It’s hard to get something started. When cycling up a steep hill, you’ve got to overcome inertia and resistance. Your muscles ache and you’re out of breath at the top, but then comes the downhill path! Once you’re going, it’s easier to keep going - which is how momentum fuels productivity, efficiency, and positivity. But how do you create momentum in ALL areas of your life? Here are three must-try techniques that have the power to change your world. 1. Schedule it If you do nothing else, this is the technique that needs your commitment - starting TODAY! Momentum relies on you taking action towards your goals - every single day. Success follows consistency. Success happens when lots of small actions compound into something big. You don’t have to take giant leaps alone to achieve. You can move further and sometimes faster when you commit to one baby step at a time. Daily action is easy in theory, but not so much in practice. Life gets busy. There’s always something around the corner, ready to distract and derail you. Doubts show up, fear gets in your way - as does laziness, procrastination, and fatigue. You’ll always have a reason to stop - and there will be a part of you that wants that [because goals mean leaving your comfort zone, which can feel unsafe!] Momentum is only possible if you push through the resistance. A daily plan creates a structure that keeps you focused on your end goal. - Schedule tasks in the same way that you make appointments. - Budget your time as if it were the most precious resource you have. - Prioritize the tasks and actions that will move the needle. Make daily action a non-negotiable, and success will follow. 2. Create a chain of wins Have you ever wondered how Jerry Seinfeld became such a super successful comedian? A newbie comic asked Seinfeld this question after meeting him on the comedy circuit. Jerry’s answer was simple, yet profound. His ‘secret’ was to write one joke a day - without fail. He didn’t leave this commitment to chance. Instead, he created a visual chain on a calendar. After writing his daily joke, he marked the success on a calendar using a red cross. Before long, his winning streak was so long; it felt more painful to break the chain than to keep going. You can leverage the same success principle by committing to the daily habits that lead to your goal. For example: - Become an author - answer a journaling prompt and write 300 words a day - Strengthen your relationship - spend 10-mins in deep conversation a day - Feel fitter - run every day - Build confidence - challenge yourself to leave your comfort zone - Master a new skill - cultivate a daily reading habit With your habits picked, schedule time to do them in your daily plan [see point 1], then use a habit tracker to create your chain. Momentum here you come! [If you want to join a community of people committed to daily action, check out Momentum Challenges]. 3. Get the right people in your corner No one’s journey through life is smooth. Instead, life is a series of ups and downs. It’s easy to keep your momentum going when things are working out and everything is going your way. It’s much harder to stay motivated when you’re in a rut. This is where your support structure makes all the difference. Plans won’t always work and mistakes will get made. There will also be times when you’re riddled with self-doubt or just don’t feel on your game. If you have people who get you and can support you through the inevitable slumps, you can keep the momentum wheel turning. Accountability buddies or a coach works well for this. You can also get help from online groups such as the BestSelf Alliance. You don’t have to do this alone. Instead, surround yourself with people you can lean on in the tough times. With the right people in your corner, so much more is possible. Anything is possible when daily action is non-negotiable. With momentum, it’s easier to think bigger and achieve more while you enjoy today. You’ve got this.

Time is your most valuable resource. If you’re able to maximize time, you’ll get more out of life. It’s as simple as that - or is it! It’s one thing to smart schedule and effectively plan your time on a day-to-day basis. It’s one thing to clear your pressing to-do list and stay on top of all your commitments and responsibilities. But a nitty-gritty focus alone also brings risks. If you’re too focused on what’s right in front of you, there’s a chance you won’t see the bigger picture. It’s as Bill Gates said. “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” If you can only see what’s directly in front of you, it’s hard to think ahead and plan proactively. Instead, you end up fire-fighting while reacting to what’s happening now. This strategy ensures you survive, but it’s not enough to ensure you thrive. But integrated big-picture thinking into your life approach, and all that changes. What is big-picture thinking? Big-picture thinking is a fundamental skill that provides the perspective and strategic overview to move your life in the right direction - in the immediate as well as the longer-term. Big-picture planning is the difference between being nose-up to a situation and looking down with a bird’s eye view. Take that step backwards and upwards, and suddenly, you see things that were previously invisible. You view problems through fresh eyes. You create space to imagine radical solutions and you join up threads to map out a clearer path to your next steps. - You can plan five steps ahead instead of taking decisions on the fly. - You can see how a decision you make today could open doors in five years time. - You can even see what you were at risk of missing, under-estimating, or under-valuing. Without big-picture thinking, life can become too reactive - and that can leave you disappointed and frustrated. Three tips for big-picture thinking 1. Make time for it Sure, life is busy! But don’t let the hustle and bustle of everyday life become the reason you don’t think about the bigger picture. Instead, take time out to think about where you’re going. Also, give yourself the space to check in to see if you’re still going in the right direction! As your best self evolves, you’ll no doubt change your mind about what you do want [and that’s OK]. Each time your comfort zone expands or you achieve another goal, your frame of reference shifts. New opportunities and possibilities open up for you. If you schedule in regular big-thinking time, you’ll be able to capitalize on your growth spurts - and create your best life as a result. 2. Cultivate the ability to think bigger It’s easy to get caught in your regular thought patterns. We’re creatures of habit, which means we like what we know - because there’s security in that. But unless you challenge your habitual ways of thinking, you’ll continue to generate similar results. But that changes when you inspire yourself to think differently. For example: - 10x your idea. What would your current goal look like it you made the outcome even bigger? Sure, you don’t have to aim for that, but allowing yourself to think along those bigger lines can open up something new. - 10 ideas. Push yourself to generate more ideas once your initial steam is exhausted. [The Edison Deck will help you cultivate this skill.] When you ‘have’ to think beyond what feels comfortable, bigger ideas inevitably come. - Cultivate courage. Your limiting beliefs and current identity place restrictions around what you believe is possible for you. Courage forces you to step outside your comfort zone and expand who you are. As your perspective shifts, you see the path in front of you differently. - Think further ahead. Where do you want to be in ten years time? What do you have to do today to make that vision a reality? Allow yourself to see through bigger timescales, and you can transform the vision you have for your life. For example, you may not be able to create a charitable foundation this year, but you could in ten years time. 3. Plan for it Don’t leave your big-picture ideas to chance, instead, translate them into concrete plans. Keep planning your week and individual days, but at the same time mastermind your year ahead. A wall calendar is a great tool for this. Map on any key and fixed dates [such as anniversaries, birthdays, vacations, and events]. Mark on any milestones and existing deadlines too. then look at the white space that’s left. How can you maximize the time you have?What steps are you missing to get to where you want?What could you do next if you were to achieve everything on your calendar? Now, next, later Some goals can be achieved extremely quickly. For example, you can start a journaling, running, or meditation practice right now. All you need is 10 minutes and you’re off! Other goals take longer. And there are other outcomes which can’t even be started until you’ve laid the foundations. Big-picture thinking creates the space for you to identify these foundations in advance - so you can begin working on them now. It’s the difference between being in the perfect place ten years from now - to looking back with regret, wishing you’d started something earlier. You’ve got this!

If you want to live a life of no regrets, a bucket list is a great tool to use. Instead of leaving your life experiences and accomplishments to chance, your bucket list helps you pick the things you’d like to do in your lifetime. Better still, it can help you create work-life harmony too by guiding you to proactively choose list items that will enrich specific areas of your life. [Discover 7 reasons to create a bucket list] With a list to work from, you’ll never be left wondering how best to use your time. Instead, you can make your way through your list. While it’s good to be spontaneous, it’s also good to get things scheduled and planned in. Your bucket list will empower you to do that. For now and for your life. Remember, your Bucket List isn’t just a list of things to do before you die! Giving yourself such an open time window makes it easy to procrastinate and put things off for later. Sure, it’s a smart idea to put together a master bucket list that contains everything you’d like to do in your lifetime, but also create shorter lists with closer deadlines. For example: - Create a six-month Bucket List using the template inside your BestSelf Planner or Self Journal. - Make a list of things to do before your next milestone birthday. - List out targets you’ll hit within the next five or ten years. Take this spilt-up approach, and there’s a good chance you’ll do even more incredible things over the course of your life. And if you’re looking for ideas to get you excited, we’ve got covered. Check out the list below. It’s packed with 103 bucket list ideas split across seven different life categories. Imagine how full, fulfilling, and rewarding your life would be if you checked off all of these! HEALTH & FITNESS    1. Learn to dive off the top board    2. Run a marathon    3. Enter a triathlon    4. Go open water swimming    5. Attend a global sporting event    6. Do a Color Run    7. Complete a Tough Mudder    8. Ride on a tandem    9. Grow your own food WORK & CAREER    10. Launch a side hustle or a business    11. Publish a book    12. Have your 15 minutes of fame :)    13. Be a keynote speaker    14. Do a TED [or TEDx] Talk    15. Win an award    16. Attend a personal development seminar    17. Learn to touch-type    18. Start a podcast SOCIAL & RELATIONSHIPS    19. Host a murder mystery party    20. Perfect your signature drink    21. Perfect your signature dish    22. Master a party trick    23. Raise money for charity    24. Give blood    25. Learn a foreign language    26. Reconnect with a person from your past    27. Have the conversation you’ve been putting off    28. Go on a police ride-along    29. Throw someone a surprise party   30. Do a random act of kindness    31. Kiss in the rain    32. Write a love song for someone special MINDFULNESS    33. Learn how to meditate    34. Attend a silent retreat    35. Learn Qigong, yoga, or taichi     36. Write a letter to your younger self    37. Have a full body massage    38. Start a journaling practice for 90 consecutive days    39. Attend a class to learn something new    40. Start a vlog and record your feelings to the camera    41. Choose a pet plant and keep it near your desk    42. Make a scrapbook of your favorite memories    43. Eat a meal in silence to take in the sounds and sights    44. Make a list of things you love about yourself    45. Watch a sunrise/sunset    46. Forgive someone or yourself for something    47. Go outside for a walk with no technology, just listen to nature    48. Read a book a month    49. Have a playdate with shelter animals    50. Learn how to meditate    51. Learn to use a pottery wheel FINANCE    52. Become debt-free    53. Create a passive income stream    54. Make your will    55. Build a rainy day fund    56. Set up a monthly savings plan for a long-term asset and acquire it!    57. Audit all your expenses and remove what’s not necessary    58. Make a down payment on your first home    59. Negotiate for a raise    60. Create a scholarship    61. Make a large purchase with cash    62. Go a month without spending money (excluding mandatory payments)    63. Pay cash for a car    64. Pay off your credit card HOME & FAMILY    65. Create a family tree    66. Take a vacation with all the generations of your family    67. Go on a road trip together    68. Own your dream home    69. Capture your parents’ life story in a book    70. Visit the place where your parents or grandparents were born    71. Create a family bucket list with your children and tick things off    72. Find out the story of how your parents and grandparents met    73. Take a family bike ride    74. Create a new family tradition    75. Adopt a dog or cat    76. Share your favorite recipes with others    77. Give your kids a “yes” day FUN    78. Do a parachute jump    79. Swim with dolphins    80. Go on a cruise    81. Sleep under the stars    82. Climb a mountain    83. Dive the Great Barrier Reef    84. Eat at a Michelin Star restaurant    85. See the Pyramids    86. Trek the Inca Trail    87. Practice yoga in India    88. Go white-water rafting    89. Travel somewhere solo    90. Swim naked    91. See your favorite band live    92. Learn to juggle    93. Ride across the desert on a camel    94. Go on a safari    95. Ride a jet ski    96. Visit the Great Wall of China    97. Test drive a fast car    98. Learn a musical instrument    99. Go wild camping    100. Take a train to a new city    101. Learn to surf    102. Go whale watching    103. Visit all 50 states Create your bucket list today What have you already checked off from the list above? What Bucket List items would you add to this collection?

Keep what's good in front of your mind, and the bad will have nowhere to settle. What goes into a Calendar? The most basic calendar considers the categories: Holidays, Social Events, Celebrations, and Appointments. While these are good moments to remember they are not often the most important things to happen in our month.  Nor are they things that can't be considered within a shorter timeframe. For those events that have more important milestones than others, we wouldn't want to treat them like any other rotating event.  You don't want your calendar to be a lifeless repetitious thing on your wall.  You want it to inspire and excite you, like looking at the itinerary of your vacation might.    So, were going to give you a new set of categories to consider for your calendar in order of priority, the most basic ones will be last. Calendar Categories to Fill Out Category 1: Visualizing Your Goals You've taken the time to set up your goal, to find the why, what, and how for achieving it.  You've built up your excitement of taking on this new challenge!  Keep that excitement going by creating the itinerary on your Calendar over the next few months! Your Result Goal At the top right of the Monthly Pages, rewrite your Result Goal.  Why?  Because doing so will keep the picture of what all the things in your calendar are ultimately for.  When you do get into the day-to-day of working towards your goal. You'll want this reminder of why you're doing this in as many places a possible. It's critical that you, Remember Your Why! Note: If you have multiple Result Goals, write them out on the month they are most relevant for, and denote the most important one in some unique way.    Your Progress Goals In-line on your Calendar write in where you anticipate achieving your Progress Goals.  • Maybe you are expecting to complete one progress goal a month.• Maybe the first two progress goals you expect to happen in the first month, but the third one will take two months to achieve.• Maybe you want to complete all three within two months so you have the last month to assess the results of any changes.  Whatever tempo you choose to have your progress goals take, make them the first thing you put in your Calendar! Your Actions & Tasks Now that you have your vision laid out, and the major milestones with your Result Goal and Progress goals - fill in your Actions + Tasks into the Calendar.  Consider which tasks need to be completed within the timeframes of each Progress Goal you set out.  Consider what tasks must be completed before others, and which ones span multiple days. Lay these out accordingly. If you aren't sure how different tasks may be applied to the Calendar don't worry we'll show you some examples to help get you started! Congratulations! You've just done one of the most important actions that most people fail to do. You prioritized your goals and what you need to accomplish them first and foremost - over anything else.  While you aren't yet to the point where you're actively making time for these tasks, you have just told your brain for the first time (but not the last time) that these tasks come first and started it on the path to opening up its perceptions and focus towards these things.  Category 2: Staying Inspired Even at just 3 months, you're starting a journey that will feel like a long one.  You'll be making significant changes in your life that your subconscious brain may try to convince you is a bad idea.  You'll be tempted by your natural instincts to allow life to be the same as it's always been.  The devil you know, is better than the one you don't (as they say).  But with a few choice things added to your Calendar, you can avoid these feelings and even propel the odds of achieving your goal!  Category 3: The Basic Calendar Now that you've set up the core Calendar you need to find success with your Goal you can fill in all the other normal details you might see on a Calendar.  The point here isn't to diminish these items.  Rather it's simply to make sure that the most important things are getting the most focus and attention.  Note: If you have one of these events happening in these months that you might consider a significant milestone, such as say a particularly significant anniversary, or birthday we might suggest creating a goal around these events.  After all, they aren't going to come along every day, and if it's truly as special as it should be then it deserves to be at the front of your mind!

When you want to make improvements to your life, it’s tempting to focus on one thing. For good reason. When you achieve a significant goal, your life often takes a big step forward. What’s more, you find yourself in a whole new space, which in itself can open doors and create fresh opportunities. But this approach comes with a risk. If working on one area of your life means you drop the ball elsewhere, things can get wonky! Is it really enough to be crushing it in your business or your career if your relationships are failing and your health is suffering? Enter work-life harmony. The concept that lasting happiness and fulfillment comes from finding success in all the areas of your life that matter to you. Work-life harmony is subtly different to work-life balance. When you lead a busy life and have multiple demands pulling on you, it’s hard to juggle it all - all of the time. Sometimes your work has to get the lion’s share of your time. Other times you have to take a step back and focus fully on your wellbeing. Work-life harmony is about allowing the pendulum to swing towards specific areas of your life - at the speed and pace your circumstances demand. Best of all, it’s a metric you can measure so you can track how your life changes over time. Why quantify work-life harmony? Work-life harmony is a personal thing. What represents harmony to one person is different from someone else. What’s more, our personal definitions change over time as our circumstances evolve. For example, when you first start a business you’ll want to go all in. When you become a parent, family time becomes a sharper focus. The key is to ensure you’re happy with the place you’re at - and if you’re not, that you know what you need to change to feel better about your life. This is where quantifying your work-life harmony can be so useful for anyone on a personal development journey. Your score creates a baseline - a start point… your line in the sand. It allows you to pinpoint where you are right now - so you can decide where to focus and check back in to monitor your progress. With a baseline in place, you can double-down on your efforts knowing they will drive you forward. Even better, you can see tangible progress over time [which gives you a motivational boost in itself]. Easier goal setting A lot of people find it hard to set a goal. They don’t know what to pick or they have too many options to choose from. When you lack clarity it’s a lot harder to take focused action. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up doing nothing. But when you know where you’re at in different areas of your life, it’s a lot easier to pin down the actions that will make the biggest difference. Remember… even though we’re talking about different life areas, they all interlink and influence each other. They’re not really separate. For example, your mindfulness levels will influence your relationships, which in turn impact how you show up in work/business. In short, don’t be surprised if the right focus on one specific aspect of your life has an exponential impact on everything. When you quantify your work-life harmony, you’ll know where to place your attention. How to score work-life harmony Its super easy to calculate a meaningful score that will empower you to take action - here’s how… STEP 1: Identify the life areas that are important to you. We recommend six: Health & fitness - how do you feel in your body? This includes exercise, diet, and energy levels. Work & career - how fulfilled and successful do you feel in the work that you do? Social & relationships - who’s in your circle? How fulfilling are your friendships? How satisfied are you with your social time? Mindfulness - this includes your stress and anxiety levels along with your mental clarity and ability to create calm even in chaos. Finance - how secure are you with your money and do you have what you need to live the life you want? Home & family - how is your home environment and how fulfilled are you in your closest and intimate relationships? STEP 2: Score each area. On a scale of 1-10 [where 1 is terrible and 10 is incredible], how do you score each area of your life? It will help to pull out a notebook and explain your scores. Not only is this a useful reference point, but it will help you get clarity on your next steps. STEP 3: Calculate your average Divide your total score by six to give you an average. A ten is the perfect score [and also a ‘perfect’ life!] STEP 4: Revisit every three months With your score calculated, here’s what you can do next: Look at the areas of your life where you’ve scored low. What could you start doing to increase your satisfaction in that area? What are you doing in your life that’s detracting from your score? What could you stop doing? How could you plan your time to achieve work-life harmony? Whatever you decide, plan to make it happen. [The Self Journal or Self Planner will help]. Finally, revisit your score every three months and keep a track of your progress. It’s a super simple step that will help you think bigger and achieve more while you enjoy today. Calculate your score You can quantify your work-life harmony score with the help of the BestSelf Benchmark Quiz. To take the quiz, CLICK HERE. When you take the quiz, we’ll calculate your BestSelf Score. You’ll also receive personalized recommendations on the tools that will help you succeed. What are you waiting for! Take the quiz now and start increasing your work-life harmony at Bestself.co/Benchmark.

Life is busy! With to-dos, commitments, and responsibilities, it's not easy carving out time for the things you want. We promise ourselves we'll get to it later, but that time never comes. Instead, we're distracted by the next priority, and our big dreams get pushed off - again. Enter your bucket list. The simple act of writing your bucket list can take you closer to making your dreams a reality. If you've yet to start your list, why wait? Check out this blog and get started. 1. Get out of a funk Even if your life is full and you're doing a whole heap of things you love, there's still a chance you'll slip into habits. For example, you always visit the same bar at the weekends, you take the same kind of vacation, and you read the same genre of books. This scenario is hard to avoid because humans are habitual beings! Doing the same thing over and over again can make life feel stale. Use your bucket list to shake things up and inspire you to use your time in fresh ways. With your list written out, you can explore how to weave your list into your life. You never know; you may discover a new thing that becomes a natural way of life. 2. Focus your desires It's easy to believe you'll always have time - until you don't. Use your bucket list to make mini commitments to the things you want to do. As strange as it sounds, the simple act of writing your list serves as a mini commitment - taking you one step closer to making dreams a reality. That's because writing makes your list tangible. It turns thought into the written word. The act of writing also means you've had to think about the idea a little more, which makes the vision more tangible. With the concept imprinted on your subconscious mind, you never know what might unfold next! 3. Set goals Goals help give your life direction. They also help you take control of your time by detailing something specific you want to achieve. Your bucket list can become a goals list - helping you get clear on what you want to tackle now, next, and later. In short, goal-setting and bucket list writing combined is a powerful force to create a life you love. 4. Unleash creativity Your bucket list permits you to think big and that in itself unleashes creativity. What could you do? Where could you go? How could you make it happen sooner, rather than later? Are there alternative ways to experience the same thing? These kinds of question get you thinking in the world of 'what ifs?' and possibilities to unlock a flood of inspiration [which might impact other areas of your life too]. 5. Inject excitement How would it feel to be actively working to check something off your bucket list? For example, how would it feel to save and plan that big road trip or learn the foreign language so you can work in the country that fascinates you? In this way, your bucket list injects excitement and adventure into your life. Write yours to make a statement for what you want out of life - and confirm you'll make it happen. 6. Push yourself Some bucket list items tend to be things that feel 'out there'. Maybe you need to learn new skills, save some money, create more time, or wait until you're a different age. Other bucket list items require you to be a shade braver. For example, taking a solo trip abroad or doing a parachute jump. You can use courage over comfort type challenges, to explore what becomes possible when you face your fears and do it anyway. 7. Live a fuller life If you do more of the things you want in your life, not only will you load up on the memories and good times, but you'll also have fewer regrets for the things you didn't do. So dream away knowing your list will infuse adventure today and give you satisfaction for years to come. Surely our biggest hope is to reach the end of our lives with no regrets. A checked off bucket list is the tool that will help you do that. How to create your bucket list 1. Let go of any can'ts, shoulds, and fears and instead allow your mind [and heart] to play with the things you want to do. 2. Grab a pen and notebook and write down the things you want to do. Think big scale such as walk the Camino de Santiago or Drive Route 66 as well as smaller targets such as try Stand-up Paddle-boarding or visit the local landmark you've never managed to scratch off your list. 3. Create a bucket list for different timescales. For example, what do you want to do in the next six months, 12 years, ten years - as well as by the end of your life? 4. Categorize your list into different segments and think broadly about the things you want. [This breakdown also nudges you towards work-life harmony.] For example: • Things to do/experiences to have• People to connect with• Places to visit• Books/film/culture hit list 5. Keep your bucket list somewhere you'll see often, for example, on your fridge, office wall, bathroom mirror, or inside your journal. 6. Revisit frequently - checking off things you've done and adding new ideas as they come up. Don't be surprised if you start making things happen now that your bucket list is written out. 7. Start TODAY - there’s no time like the present and the sooner you start, the sooner you can start making things happen. Capture your six-month bucket list in your Self Planner Want somewhere safe to capture your first bucket list? If so, the Self Planner is the perfect place to get dreaming. As well as a template for writing down the things you'd like to experience, this powerful life planner helps you manage your time too - so you can make more time for the things you love.  With the Self Planner, you can say goodbye to the squandered time and rushing at the last minute to get things done. Instead, get ready to become more productive, more efficient, and a whole lot calmer - knowing you've got everything handled.

Do you have big ambitions for your life, but struggle to get everything done? Do you keep telling yourself that you’ll achieve that big goal when you clear something else from your deck? It’s easy to make time the reason you let go of a big ambition, but it doesn’t have to be that way. When you get yourself planned, you can stretch your time and make much more of your 1,440 minutes a day. And when you’re ready to start, these five powerful planning tools are here to help. 1. Annual wall calendar You can’t ignore what’s staring you in the face! With a big picture overview of your year, you can see at a glance what’s coming up and what you’ve already achieved and checked off. Use your wall calendar to map out any vacations, key dates, and high level deadlines. With these important dates top of mind, you can plan your year accordingly to ensure you don’t miss a beat. You can even check off each day as it passes to create an annual countdown [and some additional accountability]. 2. A monthly calendar Similar to your whole year overview, a monthly calendar allows you to see the next four weeks at a glance. Use it to keep track of dates and deadlines to ensure you never double-book yourself. You can also use a monthly planner to achieve your goals. You can also use this powerful tool to assess your choices for work-life harmony. - Have you factored in enough social time? - Do you have any days booked out for fun? - Is there really enough time to achieve that deadline without burning out? When you can see all your commitments and deadlines written down, you’ll find it easier to make decisions when fresh opportunities come your way. 3. A weekly to-do list Each day, you have a finite amount of bandwidth to play with. If you have a lot to do, don’t waste that head space mulling over repetitive thought loops or desperately trying to remember things. Instead, empty your head onto paper so you can put maximum focus on tasks that move the needle. Your weekly to-do list is the perfect place to practice this. Instead of keeping your list of weekly tasks in your head, get them onto paper. A to-do lists serves a number of important productivity benefits: - You won’t forget anything - so no last-minute rushes or panics - It helps you delegate - It helps you organize your thoughts and tasks - Checking completed tasks off makes you feel good - It captures the specific action points you need to accomplish When writing out your weekly to-do list, aim to create a Weekly Action Plan system to win your week [the Weekly Action Pad can help]. Instead of a simple lists of tasks, a Weekly Action Plan helps you prioritize and structure your week for maximum performance and productivity. For example: - Time est: When you know how long a task will take, you can make better decisions about when you’ll fit it into your week. - Due: With deadlines clearly written down, you can be sure to plan your work so you can deliver tasks on time. - E/N/D: When you know whether a task will energize or drain you, it’s easier to pick the optimum time to get that to-do done.   4. A daily planner Each day, you’re gifted 1,440 minutes - and it doesn’t matter who you are… we all get the same amount. The question is, what are you going to do with your time? How will you convert those minutes into a life you love? With so many opportunities and so much to do, your daily plan is key to maximizing the time you’ve got. If you could only use one planning tool, this would be it. Get granular with your planning. Get real with the places you squander time. Get prioritizing and quit procrastinating! Plan your day for maximum productivity and results. For example: - Plan your day in 30-minute chunks - it will make your minutes stretch further - Practice gratitude - it unlocks feeling of positivity and abundance which help skyrocket your performance - Focus on your top three tasks - if you could only achieve three things, what would those tasks be? When you prioritize, you’ll move the needle even if work remains to be done - Leave zero white space - this doesn’t mean overwhelming your workload. Plan in time to chill, read, or binge on Netflix. When every minute is allocated, none of it is squandered. If you want to invest in a daily planner designed to help you achieve your goals by boosting your productivity, performance, and positivity, check out the Self Journal. 5. A Habit Tracker Did you know that you are the sum total of all your habits? Habits are a powerful tool because these are the things you do on autopilot - without having to think about them. Whether we like it or not, we all run on habits. It’s what makes you clean your teeth, make your bed, or always have cake with your morning coffee! If you want to inspire your day, commit to infusing it with habits that will take you closer to your goals. For example: - If you want to write a book, get in the habit of writing 500 words a day - If you want to be a public speaker, do a live each day - If you want to run a marathon, make a daily run a habit When you know what habits will take you closer to your goals, you can plan your day to incorporate them. A habit tracker will help you with this. Use your tracker to monitor the habits you want to adopt and create a chain of wins. Before you know it, that chain will be so heavy, your new habit will be on autopilot. BestSelf’s Habit Roadmap allows you to track a range of weekly and daily habits over a period of 13 weeks. It’s a powerful tool that will help you develop good habits that stick. If you want to be your best self, robust planning is a non-negotiable. Without solid plans, you’ll waste time, get stuck in the weeds, and head for overwhelm. Don’t allow lack of time to be the reason you push off your big goals and aspirations. Instead, get smarter with your time. Don’t waste it. Make it stretch further. Invest it wisely, and you will think bigger and achieve more.

Have you ever set a goal you didn’t achieve? Or said no when you really meant yes? Or turned down an opportunity because you knew it would push you out of your comfort zone - and you didn’t know if you were ready? These feelings are all normal reactions to a life that stretches you, challenges you, and is calling you to step into ALL that you are. That’s why your ability to be your best self, achieve your goals, and create a life you love goes far beyond the actions you take. It’s one thing to define targets, set intentions, and hustle after deadlines. It’s quite another to work through the discomfort and overcome the resistance and hesitations that always show up when you’re committed to doing more. That’s why ‘success’ is as much about the way you think, the beliefs you hold, and the mindsets that drive you as it is your ability to implement. And that, in a nutshell, is why journaling is such a potent tool for top-performance and high-achievement. When you can journal to understand who you really are, you free up more clarity, decisiveness, and confidence to act. You cultivate self-confidence, unravel limiting beliefs, and nurture the self-awareness you need to hit your potential. So if you’re ready to think bigger and achieve more, here’s how journaling is the tool that can make it all happen. What is journaling? Journaling is the practice of writing out your inner self. It’s the process of articulating your thoughts and feelings into the written word. It’s a ritual of exploring how events [past, present, and future] shape your thinking, influence your behaviors, and drive your actions. There’s no right or wrong way to dive into this practice. You don’t even have to be a ‘good writer’ to get huge results from this ritual. That’s because the point of journaling isn’t to write incredible insights that others can read [although it could be]. Instead, it’s about giving you the clarity you need to understand yourself better. Journaling can be a stream of consciousness. It can be bullets and lists. It can even be splodges of words interjected with doodles and scribbles and highlights! As long as you reflect YOU back at you, you’re going to benefit. That’s because when you read your thoughts on paper, you can take a more objective view of your situation. You can become that third person looking in at yourself. And that can give you the clarity you need to find closure, take a risk, or even just get a better understanding as to why you do things the way that you do. Why journaling works Did you know the average person has between 50,000-70,000 thoughts a day? That sounds like a lot - until you realize that most of those thoughts are repetitive. And that’s the problem with our brains. We’re great at creating and problem solving - and we’re also really good at getting trapped into repetitive thought loops that never find any real resolution! This internal dialogue is also the realm of your inner critic and habits. In short, your subconscious is busy causing you to respond in predictable, but not necessarily beneficial ways. But start journaling, and you can tap into a whole inner world of new information about yourself that you didn’t even know was there. What’s more, when you use journaling to dive into this treasure trove to explore questions such as: - Why you do things the way you do - Why certain things trigger you - Why you get stuck with the same challenge over and over again - The limiting beliefs that trip you up - The life experiences you’ve had in the past that are shaping your future etc. You’ll find that you can change the way you see the world, act in the world, and achieve in the world. That’s how journaling allows you to shine the light on all those unseen and unspoken things and see where they have the potential to go. How to journal effectively 1. Create a habit. As with everything, the more you journal the more you’ll get out of it. A daily practice is preferable because then this ritual becomes part of who you are and what you do. [N.B. Remember, you can use your Habit Roadmap to track your journaling habit until it becomes automatic.] 2. Allocate a timeslot. To help you get into the groove, allocate a timeslot. For example, you may want to integrate journaling into your morning routine or even do it before you go to bed. 3. Plan your journaling time You know how it is. You have good intentions for what you want to achieve in a day, then life throws a curveball and balls get dropped. Don’t leave your journaling practice to chance. Instead, plan it into your day using the timeline in your Self Journal. What gets planned gets done. 4. Dedicate a notebook. Allocate a notebook that you’ll use for journaling alone. [Scribe is a great choice for this.] That way, you can keep all your thoughts in one place making it super simple to reflect back on earlier entries - if you want to. 5. Don’t shoot for perfection. You don’t need to spend hours writing. As little as 10 - 15 minutes a day can be effective. And remember, you’re not looking to create perfect prose. Instead, your goal is to get YOU onto the page in whatever way that shows up in the moment. 6. Reach for journaling prompts. Feeling stuck for what to write? Notice you’re writing about the same things day after day? Frustrated that you’re not unlocking any new insights? If so, journaling prompts are perfect for you. Journaling prompts [such as the WordSmith Deck] present you with a question to focus and redirect your thinking. In this way, journaling prompts invite you to explore memories, moments, and insights you’ve not considered before. What’s more, journaling prompts help you push through writer’s block by giving you something to write about. Instead of waiting around for inspiration to strike, you can make the words flow by giving your brain a prompt to play with. 7. Enjoy the process. Most importantly, have fun with your practice. Play with it. Have fun with it. Get curious to see where your thoughts will take when you allow them to dance on the page. Allow your practice to stretch and challenge you as it opens up parts of you that you didn’t know where there. Then use the heightened level of clarity, confidence, and insight to go get your goals. Journaling is a practice used by many high-achievers. It works for them and it can work for you too. So grab your Scribe and some WordSmith journaling prompts and turn the blank page into insider intel that will empower you to be your best self. You’ve got this.

In a nutshell, self-improvement is about using your time and other resources to nurture your potential so you can create a life you love. It’s about: • Building the courage to step out of your comfort zone• Cultivating the self-awareness to know how your mind works• Working through limiting beliefs so they no longer hold you back• Sharpening your natural talents and developing new skills• Going after the things you want because you know you deserve them To name just a few. The benefits are clear. If you can achieve your goals and feel successful and fulfilled, you’re going to live a happier life. But how can you empower yourself to do your best? How can you make it easier to achieve your goals so you can think bigger and achieve more? Let’s explore seven powerful self-improvement strategies that have the power to transform your life. 1. Set goals that excite you First up, you’ve got to know what it is you want to create for yourself and your life. This is where you get to dream big and set the right goals for you. The right goal should stretch you while igniting your passion. It will force you to grow by taking you out of your comfort zone as you figure out how to do things you’ve never done before. Your goals open the door to new opportunities, new accomplishments, and a ton of satisfaction and self-improvement as the needle moves ever closer to the finish line. Goals work because they give you a clear focus so that you can head in the right direction. Each day we have so many options. With a goal to work towards, it’s easier to prioritize your actions while eliminating distractions. Goals help you focus the resources you do have in the right places so you can get the maximum return. It’s a proven way to work smarter, not harder. For best results, set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound [or S.M.A.R.T]. In terms of time-scales, we always advocate a three-month target. That’s because 13 weeks is long enough to achieve something significant, but short enough to push off procrastination and keep you motivated to implement. So make a life goals list today. And if you need some help with your goals, this SMART goals worksheet helps you plan your goals and create your roadmap. 2. Plan your year Not all goals can be achieved in three months, but there will be an aspect of that bigger goal, which you can accomplish within a 13-week period. That’s why it’s powerful to map out your year with a tool such as a wall calendar.  Plot your year in one place and you’ll be able to maximize your time and best figure out how to fit in all the things you want to do. For example: - Plan your vacations - because self-improvement is about rest, rejuvenation, and adventure as well as goal-getting - Plot out your deadlines - so you can see which tasks and activities are interrelated. It makes big picture planning a whole lot easier - Include any dates you don’t want to forget - such as birthdays and anniversaries You can even check off the year as the days pass to help keep yourself time focused. After all, you can’t ignore what’s staring you in the face! 3. Plan your projects into bite-sized chunks Do your goals feel so big that you don’t even know where to start? If so, you’re not alone. Overwhelm gets the better of all of us. That’s because overwhelm creates brain fog, which makes it incredibly difficult to be decisive or plan effectively. So how do you move through this self-improvement roadblock? It’s the same way you ‘eat an elephant’. You tackle one chunk at a time. A tool such as the Project Action Pad can help you do this. With the help of this tool, you can break down a big goal into all the component parts. Create a task list in this way and you’re no longer trying to start a business [for example]. Instead, you know you need to choose a name, create a logo, build a website, develop your offer, plan your marketing etc. Empower yourself to see the individual steps and it’s so much easier to take action - because overwhelm melts away. Take one step at a time and success becomes inevitable. 4. Plan your week A big cause of overwhelm for anyone looking to achieve goals and do your best is lack of time. Often, your goals are an extra to what you’re doing right now. That means you have to fit your goal-based tasks and activities into an already hectic schedule. Here’s the truth… It’s not lack of time that holds us back. Instead, it’s how we manage time. It’s why learning to manage yourself is one of the biggest catalysts to self-improvement. It’s all too easy to squander time. You don’t mean to, but that quick look on Instagram can easily turn into an hour and you could fit more productive stuff into the time when you Netflix binge in the evening! Self-improvement isn’t about overloading your time so there’s no room for fun - or even doing nothing. Instead, it’s about developing the discipline to master your minutes so lack of time doesn’t become the reason you don’t make progress. Planning your week with a tool such as the Weekly Action Pad is a powerful way to do this. Weekly planning is hugely proactive. Learn how to plan your week for maximum productivity and performance and you’ll reduce the likelihood that you’ll hit the weekends with a ton of stuff still to do. You’ll also make it a whole lot easier to fit everything in. That’s because as soon as something is planned, it’s more likely to get done. Better still, know when you’re going to do it and how long it's going to take you, and you’re less likely to be caught out. Use your weekly plan to create the big picture overview of what you want to achieve in the week ahead. You can do this by noting down all your to-dos. But don’t stop at the work-related ones. If you want to do your best, factor in your goal-based tasks as well as activities that will help you achieve work-life harmony. Date night, workouts, playtime with your kids, reading, and journaling etc. Don’t leave all the self-improvement and fun stuff to chance. Plan it - and see the huge impact it makes to your life. 5. Practice gratitude A life fueled by self-improvement is going to get tough at times. There will be difficulties ahead. You will encounter obstacles that you won’t be sure how to tackle - at first. Things are going to go wrong. You will get disappointed and you’ll probably mess up! But the lows aren’t necessarily bad - because they provide the fertile soil that helps you to grow and do your best. That’s how feeling grateful can make you more successful. Gratitude fuels positivity. See for yourself… it’s impossible to feel angry or stressed when you’re feeling grateful. Gratitude is also very grounding. It reminds you of what you already have - even as you strive to achieve more [and even when you’re having a bad day]. Practice gratitude and you’ll cultivate an abundance mindset. From this place of positivity, you’ll find it easier to see the pluses - rather than the negatives. You’ll be better equipped to deal with life’s challenges and you’ll also find it easier to enjoy the journey along the way. It seems crazy, but often the simplest of tweaks can make the most profound difference. That’s certainly the case with gratitude and why this daily practice is integrated into the Self Journal. It’s super easy to practice too. Simply write down three things that you’re grateful for each day. Feel how that gratitude makes you feel then use that feeling to fuel you. 6. Track your habits Success is never an overnight thing. It may look that way when you look at other people’s stories, but those highlight reels never reveal the full extent of what it took to get where they are now. There are no silver bullets either. Instead, success is the result of consistent daily action. It’s a decision to keep moving forward - regardless. And of constantly taking the right steps in the direction of your goals. That’s why your habits are so important. Your habits are the things that you do on autopilot and they have the power to either make you - or break you. Take a moment to think about your habits right now. For example, you may habitually make the bed when you get up in the morning and you probably always clean your teeth before you go to sleep. These habits are so ingrained that you feel ‘weird’ if you don’t do them. These habits require little thought either. You simply do them - because they’re part of your identity. So imagine how your life could be if you cultivated good habits that would empower you to achieve your goals and do your best? If you’ve ever tried to create new habits you’ll know it’s not as easy as it sounds! Unfortunately, we’re creatures of habit which means it’s all too easy to slip back into your existing groove - especially when you’re feeling tired, down, or demotivated. That’s why you’ve got to hack it in the early days using a tools such as the Habit Roadmap. Use this tool to mark on the daily habits that you want to cultivate for your self-improvement. For example, a daily power walk, writing 500 words, 3 sales calls, read a chapter - the list of options is endless. Want more inspiration? Check out this list of 10 success habits to start this month. Next, check off each day that you perform the habit to build a streak. Before long, that streak will become so long that it actually feels painful to break it - in which case you’ll find it easier to force yourself to do it. Keep going for long enough, and you’ll soon rewire a string of helpful habits on autopilot. 7. Journal for self-improvement Self-improvement and doing your best is a journey that never has to end - because there’s always more you can do and there’s always more to discover. Journaling is a powerful practice that can help fuel this journey. In fact, there are many compelling reasons to start your journaling practice today. As you journal, you cultivate the self-awareness that empowers you to take action. You can process your thoughts, work through limiting beliefs, and get to know yourself better. Journaling gives you clarity which can lead to confidence. It can help you figure out your motivations and guide you to work through what’s stopping you. It’s why journaling is a practice advocated by so many high achievers. If you’re unsure what to write about, get your hands on some journaling prompts. Then add a journaling notebook and you’re good to go! Self-improvement is a strategy that will help you think bigger and achieve more while you enjoy today. It’s a commitment that empowers you to do your best by lifting the lid on how you spend your time and what you create with your life. There’s no better way to live your life then empowering yourself to go after the things you want while maximizing your chances of success. So go for it. Give yourself permission to dream bigger. Empower yourself to takes those big leaps. You’ve got this.