learn so we grow, and there is no personal growth without expending our horizons; and our horizons don’t expand through watching TV!

Did you not notice how successful people have very small TV’s and rather large libraries? Did you not think that it may have something to do with them being successful?

Reading in the evening, at the end of the day, has other benefits. In the evening, when everything is done and dusted, there is no rush, no deadline, there is nothing I must still do; no nagging thoughts that you have only 15 minutes and then you must run to another meeting or go back to your emails. This way you can really relax and dedicate the time to whatever book is on your bedside table.

Your mind is at peace, you can focus and remember what you read. There is no reading the same page twice, because your mid shifted and drifted in some free wandering. Because there is nothing else you must do, you can let yourself read up until you fall asleep.

That’s what I do sometimes, anyway. Keep my promises I want to be known as a person who says what they mean and means what they say. I want to be known as a person who values the importance and power of words.

You can hurt with words more severely than with a knife, believe me. The same way – you can pick up someone who’s been down and at the rock bottom with just kind words. Words matter. But most of all, more than anything, I want to be known and remembered as a person who always kept their promises, someone who said what they will do and then did it.

Too many, far too many, out there promising and not delivering. Is easy. When our hearts are hungry we will eat lies. We also put up with so much average and mediocrity, that it becomes a norm. No one is surprised or outraged when promises are being broken, when we being lied too. Celebrities, politicians, journalists, business consultants, marketers… everybody lies.

Pop culture mixed with social media era give people power to be famous for more than 15 minutes but too often that fame comes from deception, trickery, sham, stupidity. People say thing because they can get away with almost anything these days. We allowed them by lowering our own standards. That’s why, in order for myself to stay trustworthy I raised my standards, I clearly defined what I will not put up with.

No more being polite – honesty first. No more playing with words in order to not hurt someone’s feelings. Anything can be said without being rude. If you don’t like it – it’s your problem, not mine. No more time wasting just to please others. We have a power of thinking, wanting and believing whatever we want. If I don’t want something or don’t like it – I won’t do it.

That system, focusing on what matters, saves me time and allows me to always have time to do things I said I will. Delivering what was promised builds reputation. It may not be important to you, but it is for me.

So, if I ever promise you something, anything, no matter how long it will take – you can be sure I will deliver.

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