I’m glad I’m in the business that I am in. It forces me to hold myself accountable, even when it’s easy to let myself off the hook. You see, I believe in doing what I preach, so when I catch myself giving something “lip service,” I have to pause, reflect and ACTUALLY do something. Let me give you an example. I wrote earlier today on our facebook page, ”Every day is a gift. What are you doing with yours today?” It’s inspirational (at least to me), but if I just write or read it and do nothing else, am I being purposeful? Am I making the day count? Or am I just going through the motions?
It’s easy to just go through the motions. Checking off our lists of mundane tasks along the way. Granted, we all have our share of uninspiring tasks. But if we stop there, are we treating our day as a GIFT? If we truly believe that today is a gift, then how can we live a more inspired and purposeful life, at least for the next 24 hours? What can we do today to make it special?
I’m sure we will all have different answers to that question. The important thing is that we do something, not tomorrow or next week, but today! Here are some ways that you can plan to make today special (and what I’m going to choose to do to treat today as the gift that it is):
Meditate – Being present is something that I struggle with and requires my attention. I often get lost in thought and my mind is processing a dozen different ideas at once. Meditation gives me a chance to slow my mind, be present and focus on connecting to a higher purpose.
Exercise – Nothing like an endorphin rush to help you feel energized. Better yet, push yourself and you’ll feel like you are ALIVE and ready to take on life’s challenges.
Get Outside – There’s something about nature that grounds me and makes me feel alive. Do you know what I mean? Whether it’s a walk in the park, a run on the trails or a stroll around the block; feeling the sun on your cheeks or a cool night’s breeze can invigorate you and give you some real perspective of how we are connected to the world we live in.
Share The Love – Whether it’s with your spouse, kids, significant other or even your dog; take the time to reach out to the ones you love in a way that shows them how important they are to you. What can you do to show how much you care? How can you give the gift of you?
Volunteer or Mentor – Nothing like helping others to make you appreciate how fortunate you are. Not to mention the feeling of satisfaction that comes from giving of your time and talent to help someone else. And mentoring can be a rich and rewarding way to help someone by sharing the wisdom, insight and experience you have to offer.
Reach Out – Is there someone in your life that you haven’t connected with in a while? It’s easy to lose contact with important folks with our busy lives. And I’m not talking about leaving a comment on facebook. How about a real phone call or a personal email? Or if you really want to blow someone away, send him a heartfelt note (in the mail). Plan to have lunch or drinks with a friend or a family member. Do something to rekindle an important relationship.
Talk To A Stranger – It’s very easy to not get involved and to stay in our little bubble. But what can you do to brighten someone else’s day. It might be giving a stranger a sincere compliment. Or maybe, we can pay it forward by an act of kindness that’s random and unexpected.
Focus On One Of Your Critical Items – In our Life-Balance Time Management Program, we teach our clients to divide their tasks into three categories. Critical tasks are those items that are most important and therefore “critical” to your ultimate success. It’s the 20% of things that give you 80% of your value and results. It’s the things that will make your career successful or your life worth living. They often get pushed to the backburner because they aren’t urgent. Why not focus some attention on what really matters instead of getting wrapped up in the stuff that really won’t matter in the long run?
Do Something New – When was the last time you did something for the first time? It shakes things up and just might push you out of your comfort zone. Do you have a list of things that you want to do on your Wish List? If you don’t, perhaps you should. If you do, maybe it’s time to check one off your list. What are you waiting for?
