Bookend Your DayDarren Hardy, editor-in-chief of Success Magazine and author of The Compound Effect of argues that a person’s morning and evening routines are the “bookends” of a success. He is very deliberate about what he does at the beginning and end of the day as that is all you have control over.
Blogger Brett McKay of www.artofmanliness.com created this short video that does a great job of quickly explaining the benefits of Bookending Your Day. TASK: Choose a Task to do in the morning and one before bed. In your virtual notebook, build a check list to make sure that those tasks are completed at the pre-designed times. |
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Media Diet
Research has found that negative news increases your cortisol levels AND you tend to remember negative news LONGER than neutral or positive news(1). The negative news media KILLS your motivation.
Author Tim Ferris is a huge proponent of a 'media blackout.' In his No. 1 best seller 'The 4 Hour Workweek' he discusses how he will not watch any news, but just pick-up on what is going on by asking people he trusts. This frees him up for extra time to apply to himself. We also know that it helps keep his emotions in check.
TASK: Do not watch, read or troll on social media any news sites. Identify a couple of people that you trust to keep you 'up to date' if you feel it is necessary.
(1) Link: http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/emotional-health/women-more-stressed-negative-news-stories
Author Tim Ferris is a huge proponent of a 'media blackout.' In his No. 1 best seller 'The 4 Hour Workweek' he discusses how he will not watch any news, but just pick-up on what is going on by asking people he trusts. This frees him up for extra time to apply to himself. We also know that it helps keep his emotions in check.
TASK: Do not watch, read or troll on social media any news sites. Identify a couple of people that you trust to keep you 'up to date' if you feel it is necessary.
(1) Link: http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/emotional-health/women-more-stressed-negative-news-stories
Create A Personal Soundrack
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Research out of Finland has found that Music Therapy can improve outcomes when used in conjunction with traditional treatment plans. (1) It has been found that results are correlated with personal preference of music selection.(2) This means you should pick the music that YOU like and sends positive information to your brain!
This type of task has never been easier to put together! Google Play has a service that will allow you to listen, and build playlists, of ANY songs in their vast collection for only US $10 per month. The app will work on any phone, so your personal playlist is always available to you. Research out of Stanford University found that music can actually change brain function.(3) In an interesting study out of Canada, researchers found that listening to positive music increased motivation and cognitive function.(4) TASK: Step One: Find a music service that works for you. Step Two: Build a play list of ONLY positive music that you enjoy. Step Three: Listen to it (preferably on a random shuffle) when you wake up, commute to work, on your lunch break, ect. |
(1) Link: http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/08/04/music-therapy-aids-in-depression-treatment/28357.html
(2) Link: http://www.musictherapy.org/assets/1/7/bib_mentalhealth.pdf (3) Link: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/pr/2006/pr-brainwave-053106.html (4) Link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/conquering-cyber-overload/201305/is-background-music-boost-or-bummer |
Daily Self-Applied Pygmalion Visualization
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The Pygmalion Effect was first introduced by Sterling Livingston’s classic July/August 1969 Harvard Business Review article Pygmalion Management.
In general terms, it is a situation whereby higher expectations lead to an increase in performance. Matt Oechsli created these steps to building your own Self-Applied Pygmalion Effect(1) that I have modified for this program: 1. Create high expectations 2. Commit to ambitious goals 3. Communicate your goals to your family & friends 4. Create a critical path of daily tasks 5. Be 100% accountable 6. Purge yourself of naysayers and negative people 7. Visualize yourself achieving these goals each morning for 5 minutes. |
(1) Link:http://wealthmanagement.com/business-planning/self-applied-pygmalion-effect-advisors |
Listen to an Inspirational Podcast
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The podcast revolution has made it incredibly easy to find inspirational speakers or shows that work for you. Since 2008 the number of people listening to podcasts has doubled. (1) While we have a bias for our own podcast, The ConquerWorry™ Podcast, you should find shows that are motivational for you personally. Listen on your way to work or at the gym. It is one of the simplest ways to learn new ideas and build your mental resilience. (1) Link: http://www.journalism.org/2015/04/29/podcasting-fact-sheet/ |
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