1. If you need time for yourself, tell people “I’m busy” – it’s a legitimate excuse.
It’s easy to get so caught up in pleasing people that you forget to take care of yourself. Take the time you need to make sure your health doesn’t suffer on account of others demanding your attention.
2. Once you get off work, stop checking your email – rarely is anything so dire that it can’t be left until the morning.
Unless you own a business, your evenings are your own – this is time for your family, your friends and yourself. Stop letting work interfere with your personal life.
3. Give yourself permission to buy any book you want at any time – it’s an investment in you. Now read them.
Reading might be one of the most important things you can do to better yourself. It’s the wisdom of brilliant minds condensed down to a $20 and 2-day commitment. Give yourself that luxury because ultimately, it’s an investment.
4. Drive with the windows down and the music up. If people look, just smile and start dancing.
How long has it been? Let your hair down, stick your head out and watch yourself break into a smile. There’s nothing quite like it, and it’s the simplest way to feel free and let loose.
5. Leave a note on a napkin with a large tip – you’d be surprised how much that means.
This may mean paying an extra $10 – that you can afford – for a meal that doesn’t quite warrant that amount of a tip. But you may have just made someone’s night. Let them know that someone cares and appreciates their service.
6. Get plenty of rest each night – it’s crucial to your health, sanity, productivity and attitude.
Sleep is more important than people give it credit for. It’s your body’s way of cleaning the mind. Anyone who believes sleep is for the weak, is misguided in their understanding of your body’s limits and needs.
7. Write down your thoughts for 10 minutes a day – it helps you formulate cohesive thoughts.
It’s not much – just 10 minutes – but it trains your mind to put feelings and thoughts into tight little packages that can be better understood by the reader and yourself. You might be surprised what you find out about yourself!
8. Create uninterruptable routines for the first hour of the day.
Mornings are crucial – they dictate your attitude, your perceptions and your energy for the day. Give yourself the gift of a predictable, enjoyable, rejuvenating morning routine. No stress. No screens. No interruptions.
9. Doodle. In meetings, over dinner, during a movie, at the park… just doodle.
Doodles are a great way to visualize your conscious and subconscious thoughts and put your mind in a trance-like state that fosters creativity and innovation. It’s not just for children – whip out that pen in the next board meeting and let your calm creativity take over.
10. Quit whatever doesn’t add value to your life.
Why waste precious hours of your life on activities that don’t add value to your life? Make room for the things that matter by eliminating the things which don’t. Simplicity is a freeing way to live.
