Some days we wake up feeling great. Like nothing can stop us from conquering the world. Other days aren’t so great. If you need a little help getting out of a rut or a negative cycle, here are 5 really effective techniques to improve your life.
Get Some Sleep
One of the surest ways to reduce the quality of your life experience is to try to get by on less than enough sleep. It reduces your ability to concentrate, dulls your senses and numbs you to the best parts of the day. I can tell you from personal experience that getting adequate sleep makes you more alert, more effective and more creative. Check out this great video from Arianna Huffington on the importance of sleep and stop burning the candle at both ends.
Make a To Do List
Lists are one of the secret weapons of many successful people. Keep a list of what you need to get done. Add and subtract from that list as the day goes along and you’ll never miss doing an essential task again. How will this improve your life? Listing your important tasks frees up your mind so you can concentrate on the important things in life, like family, friends and happiness. Trust me, this really works.
Reward Yourself for Effort
When you work hard, you deserve to get a reward, regardless of whether you were successful or not. Reward yourself for the effort you put in and you’ll keep wanting to put in the hard work. Simple, really.
Take Some Down Time
All work and no play makes us all pretty dull in the end. These are tough economic times and the pressure of that can take its toll. Longer working hours, the pressure to bring in more business, dealing with team mates who are equally stressed, not to mention clients who are pushing for discounts; all of this means a much higher level of stress for us all. All of these things also mean that it’s even more important to keep your edge so that you can be more effective each day. Taking some time off can be a simple as making sure you have some time away from your computer or smart phone for a few hours each day. Making them regular hours means that they’ll be even more effective.
Count Your Successes
Hold a Success Day every month. Once a month, make a list of all the successes you’ve had over the past 4 weeks. No matter how big or small, list them and celebrate them all. You’ll be surprised how long your list is each month. Here’s a great twist: save each month’s list and at the end of the year combine them into one big list. Why not take the day off to celebrate your 365 days of success?
The Next Step
Life’s not always sunshine and roses. Sometimes we need a little help to shift gear and get back onto a positive track. That means taking positive action. What’s your favourite way of doing that?
