My daily reminders to myself

Today while checking emails, I came across one that was very personal. The author was sharing his list of daily reminders. His name is Paul Minor. He was motivated to share this from an article he read by Darius Foroux. By the time I was making dinner, I was putting my own list together in my head.

In the theme of sharing. I want to share my list with you. It covers aspects of my mental, physical, social and leadership health.

Here is my list:

1.      Be Positive

2.      Meditate

3.      Workout

4.      Relax

5.      Get enough sleep

6.      Read or Listen to a book

7.      Put the phone down during idle time

8.      Spend time with others

9.      Pursue my potential

10.  See other’s actions from their point of view

11.  I am an example for others

12.  Always keep learning

13.  Listen

14.  Don’t overindulge in food or drink

Some of these items need more explanation to understand what I am thinking.

Be Positive

We are who we think and act. If we think and act positivity, we will become positive. If we think and act with negativity, we will become negative. This one daily reminder has had the biggest impact on my life in the last couple of years.

Meditate

Honestly, this is the hardest one for me to do daily. However, days when I meditate, are the best. I feel more relaxed. I feel more motivated. I am more caring person.  

Workout

My mentor gave me the greatest advice last year. If you want to be a more confident public speaker, then workout. Simple as that. Working out has greatly improved my personal confidence in all aspects of my life.

Relax

There was a time I worked up to 70 hours a week. I was burned out and could not be a good father to my kids, or a good husband to my wife. Since I worked so much, I could never relax which lead to me being burned out. Relaxing is not something that can be done ever occasionally. Relaxing must be done daily to keep one’s sanity.

Read or Listen to a book

Last summer when I was looking for a job, I keep looking in cities that were at least 20 minutes away. I was excited for the commute because it gave me time every weekday to listen to a book. A fantastic benefit to working. Everyday I get to spend 30 minutes listening to book. Mostly self-help books. Listening to other people’s experiences helps me grow.

Get enough sleep

It is all too easy for me to get less than 6 hours of sleep a night. But after only 1 week, I cannot get myself to do what I want to get done. Why? Because a basic necessity for a healthy mind and body is sleep. Ideally for me, 7 to 7.5 hours a night for me.

Put the phone down during idle time

Even if I only have 5 minutes, I am extremely guilty of this. I will spend a few minutes here and a few minutes there throughout the day on my phone. By the time the day is done, I have spent several hours doing nothing. In the time I would have spent on my phone tonight, I have written this list twice and typed up an article. Imagine if I took the time I spend on my phone every night towards something else. I would be able to get so much more done.

Spend time with others

I am a hermit crab. I love being by myself at home either on my computer, phone or book. For those very reasons, it makes it more important that I spend time with others. Being social is a key to growth and to survival.

See other’s actions from their point of view

Many times, during the day, I think poorly of others for their opinions and actions. But I am wrong in doing so. I first and foremost need to try and see their opinions and actions from their eyes.

Why did they act this way?

I am an example for others

Many of you are probably like me. You have children. As you know, if you do something, then your kids will mimic you. They mimic you on purpose or because that is how kids learn, it does not matter, the end results is the same. Watch what you do because that is what your kinds will do.

If you want them to read books, then you need to read books. If you want them to play soccer, then you need to play soccer. That is how they learn, by following your example.

Always keep learning

The biggest growth in my lifetime has been while I was attending school. Jr. High, High School, and college were times of huge growth. And when I graduated from college, my growth stopped. All I was doing was working and I was not growing. It was because I stopped trying to learn new things.

For the last year and a half, almost two years, I have been learning new things almost daily. During that time, I have become the better person. That person will continue to grow only because I continue to learn.

Listen

I cannot know everything; I am only one person. Other people have experienced more in life than I ever will. Stop and listen to them.

They can teach us and prevent us from making mistakes.

Don’t overindulge on food or drink

I live in America. We eat and drink way too much. How do I know? Because the news tells us we are fatter now than we have ever been.

For me to build my confidence and my growth, I cannot over eat and drink. 

Photo by Brandon Green on Unsplash