We’ve all had days when we aimlessly wander. We’ve got nothing to do, no direction, and no motivation to accomplish anything.
Now don’t get me wrong, I think a day of rest each week is critical, but every day can’t be a sabbath.
The thing about each day you wake up is that it’s more important than yesterday and tomorrow. The past can’t be changed and the future isn’t guaranteed. All you can do is make the most of what you’ve been given.
The 11 Things
1. Prioritize. Before you go to bed or immediately after you wake up, decide what’s most important for you to do that day. Pick three things, your most important tasks (MITs, borrowed from Leo Babauta’s “The Power of Less”), and make sure you take care of them. I’ve noted this principal before, and here I am saying it again–it’s incredibly effective.
2. Encourage. A day that matters more isn’t all about you. Give someone a call, send them a text or email, write on their wall, tweet them, or write them a hand written thank you note (yes, people still do that) and tell them you’re thinking about or praying for them. It’s unbelievably how much people appreciate things like that. Simply tell them you’re thankful for their friendship.
3. Declutter. Get rid of things you don’t need, don’t use or don’t want. Clutter distracts you, stresses you out, and more than anything wastes space. Clean out your closet, empty your desk, give some things away to people who need them more than you. I promise that a weight will be lifted.
4. Do something creative. Read, write, play guitar, have a chat with someone, ideate. Even if you aren’t “the creative/artistic type” pick up a novel, read a chapter or two and soak it in.
5. Clean. Once you’ve decluttered, this will be a whole lot easier. Dust, clean the windows, wash the dishes, go to the car wash, and take a shower if you haven’t in a while. You’ll just feel better (and your mom and dad…err…roommates will up your allowance….appreciate it).
6. Set goals. Decide something you want to accomplish by the end of the week, end of the month, end of the year or any other time frame you decide on.
7. Reflect. Look at all you’ve done. Analyze a situation or conversation that impacted you. Be thankful for all you have. Count your blessings. Be grateful for your accomplishments. During all of that reflecting, make sure you take some time to journal and write all those things down.
8. Exercise. Of all the things on this list, this one has the most immediate impact on your sense of accomplishment for the day. Once you get out of bed, put on your tennis shoes and make a move towards the gym, it’s not so bad. You’ll be glad you did it.
9. Eat healthy. This is a simple way to get more energy and feel the power of overcoming Twinkies and french fries. Just the idea of eating some vegetables should make you feel like you’ve done something.
10. Go out of your way to help someone. Remember how it’s not all about you? Hold open a door for someone carrying a bunch of groceries in your apartment, or, better yet, help them carry the milk yourself. If you see someone on the highway broken down (and they aren’t wearing a hockey/ski mask) pull over and see if they need help. It’s crazy what an impact you can have with just a few minutes.
11. Finish something you’ve been putting off. This blog post is a perfect example. I’ve been meaning to write this for sometime, and here it is. My day already matters more. Dust off that project, call up that friend, cross the t’s and dot the i’s and close the chapter on that book.