What Does It Mean To Be Your Best Self?  Congratulations! You’ve decided you want to be your best self… Now what! What does it actually mean to be your best self? How will you know you’re moving in the right direction? How do you know if something really is your best?  Good news, we’re going to answer these common questions [and more] in this article.  But first things first… As far as your ‘best self’ goes, there is no one-size-fits-all definition. Instead, the description is entirely personal. Your best self will never be the same as someone else’s - so resist the temptation to go down the comparison route. That never feels good! Instead, remember that we’re all different. We all have different talents, skills, challenges, and journeys. So when it comes to defining your best self, know that you get to choose what that means for yourself.  Better still, your definition doesn’t need to be fixed in stone. Instead, it will almost certainly change over time. As you achieve goals, check through your bucket list, and revise your ambitions, you’ll uncover more and more about who you really are.  And as a result, your best self definition will expand.  I think that’s one of the most beautiful things about being human. We’re never really ‘done’. There’s always more we could do and explore. In short, our comfort zones can expand infinitely, which makes your best self a journey, NOT a destination. That’s right; there’s nowhere specific you need to reach because your best self is a state of BEING.  That said, there are ‘best self’ indicators that can help you feel confident you’re moving in the right direction. Let’s explore some of these now… Taking full ownership for your life It’s harder to be your best self when someone else is calling the shots. When you’re holding the reins, you’re empowered to make the choices and decisions that ensure your best self thrives.  Knowing you’ve given things your best shot Your best self isn’t about winning all of the time. That simply isn’t how life works. If you’re exploring the edges of your comfort zone, it’s almost inevitable that some things won’t work out the way you planned. But that doesn’t matter. You can still be your best self - even during chaos and failure - if you’re doing the best you can with the resources you have.  If you’re proud of your efforts and the way you showed up, that’s you being your best.  Moving forward with your life   As individuals, we have the opportunity to grow constantly. Every day presents earning opportunities that inspire us to make new distinctions about ourselves and the world.  Your best self wants to extract what it can from these experiences. That way, you can go to bed knowing you’re a little bit better than you were yesterday as a result of living another day.  Committed to the right habits What’s more important than the big showcase sprints, is your daily actions. How are you cultivating energy and enthusiasm to be your best self - no matter what? How are you taking care of your health and your wellbeing? How are you nurturing your creativity and excitement?  If your chosen habits bring out your best, that’s a sure-fire sign your best self is thriving.  Feeling good about who you are Are you able to pat yourself on the back, or do you rely on other people to do that for you? Self-love is a catalyst for so much. When you appreciate and love the person you are, you show up in the world in a different way entirely than someone who doesn’t feel worthy or good enough.  That’s why becoming your best self involves learning to love yourself too.  Investing in yourself Your best self is infinitely curious to know what else is possible. You can nurture this desire by investing in tools, courses, relationships, books, education, communities, and mentors etc. that inspire you to keep learning, sharpen your skills, and explore your passions. Knowledge is a key that throws open the door to new possibilities - and that potential excites your best self immensely.  Your own your strengths and talents There are things you can do better than anyone else you know. Your best self owns and appreciates these attributes instead of playing them down - because they help you show up more skillfully and impactfully in the world.  Recognize your limits Your best self knows you can’t do everything by yourself. They’re not afraid to ask for help or seek support because they know this can be a catalyst to get to the next step.  Living with integrity Your best self does the things they say they’re going to do - even if no one is watching.  This level of commitment to your promises helps fuel unstoppable self-confidence because you know you can rely on yourself to do what’s necessary.  Be kind to yourself Your best self learns quickly from mistakes - and while no one likes to get things wrong, your best self doesn’t use failure as an opportunity to be hard on itself. A little bit of kindness goes a long way - and this inspires the confidence that it’s OK to take bigger risks.  High energy When you feel physically tired and mentally drained, it’s hard to think straight and act with conviction. That’s why your best self does what it can to create and conserve energy, so you don’t get burnt out.  Time for you While you love being of service to others, your best self knows that it needs self-care time to rest, repair, and replenish too. Your best self doesn’t feel guilty for taking time out or for doing things that are just for you. Instead, your best self protects this time. It’s non-negotiable because it makes it easier for you to be your best.  Feeling good about how you spend your time Time is your most valuable, non-renewable resource. Once spent, you can't get those minutes back. Your best self respects the time and is purposeful about where minutes go. This diligence fuels a higher level of happiness and satisfaction in your life.    A life well-lived Your best self turns your bucket list and life goals into real-life experiences. You get the important things done and in turn create your best life.  Stretch goals You don’t settle for mediocrity or the status quo. Instead, your best self sets challenging goals, which excite and inspire you to step up. More importantly, your best self knows that if you can think it, you can also achieve it, so they don’t get stopped or bogged down in doubt.  Creates work-life harmony  Work is important to your best self, but it’s not everything. Instead, your best self consciously invests time and energy into all life areas because they’re looking for all-round fulfillment - not a one-dimensional life.  Being your best for others Life is better when you're around people we love - and who love us for who we are. When you're at your best, you consciously connect with the right people. You cultivate the deep connections and conversations that leave you feeling loved, seen, and heard by others for who you are.  You have time for the things you love You don't delay things you enjoy for another time. Instead, you proactively make time for your passions, hobbies, and interest on your schedule.  Be your best self The idea of unlocking your best self is a commitment that can take a lifetime [if you choose]. It’s a journey that brings you closer to yourself every single day and empowers you to think bigger and achieve more while you enjoy today.  Your best self can be anything you can imagine.  So go fun on this journey and make it your own. And remember you’re not alone, we’re here to help you wherever we can.

Want to hit the new decade running and lay the foundations for your best year yet? If so, make some time to complete your New Year Review. In the same way that shareholders review a business’s performance, you can review your life to unlock the clarity you need to mastermind and execute your next steps.

Being goal-driven and results-oriented are great traits to have, but there’s a catch: the bigger your goals, the better you need to be at managing your stress and taking care of yourself. Being able to switch gears from work mode to leisure time is a critical skill, and mastering it is essential to both your productivity and peace of mind. Having tried-and-true relaxation techniques that you stick to consistently is the easiest way to achieve this.Ridiculously successful people like Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Dave Rubin juggle way more things than even I do; I guarantee that they are masters, not only of their respective trades but of effective downtime. What are their secrets? You may be surprised to hear that learning to relax effectively is much more about your ideas than drinking tea or taking a bath. Your beliefs about the roles of work and rest in your life ultimately dictate how you will react to each concept. Once you’ve clarified your own understanding of what work and rest actually mean, specific relaxation techniques will be much more effective. Check Your Premises: What is Work? Work is not merely what you do to get money in order to finance other stuff you’d rather be doing. In order to be truly successful and happy, you must love your work, and there’s no way around this fact. Since a flourishing life is composed of many distinct but integrated aspects, your work must be enjoyable to you, and it must balance and complement your downtime. Successful, integrated people work long hours because they love their productive endeavors, but they also don’t neglect their hobbies, or have occasional afternoons spent doing nothing but napping on the couch. Shifting your focus from work to rest doesn’t mean you don’t take your work seriously - quite the contrary; taking regular “me time” demonstrates that you want to be refreshed and ready to bring your absolute best to your work, each and every day. You'll see that by implementing these relaxation techniques, you'll actually become more productive, not less. 5 Relaxation Techniques to Wind Down Effectively Relaxation Technique 1: Take a moment to be present Your work and your personal life should complement and enrich one another; both should be more or less equally enjoyable and refreshing to you, in different respects. You work in order to gain self-esteem and independence, trade value for value, and to live well.Living well means succeeding, creating win-win relationships, and being psychologically healthy in all areas of your life. What do these things look like in the specific context of your life, and how might that standard affect the way you work?When in doubt, zoom out; remember that work is one (very important) part of your life, not the totality. A great worker regularly takes time off, which in turn recharges them for the next superbly productive work day. Always keep this integrated, comprehensive standard in mind when thinking about work and relaxation.Living well includes taking moments out of your day regularly to appreciate all that you’ve achieved. Taking these moments can help you stay grounded, check your priorities, and remember that, even in the worst times, the good (almost certainly) outweighs the bad. Setting alarms on your phone throughout the day or using triggers, such as the Breathe Band, are a great way to remind you to take these moments to step back. Relaxation Technique 2: Set firm (but flexible) rules An eight-hour workday isn’t quite yet an artifact of the past, but it’s getting there for many people. If you have to work ten or twelve hour days to stay on top of your tasks, you probably have too many of them. Most people react to an increased workload by buckling down and putting in extra hours to get it all done, but rarely stop to reevaluate their priorities. A good chunk of your work may be tasks that can be delegated to others or tasks that aren’t even necessary at all. Periodically check that you’re devoting most of your effort to the true essentials of your work and planning accordingly.Commit to being truly done for the day after a certain time, and stick to it. You can work late if you must - for major clients or projects only - but don’t make exceptions more than 10% of the time, and take your own rules seriously.Make sure you:- Communicate with your boss, clients, and coworkers. Ensure that they know when you’re on the clock and when you aren’t - Consistently incentivize yourself with (small and reasonable) rewards for not working overtime - Accept fewer new tasks if you regularly find yourself unable to finish by clock-out time - Are open to asking for help or delegating things you don’t necessarily need to do yourself. Relaxation Technique 3: Eat well I’m sure you already know that it’s important to have a healthy diet; I want to challenge your understanding of what a healthy diet actually is. The vast majority of people don’t eat as well as they could. It shows, in their mood and sometimes in the quality of their work. Maintaining a high energy level throughout the day that winds down near bedtime is crucial to both productivity and relaxation.Properly understood, eating for productivity and for relaxation are the same thing. If you’ve never heard of Mark’s Daily Apple, it’s full of fantastically useful advice about diet and exercise. If you’re more of a listener than a reader, this episode of the STEM podcast has a lot to say about why conventional dietary wisdom is anything but wise.A diet high in carbs, sugar, or caffeine wreaks havoc on your energy level, making it spike and dip chaotically throughout the day. A carb-rich dinner may make it difficult to relax before bed, and even harder to get going the following morning, once all that short-acting glucose has been used up. That's why eating properly is such a critical relaxation technique - it keeps everything else in your life in balance.It takes several weeks of consistent changes to the way you probably eat now, but retraining your body to use fat as its primary energy source (as opposed to carbs) has myriad benefits, including a more stable energy level. You’ll feel more awake while working and find it easier to relax and fall asleep at the end of the day, several hours after your last meal. Relaxation Technique 4: Unplug & recharge Technology is great for productivity, but sometimes not so great for R&R. Most screens and light bulbs emit light of a similar intensity to daylight; this kind of light tells your brain that it’s time to be active and moving around.A couple relaxation techniques when it comes to technology: Put away your electronics at least an hour before bedtime (although two or three would be better). Use an app like f.lux to dim your screen and make its light less harsh as you’re ending your workday. Turn off most of the lights in your house after dinner, or replace them with much softer amber bulbs. Candles are also acceptable, especially if they smell nice. Try not to do anything too physiologically or psychologically stimulating in the few hours before bed. Instead, read (a paper book) or talk to a friend on the phone. The idea is to inform your body and brain that you intend to be asleep soon. Relaxation is more of a mental process than a physical one, but that doesn’t mean there is no physical component. Work on shifting your mindset to one of relaxation first, but be sure to follow up by being gentle to your body, too. (This is where tea and bubble baths might help.) Relaxation Technique 5: Get the next day ready Many hard-working people start to get stressed out in the evening as they think about all the stuff they have to do in the morning which hurts your ability to sleep well. Nip this habit in the bud and plan ahead in order to make your morning as easy as possible. You can do this easily and efficiently by employing two simple strategies. End Each Day by Planning for the Next One Set aside 30 minutes at the end of each work day to plan for tomorrow. If you can do it now instead of first thing in the morning, then do it!Pack your lunch, feed the cat, and put your freshly repacked bag of stuff in the car. The less you have to remember tomorrow morning, the more readily you can relax tonight.Master Your Morning RoutineHave a plan for the first hours of each day and take your time; you’ll find it much easier to relax at night knowing that the next morning is already squared away. Begin each day deliberately, slowly, and with purpose, even (especially) in the little details.- Ditch the cereal and muffins for breakfast, and give yourself a full hour to cook some steak and eggs, a veggie omelette, or even just heat up last night’s (protein and fat-rich) leftovers. Throw some butter in your coffee - it’s not as insane as it sounds. - While cooking (and eating) your delicious and healthy breakfast, watch an episode of your favorite TV show, read a chapter of a book, or just spend some time with your pets on the patio. Ease into the day with something you love, instead of a series of tasks you need to check off. - Get ready at a measured, relaxed pace. Running around trying to eat and shower in 15 minutes is already stressing you out first thing in the morning. Stop it! Tools & Takeaways There are any number of gadgets and strategies you might use to keep your new relaxation techniques on track; here are a few that I recommend.- Physical triggers, like the Breathe Band, are a great way of regularly checking in with yourself to be present, stay grounded & take a step back. - Set a “done for the day” alarm on your phone, and obey it! - A flexible calendar or to-do list - that is, one that doesn’t micromanage you or restrict you to time slots that aren’t easy to change. - The Self Journal is, of course, designed to keep you flexible but on task. - If you prefer a digital solution, Cozi’s to-do lists can be easily rearranged as your priorities shift. - Consider setting aside one or two days of the week, every week, where you don’t work at all. Having regular long breaks to look forward to is a great way to avoid burnout. Every time I wonder if something can really wait until Monday, it turns out that it totally can. - Schedule a weekly fun event with friends or family - a board game night, dinner at your favorite restaurant, or a round of golf. Making a commitment to yourself to relax is a great starting point; making such a commitment to other people reduces the temptation to flake on your own downtime. Think long-range and big picture. Success and prosperity are not defined by however you feel right this moment; each day of your life does not exist in a vacuum. The fact that something feels good doesn’t mean it’s actually good for you (so stop browsing Facebook in bed!). Using even just one of the relaxation techniques in this article will help you sustain your peak performance for longer. Always remember why you work to begin with: to master your goals and live the best life possible. Adding these relaxation techniques to your evening routine will have a surprisingly big impact on how you feel, function, and live.So how about it? What little (or big things) do you find yourself doing that make it hard to relax?

As someone who began practicing daily meditation about one year ago, I can attest that this practice can greatly improve productivity and career advancement. Meditation, when practiced readily, can remedy common and repetitive issues within professional life. As someone who began practicing daily meditation about one year ago, I can attest that this practice can greatly improve productivity and career advancement. Meditation, when practiced readily, can remedy common and repetitive issues within professional life. Before beginning to meditate daily, I struggled with procrastination, lack of focus, lackluster consistency of work product, poor time management and deficiency when handling stressful situations. A lack of mental clarity, which you might need to experience to fully understand, was similarly problematic. However, within a few weeks of finding my own daily meditation groove, these issues began to subside.After reading this article, we’re confident you’ll agree that daily meditation can help you reach your goals. You will also be able to take away suggestions regarding how to begin and stay on track. What does meditation do? Daily meditation is not something that will cause you to get rich quick. Its benefits do not reveal themselves after the first session, or even the first week, at least not very obviously. It is, on the other hand, an exercise that possesses as many advantages as the number of its practitioners.According to the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, 8 percent of Americans, or roughly 18 million individuals, meditate in the United States as of 2012.I can easily argue that over time, this practice dramatically improved my focus and productivity at work. Especially when I was able to determine the types of guided meditations that worked best for me. Some of the practical benefits I experienced within the first month of daily meditation included:Deeper self knowledge and clarity, leading to more accurate and self-honest planning,Improved time management through far better performance in the face of stressful or high-pressure situations.Mental clarity that elevated the quality of work product I put forth, specifically when it came to writing challenging articles.Research has shown that meditation can yield these and many other benefits among its loyal practitioners, so let’s back some of these arguments with factual evidence. How meditation can help you work better Meditation’s advantages are so often associated with purely health or spiritual applications. It can be difficult to see the practice as a career-driving force. Meditation’s impacts on the brain and their subsequent affectations of practitioners can help to understand its benefits in this context.Here are a few findings of note:According to the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a comparative study of meditators versus non-meditators found that the former group had “more folds in the outer layer of the brain,” which can indicate elevated mental capacity.The Washington Post interviewed Harvard Medical School neuroscientist Sara Lazar, who saw greater quantities of gray matter in certain parts of the brain among consistent meditators compared to control groups. She told The Post that another study revealed a thicker left hippocampus among meditators – a region associated with cognition, among other mental processes.An analysis of more than 18,000 studies that was published in JAMA Internal Medicine revealed that regular meditation can be used in efforts to reduce stress and other maladies in clinical patients.There are countless studies out there that either show the benefits of meditation, but what’s most important is whether meditation works for you. Whether you’re looking to improve your self-control during stressful moments on the job or strengthen your focus during major presentations, daily meditation may be your answer - but you’ll need to experiment to see how it works for you. How to get started with meditation First and foremost, you’ll only see the full benefits of meditation if you develop a routine around it & make it a habit. The idea is to train your brain, or even rewire it, to benefit your professional self, and that result will be unlikely at best if you do not establish a strong routine.I found that meditating right after my morning exercise worked best for me. Perhaps the afternoon or evening would work better for you. The type of meditation that you choose to practice will also determine the time of day that will be most effective. Mindfulness meditation, which focuses on the separation of the emotional, chemical and thoughtful elements of the psyche, worked best for me. The practice eliminated procrastination, improved focus and instilled more consistency into my work product throughout the week. With respect to intervals, 10-30 minutes, six days a week, has become my sweet spot of sorts.Notably, the benefits have snowballed over time, and I’ve gotten more mental clarity or an inability to handle stressful situations in stride for several months now. Those subtle changes led to a higher quality of output in fewer hours on the job. That led to improved work-life balance, better sleep and more satisfaction out of life.Since this is about self-improvement, you will need to determine the style, frequency and timing of meditation that works best for you. Keep in mind that daily meditation can prove to be that one practice that is minimally time-consuming and massively beneficial. Is meditation working for me? Meditation triggers slow, subtle changes in your mind and body. It’s important to track your progress to notice the benefits. This is especially important in the early stages when it can get discouraging when you don’t see benefits immediately. This is often where people drop off of their daily habit.Build a streak by checking off the days you meditate to help with building your daily habit. It can also be helpful to track the amount of time you meditate each day alongside your recordings of productivity. Then you will be able to compare and contrast with the right types of data at hand.Many meditation apps also offer tracking features (such as Headspace, Insight Timer and Stop, Breathe & Think) and take the least amount of effort to keep up with consistently.  As is the case with any attempt to improve the self, you will get what you put into meditation. Give meditation an honest shot - as mentioned above, the minimal time commitment can make a massive difference. Work to find your groove and keep with it over time, and you will see the rewards for yourself. Sources https://nccih.nih.gov/research/statistics/NHIS/2012/mind-body/meditationhttps://nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htmhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/05/26/harvard-neuroscientist-meditation-not-only-reduces-stress-it-literally-changes-your-brain/?utm_term=.8c2eb5d5134ehttps://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1809754http://mindworks.org/meditation-knowledge/top-10-celebrities-who-meditate/https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320392.phphttp://news.mit.edu/2011/meditation-0505https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170822104855.htmhttp://time.com/4645363/mindfulness-meditation-stress-anxiety-resilience/

When we do anything that we've never done before. There's always going to be an initial struggle.

Are you living a ‘groundhog day’ - where you run in circles as the days merge? It’s a common problem. When work takes the best of you, there’s no time or space to think. In turn, the other areas of your life get the leftovers – leaving you feeling short-changed, frustrated, and even resentful. Without work-life harmony, we’ll never be truly happy or successful. If you’re high on one part of life, but failing elsewhere, that lack of balance will throw you off. But how do you create the work-life harmony that ensures you win? Here are 19 suggestions to try. 19 ideas for creating work-life harmony today 1. Forget trying to achieve balance In the past, consensus was to create work-life balance - the idea of arranging your life so all areas feel equal. This practice sounds good in theory, but it’s harder to achieve in reality. There will be times when you have to work late just like there will be times when your relationship or hobbies needs your full attention. So forget balance, instead strive for work-life harmony. This principle gives you the flexibility to shift your focus where demand calls knowing that over time you can have it all. 2. Create a morning routine You get to choose how you start your day, so why not use this time to infuse your life with things you love. For example, journal for 15 minutes, workout for 30 minutes, meditate for 10 minutes, and read for 15 minutes. Mix and match activities that you love and ensure each day starts with a work-life win. 3. Find work that you love Imagine if work felt more like play than a forced hustle? Imagine if work became a playground for creativity, innovative problem solving, and meaningful conversation. It’s possible when you seek out work you genuinely enjoy rather than settling for a job that only pays the bills. When work isn’t compartmentalized, it’s easier to create more harmony in your life. 4. Spark meaningful conversations in your relationship When life gets busy, it’s hard to carve out quality time to talk. And when you’ve known someone forever, what do you talk about? When communication stops, intimacy plummets. If your relationship needs a little TLC, the conversation prompts inside the Intimacy Deck can work like magic. Use the 150 prompts to kick-start conversations that bring you closer and rekindle your passion. 5. Plan your day for work-life harmony Don’t use your daily planner to schedule work tasks and to-dos alone. Instead, plan everything that matters to you. Make time for that evening yoga class or post-lunch walk. Schedule uninterrupted time with your children or space for learning. If you don’t plan your day for work-life harmony, you won’t achieve it. True, you may get your work done, but everything else will get the leftovers. 6. Master your time When it comes to work-life harmony, time is your most valuable resource. It’s in finite supply, but if you allocate it wisely, you’ll free up the minutes you need to do more of the things that matter to you. Make it your goal to work smarter and not harder so you can do more in less time. Productivity practices and techniques can help you with this. For example, leverage deadlines, practice zero-hours scheduling, prioritize your tasks etc. Anything you do to stretch your time leaves you with more headroom to play with when creating work-life harmony. 7. Know where you’re at When you’re juggling a million and one priorities, it’s hard to find time to think. In turn, you can lose sight of how harmonious your life actually is. You can’t change what you don’t know you don’t know and knowledge is power. Once you acknowledge and accept that your finances or health is falling short, you’re empowered to do something constructive to transform your situation. The Self Planner includes a work-life Benchmark Tool. Use it to get clear on which areas of your life are working and which aren’t. 8. Discover what work-life harmony means to you It’s your life and your time, how do you want to spend it? What do you want to do more of and what do you want less of? For example, do you want more time to play and explore your hobbies and passions? Would you like more time to read, write, and explore new interests? Do you need more quality time for your partner, your children, or your friends? When you’re clear on what harmony looks like for you, it’s a lot easier to mastermind your time so you can make your vision a reality. 9. Set and achieve goals Do you know you’re falling behind in one area of your life? If so, set a goal - it’s something the Self Journal will help you do. Goals help direct your focus and inspire you to move the needle in an area you want to develop. Whether you want to write a book, lose weight, or grow your business, goals give you the momentum, confidence, and purpose you need to thrive. 10. Review your money habits Do your financials regularly cause you stress? If so, take some time to overhaul your approach and discover ways to save money, cut unnecessary spending, and get yourself into a healthier financial position. Discover how to mastermind financial goals here. 11. Try something new Humans are creatures of habit which means it’s easy to fall into a rut and get stuck in your comfort zone. Your comfort zone might feel safe, but it also gets stale, which in turn affects your happiness levels. Give yourself a boost by challenging yourself to try new things. For example, go to the theater alone, get lost somewhere on purpose, or see if you can spend $0 in three days. Thriving in discomfort and pushing yourself to do different not only builds your confidence, but it inspires you with new things to weave into your life. Want 150 comfort-busting challenges to try? If so, grab yourself a Courage Over Comfort card deck. 12. Write a bucket list Work-life harmony is about thriving not just surviving. That means giving yourself the space and time to live your life to the full. A bucket list is a great way to articulate the things you’d like to check off. From the places you want to go to the adventures you want to have, write a Bucket List and take the first step to making your dreams a reality. 13. Get to know yourself better How much time do you have for deep thinking and self-reflection? When you’re busy hustling and striking off to-dos, you forget to check in with yourself to see what you really want. Practices such as meditation and journaling can give you the headspace you need to get clear on what you desire. Meditation is a practice that not only calms your mind, but helps you tap into deeper level wisdom. In the same vein, journaling is a power practice that can unlock your inner thoughts so you can design your life more consciously. If the blank page scares you and you suffer from writer’s block, check out the WordSmith Deck. With 150 journaling prompts to explore, you’ll never be at a loss for words again. 14. Inspire yourself to think differently Work-life harmony is an ever-expanding challenge. As you grow, explore new things, or experience a significant life change, what you want shifts. But how do you capitalize on the opportunities that show up and the time you have? Ideas are your ticket forward. In fact, a single idea has the potential to change your life. Idea generation is a skill as well as a talent. To turn your brain into an idea-generation machine, use the Edison Deck. With 150 card prompts to spark innovative thinking, who knows how your future life could open up. 15. Make time for yourself If you spend all your time addressing other people’s priorities, your own desires and needs get pushed off. You can’t create work-life harmony if you don’t have quality time for yourself. So each day, ensure you schedule space in your calendar for you. Use this time to do something you enjoy. For example, draw, read, write, paint, dance - find your thing, do it, and watch your work-life harmony increase as a result. 16. Build new connections As social beings, we need to be surrounded by people whose company we enjoy. As Jim Rohn famously said, “you are the average of the five people you spend most of your time with”. If friendships is one area you’d like to work on, there’s plenty you can try. For example, host an event, join Facebook groups of like-minded people, attend a class - figure out what works best for you. And if you’re stuck for conversation starters, the Icebreaker Deck is the perfect pick. Instead of getting stuck in small talk and idle chit-chat, these powerful conversation prompts will inspire you to connect with people on a deeper level so you can get to know who they really are. 17. Master helpful habits You are the result of the things you do on autopilot. The more good habits you adopt, the better your life becomes. Whether you want to write more, move more, or increase your health, a habit tracker is a simple, but powerful tool to make habits stick. The Habit Roadmap is perfect for tracking three month’s worth of habits. Pin it up and check off each successful day to create a winning streak. 18. Write a prioritized to-do list Each day, you’re allocated 1,440 minutes a day. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live, everyone gets the same amount. It’s all too easy to squander time when we make unconscious decisions and put other people’s priorities above our own. In turn, important things get pushed and life falls out of balance. When you write a to-do list and prioritize it, you ensure the things that matter most to you happen. 19. Reflect, review, revisit Work-life harmony isn’t a one time job. Instead, it’s an ongoing process that twists and turns as your life priorities change. To stay on track, keep reviewing where you are. Revisit your work-life harmony benchmark to see how your scores increase. Review your definition of what work-life harmony means to you. Enhance your work-life harmony today When you create work-life harmony, you give yourself the space you need to think bigger and achieve more. How do you ensure you spend your life doing the things that matter most to you? Share your work-life harmony tactics in the comments below. And if you’re looking for tools to help you create work-life harmony, we’ve got you!

Are there things in your life that you’ve not yet achieved? Are there goals you want to set, places you want to visit, and personality traits you want to be? Here’s the thing… success doesn’t hit you like a bolt of lightning and it doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, success is a process that results from consistent action towards the things you want. If you want to be successful, then you have to build momentum and leverage it -- and that’s not easy! Why? Because the things you want exist outside your comfort zone. This means you must be be willing to take risks. You have to be prepared to thrive in discomfort and you need to get comfortable taking on things where the outcome is either unclear or uncertain. But if you can do these things, you’ll be able to confront your fears -- and beat them. If you can cultivate the courage to take action regardless, you’ll keep building the confidence that helps you win. It’s how you can be your best, achieve your goals, and create the life you really want. This is how fear gets in our way It’s one thing to think about taking action. It’s quite another to actually do it! But there’s no getting away from the truth... Whether you want to write a book, run a marathon, start a business, get promoted, buy your dream house, fulfill your bucket list, find a soulmate relationship -- or any one of an endless list of goals, you have to take action. It’s a non-negotiable. Sure, visualization will get you started by creating a clear vision of what you want in your head -- so you know where you’re headed. But you can’t make your goals physically tangible until you act. And that’s going to put you head to head with your fears. Whether fear gets you stuck or inspires you forward is a matter of mindset. It’s easy to get frustrated with yourself when your fears get in the way, but remember your fears do serve a valuable purpose. Fear is a red flag that warns you of potential danger. It’s a survival instinct that links to the archaic brain, which responded to help us cope with life-threatening situations. That’s what the gnawing feeling in your gut and anxiety in your chest is all about. It’s a reminder that you’re facing the unknown. That you’re stretched beyond what you know and what you think you can handle. In this way, fear puts the brakes on your actions and gives you a breather -- so you can better assess your next steps. In other words, fear helps you better analyze the situation and scenario you’re facing so you can make the right choice going forward. In short, fear in and of itself is not a bad thing -- because it helps to keep you safe. What matters is how you handle fear when it shows up. The worlds most successful people know how to differentiate between ‘real’ danger and ‘perceived’ danger. Real danger is a threat to life. It’s what our fear response is designed to do -- help us escape from sabre tooth tigers and survive in a harsh environment. Nowadays, we’re unlikely to get chased by an angry bear! Instead, it’s perceived fears that stop us. For example, we talk ourselves out of taking action because we’re worried about: - How others will judge us - What people will think if we fail - That we’ll get it wrong or screw it up In other words, most of the time the fear that holds us back is rooted in an internal dialogue in our heads. And this dialogue works to keep us small and stuck in what we know. And even if we know this intellectually, it’s still a challenge to break out -- but not impossible. Did you know there are TWO ways to push through your fears -- so you can take action regardless? 1. Take a giant leap I’ve always wanted to do a parachute jump. It’s something I thought would be pretty cool so when an opportunity came up to do one for charity, I jumped at it (excuse the pun!) I don’t especially like flying, so when the big day came I did get a little bit freaked out at the prospect of jumping 12,000 ft out of an aeroplane. I was going tandem, so I didn’t have to worry about remembering to pull a cord or anything, but I was terrified that the parachute wouldn't open. But I was committed and felt strangely calm when I was asked to move to the side of the plane ready for the freefall. Then the next second, I was out in the air, plummeting to the ground at terminal velocity and having the time of my life. When it comes to your fears, sometimes you have no choice but to take massive action. For example, there is no halfway house with a parachute jump. You can’t step out of the plane and then jump back in again. It’s all or nothing. You’re either all in or you’re not doing it at all. And sometimes that’s exactly what’s called for. And the payback for your bravery is HUGE! When I landed safely back on the ground after that jump I was absolutely ecstatic. I felt unstoppable and I felt like a hero [especially when my 4-year-old daughter put a medal around my neck!] My fears were blown apart and in that moment I knew I could do anything. But you don’t need to rely on giant leaps alone to expand your comfort zone. There’s another way to face your fears and grow exponentially that doesn’t feel half as terrifying. It’s called baby steps. 2. Take baby steps You may not be able to climb Everest tomorrow, but you could walk a mile. A keynote speech in front of 2,000 people may be more than intimidating, but you could start with a Facebook live. Writing an entire book may feel impossible, but you could start by publishing a post on social media. For all your BHAGs, there are baby steps you could take today that would nudge you a little bit closer. Find the courage to take a baby step every single day, and after a week, a month, 6 months, a year -- how much closer will you be to your goal? That’s the power of chunking down your big plans into tiptoes and then taking consistent daily action. You cultivate a habit of implementation and you start to see yourself as an action-taker who’s prepared to step up and do what it takes to succeed. Every time you move forward, your confidence grows that little bit more as your comfort zone expands. And as your confidence and comfort zone expands, you feel ready to take on more. You’ll WANT to do more! You’ll also train your mind that discomfort doesn’t have to be scary. As you relish in the resulting personal growth, you’ll start to feel safer taking risks. Commit to this baby step strategy and completely overhaul what you think you’re capable of. Beware! It’s a strategy that’s going to make you think bigger and motivate you to take on bigger things! Life happens outside your comfort zone. Every time you say YES to the uncomfortable, you grow. Every time you put courage over comfort, you make it easier to face your fears so you can be your best. Every time you take action in spite of your fears, you are being your best. So how can you cultivate your courage muscle - so you can feel more comfortable around fear and take action to be your best self? The simple answer is to create a diet of uncomfortable actions. In other words, make it a habit to put courage over comfort EVERYDAY. These uncomfortable actions don’t have to be related to your specific goal - in fact, the more unrelated, the better. That’s because unrelated challenges get you familiar with the feeling of being uncomfortable. They force you to engage in things where you don’t know the outcome, which empowers you to be more open, pliable, and adaptable in the face of change and uncertainty. Introducing Courage over Comfort A Momentum Challenge Sign up for the challenge, and each day we’ll invite you to try something new - so you can stretch your comfort zone, thrive in discomfort, and be your best self. This challenge is a fun, yet powerful way to prioritize your own personal growth and it costs just $29 to take part. You won’t do this challenge alone. Instead, you’ll join a group of other high-achievers who all have the same goals as you. Don’t underestimate the value of public accountability in getting you to step up! The next Courage over Comfort challenge starts on the 1st of the month and you can sign up here. REMEMBER… You can do so much more than you currently think possible. None of those high achieving people you admire are any better than you. Instead, they’ve simply cultivated their courage muscle -- so they’re able to step up and take the necessary actions to achieve their goals. You can do the same when you prioritize courage over your comfort.

If you want to be your best self, you better get some sleep! That’s because sleep is an essential part of human health that helps regulate the body’s systems and update the brain. The real question is are you getting enough? If you skimp on sleep you’re not alone. While it’s recommended that adults receive 7-9 hours of sleep every night, only about 60% of Americans actually do. It’s easy to see why... When you’re hustling towards your goals and working to tick off ever growing to-do lists, it’s tempting to pull late nighters and clock up extra hours. This habit may give you a short-term win, but it could harm you long-term. Sleep deficiency is a real problem that affects your performance, your health, and your wellbeing. So if you regularly feel exhausted and know you’re almost running on empty, keep reading. In this article you’ll discover the dramatic impact on your life and wellbeing that you can expect when you catch a few more ZZZZZs. We’ll also share some top tips to help you get enough quality sleep - so you can show up as your best self day after day. 1. Improved heart health Your body uses sleep time to rest, repair, and recuperate - just one of the reasons why sufficient sleep is key. Quality sleep has also been linked to improved overall health, including a decreased risk of obesity, stroke, and diabetes. Its effect on heart health, however, can’t be overstated. Sleep deficiency has been linked to higher blood pressure and risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. For optimal heart health, it’s important to get the right amount of sleep for you. 2. Better productivity You can’t do your best work or be your best self if you’re struggling to concentrate and your mind’s a fog. But that’s what lack of sleep does… it negatively impacts your focus and concentration, which can decrease your work efficiency. Tiredness makes it hard to focus on a task or get into your deep work zone. If you can’t concentrate or focus you won’t finish tasks on time and that can knock your schedule out and force you to play catch-up. Tiredness also causes mental fatigue which can impede decision making and reduce your response times. Sleep rests your mind as well as your body. So get enough sleep to give you the mental fuel you need to keep living your life to the full. 3. More creativity Your ability to create has a big impact on your life. Switch on your creative muscles and you can solve bigger problems, create unique products, and explore the depths of your imagination. It’s how creativity as a skill can help you with your goals, your career, your business… in fact every part of your life. There’s proof that abstract problem-solving and reasoning skills are heightened after a good night’s sleep. In fact, creativity is often at its peak early in the morning, as close to REM sleep as possible. So don’t undermine your ability to be creative by starving yourself of sleep. In fact, sleep may actually help deliver the exact answer you’ve been looking for. Ever ‘slept’ on a problem only to wake up with the solution? With your subconscious free to roam free when you’re asleep, you never know what you’ll wake up with. 4. Boosted mood Inadequate sleep has been found to increase anxiety levels, feelings of laziness, and irritability. In fact, 45 percent of American adults report that they feel more stressed when they get less sleep. High-quality sleep can have restorative effects on an individual’s mood, making it easier to cope with change and new problems. This can make it easier to not only have a more positive outlook, but also produce higher-quality work and develop closer relationships. How to get better sleep Want to know how to sleep better and deeper and wake up more refreshed? Here are some top tips to help you do just that. - Reflect on your day. After a busy, full on day take 5 minutes to reflect on what’s happened and how it’s made you feel. Remember to celebrate your wins and get clear on the lessons you’ve learned. Closing out your day with a gratitude practice is another powerful way to shift your focus from negative to positive thoughts and get your head space in the right place to relax. - Unwind. Stress can be a major sleep inhibitor. Take control of your worries and find your preferred method of self-care. Meditating, reading, or journaling your thoughts can all help your mind and body relax and get ready for sleep. - Get comfortable. Lack of comfort is one of the most commonly reported sleep disruptions for adults. If you struggle sleeping through the night, keep your bedroom cool, invest in a better mattress and use blankets that will keep you cozy, but not too hot. - Keep your room quiet. Whether you have a snoring partner, noisy neighbors, or a nocturnal pet, it’s crucial that your sleeping environment is noise-free. Use some comfortable earplugs or a white noise machine to cancel out any distractions that might prevent you from falling asleep. - Establish a sleep routine. It’s important to keep your sleep cycles on a consistent pattern. Try not to stay up late or sleep in too much over the weekends, and definitely don’t rely on the end of the workweek to catch up on your ZZZ’s. Missing an hour or two every now and then can have a surprising impact on your body’s rest and sleep cycle.   While these recommendations are important, it’s crucial to adapt them to your own sleep needs. So how are you going to cater these tips to lead a healthier life? Or, what steps have you already taken to get more restful sleep?

Getting sick is one of the biggest productivity killers out there. It’s one thing when you lack motivation the complete your goals — there are strategies you can use to overcome that. But the only thing you can do when you’re sick is to seek medical treatment and wait for your health and wellness to improve. In the process, you can potentially lose days of productive time that you can never get back. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And that’s what we’re going to cover in this article: how to boost your health and wellness so that you keep from getting sick in the first place. We’ll adopt a holistic approach to health and wellness, considering mental health as well as physical. As anyone who’s struggled with mental illness knows, it’s just as serious and debilitating as any physical illness. 1. Keep Your Immune System Strong Keeping your immune system healthy will protect you from common illnesses like the flu and the common cold. We recommend the following to keep your body’s natural defenses at their best: Get Plenty of Sleep Sleep isn’t just crucial for feeling alert and being able to perform at your best. It’s also when your body repairs and strengthens itself for the day to come. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body doesn’t produce as many infection-fighting antibodies, leaving you vulnerable to viruses and increasing the amount of time it takes for you to recover if you do get sick. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that healthy adults get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. However, the amount that’s right for you will vary and is very personal. One person might feel well-rested after six hours, while another might need as many as 10 (particularly if performing high levels of physical activity). You should experiment to see how much you need to feel well-rested and aim for whatever that number is. You can even use your daily journal to track how the amount of sleep you get affects your health and productivity over time. Take Breaks to Reduce Stress Excessive stress can weaken your immune system, particularly over time. Therefore, it’s critical that you limit the amount of stress you’re under as much as possible, or at least find healthy ways to manage the stress you experience. One of the best ways to reduce stress is to give yourself a break. Instead of grinding away at a project for hours on end, step away from it every hour or so. The exercise is good for your body, of course, but the mental break will also do wonders for lowering your stress levels and giving you time to think through the project. Go Easy on the Antibacterial Products While we’re not going to tell you to stop washing your hands, there is a point at which you can be too concerned about germs, killing the good bacteria with the bad. That’s right — there is such a thing as “good” bacteria. These good bacteria live in and on our bodies, helping to crowd out harmful bacteria and maintain equilibrium. However, when you go overboard with hand sanitizers or other antibacterial products, you can disrupt this delicate equilibrium. Therefore, we recommend using them only when you’ve been exposed to something that harbors harmful bacteria, such as live animals or waiting room chairs at the doctor’s office. 2. Schedule Annual Checkups How you feel is an accurate barometer for your personal health, but you should also consult with a healthcare professional to make sure you don’t have any undiagnosed health issues without obvious symptoms. An annual checkup is the best way to do this. Find a doctor with whom you can be open about the current state of your health and lifestyle. Make sure you feel comfortable asking honest questions about your health. Going to the doctor isn’t fun, but doing it once a year can help you avoid more serious medical conditions that could impact your productivity over the longer term. 3. Take Mental Health Seriously We’ve been talking a lot so far about stereotypical “physical” illnesses, but mental illnesses deserve just as much attention. Depression, for example, can make it harder to work than many physical illnesses, and it can go on for much longer. Therefore, it’s crucial that you view your mental and behavioral health with the same priority as your physical health. If you are struggling with a mental health concern, then you should seek out counseling services or another mental health professional to advise you on treatment options. 4. Consult Reliable Sources for Health Information Since health is such a major concern for everyone alive, the amount of health information is vast, especially online. While more information might seem like a positive thing, the reality is that the overproduction of health-related online content can make it difficult to separate the accurate information from the inaccurate and pseudoscientific. To be sure that you’re getting the best information possible, we recommend that you only consult reliable public health resources. Here are some of the best: Mayo Clinic — Mayo Clinic is a network of nonprofit hospitals that specialize in treating rare medical conditions. Their website contains a vast breadth of reliable health information on both health and wellness. CDC — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have accurate, up-to-date information on a variety of health conditions, including symptoms and tips for prevention. MentalHealth.gov — A mental health resource from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with information on symptoms of common mental health conditions and how to get free help. 5. Seek Professional Medical Care When Necessary Even when you’re doing your best to stay well, illnesses and injuries are a part of life. In these cases, you should seek out professional medical care as soon as you can. Don’t let a minor illness get out of hand — better to consult a doctor about it early on than to have it spiral into something that takes you out of work for weeks. We know it can be tempting to put off going to the doctor, especially if you’re an entrepreneur paying for your own insurance coverage (which could come with higher deductibles). But your health is of immeasurable value — don’t neglect it because of financial concerns. Preserve Your Health and Wellness We hope that the strategies we’ve discussed in this article will help you maintain the health and wellness that are so essential to your professional success and overall quality of life. As we mentioned in the previous section, you should always consult a medical professional when it comes to health concerns — take online resources (like this article) as a general guide only. Wishing you good health!