Finances, relationships, career, social life, whatever; if we don’t have a commitment to manage these areas of our life, it’s only a matter of time before fear seeps in to chip away at productivity, mental clarity and peace of mind. With so many areas of life demanding attention, it’s wise to have a system to maintain each of them. Discovering which areas need hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly attention and blocking out time to invest in them will help you govern over them with excellence, confidence and energy. Start managing what’s not being managed today.

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Image a life habit of taking shortcuts in contrast to doing it right: Idiot vs. genius is as simple as I can put it. I must admit however, there’s an adrenalin rush that comes from discovering and implementing a shortcut. But nine times out of ten the rush of adrenalin turns to a rush of panic and a strong regret for not having done what I knew needed to be done in the first place. I’m all for efficiency, but these days I’m more about effectiveness, results and keeping relationships intact. Odds are that doing it right will always be more effective, profitable and fulfilling than gambling with the temptation on impatience. Take the time to do it right today!

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With their pessimism and negative attitude, casually or seriously negative people bring a little hopelessness everyday to those around them. Even without words a mere posture of pessimism has a polarizing affect on people, projects and progress. It’s wise to note that at any given moment, we’re being optimistic, pessimistic or neutral. Neutral people, although better than pessimists have a negative impact, as a “non-committed” stance inspires no one, and over time will sabotage possibility. Pessimists inhibit all things, leaving the only meaningful posture to have: Be the optimist in your world today.

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Our personal will isn’t a bad thing, but when it becomes unbendable or self-righteous it can become a destroyer of relational progress and perhaps the relationship itself. It helps to accept that in almost every conflict, both parties contribute to the problem at different levels at different times. So during conflict, our will should be focused on making a difference, not making them pay; taking responsibility and not taking advantage; and getting it right, not always needing to be right. Make sure your will works positively today.

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The value of time is not measured by our perception of it, it is measured clearly by how we participate in the time we’ve been given. Stewarding over our time by living out our dreams, making an impact in the world, and giving of ourselves all have a unique ability; that which may increase the value of a moment. Through time it has been shown that a day may take place in an effective hour and an hour in a productive minute. Yet time is black and white, nothing gray; that which is lost may never be regained. Use your time wisely today.

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My dad used to say, “In order to just stand still son, you have to be growing.” He also used to say, “Go mow the lawn,” but that’s another story. Humans were not meant to stop growing and in today’s fiercely competitive world, it’s evident that if you’re not moving to the next level mentally, physically, relationally or corporately, you can get stuck and the step to the next level becomes that much higher. The biggest trap of sitting at a level for too long is looking back on what you achieved, and before too long your future will look like the past that has lost all its impact. Move to the next level today.

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We all have strengths. But how is it strengths can cause such grief? One with the gift of control can manage things well, but can easily become a control-freak by micro-managing people and process. Great analytical minds can over-think themselves into analysis paralysis. The strength of communication can talk too much. The strength of caring for others can go too far and ignore one’s own basic needs. Bottom-line: The strengths you have need to be governed as they are dangerous when they go too far. Today, ask yourself if your strengths are bringing life, or creating strife.

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There’s a conflict, then there’s a true cause. For example, when an employee isn’t performing and I confront them, is it them, or that I haven’t trained them, inspired them with vision, and supported them with what they need to succeed? It’s often the latter. Then there’s Kitt, my lovely wife who gets upset when I leave my clothes on the floor too often, and rightfully so. The real issue isn’t the clothes. It’s that I don’t value her commitment to keep the house clean. Most people avoid conflict like they avoid telemarketers. We should learn to embrace it, improve our skills in it, and use opportunities to help resolve it. Look past the conflict into what’s really going on today!

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One thing is certain. Every measure of peace, joy and prosperity in relationships lays in wait per our commitment to serve into them. Whether business, family, friends, even strangers; bringing value to others has a unique way of coming back to us in multiples. It’s not always instant, which stops many a visionless giver, but those with long-sighted thinking know that when they wake up, they either contribute something into the world that day or take something out of it. They’re clear that the result of giving is much more rewarding than living in a taking posture. Who will you create value for today?

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Ideas are easy, and for some, new ones hit with amazing frequency. Execution of those ideas is another story. Most ideas fail due to lack of focus. I call it medicating one’s self distraction; avoiding the pain it takes to turn a single vision into a successful reality. To be a relevant visionary means bringing at least one idea to full maturity so other ideas that follow have a clear path to success. Unfinished ideas can reduce our confidence, resources, and the clarity of future vision. What is distracting you from you vision today?

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Outcomes that result from waiting in lines; new client acquisition, marriage, multi-million dollar deals, deep friendships, new resources, vendors, and the list goes on – like the line. Think about it. Your audience is captive, they can’t get away from you, they’re bored stiff, and perhaps willing to talk. The question is who will start? I got news for you. They won’t. People today are pretty shut down to opening up conversations, but are willing to talk if you start one. You never know where it may lead. You may score big, or go bust. But one thing is for sure; lines move a lot quicker when you’re talking. Strike up a conversation in line today.

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Letting anger run freely is a choice and is generally a self-focused activity that provides an excuse to behave poorly and be self-righteous. Anger clouds thinking so intensely that we lose the clarity needed to deal with the issues at hand. Anger happens, and in a quick release, it’s healthy. But holding onto it is our call. Anger stores in the body, just like fat, that’s where angry people come from. They hold onto anger, then become it. The idea we can “get angry and get past it” makes anger a learned skill to move from a state of emoting to a commitment of reconciliation. Control your anger, don’t let it control you today.

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The heart, the gut, the instinct, whatever you call it, it’s that innate thing you know defines the “true you” in the midst of a decision. It goes against the “needing other’s approval, playing it safe, not wanting to make a mistake” stigma that throws us into a tentative, dispassionate state-of-mind. So what’s the upside of following your heart? If you succeed, which you’ll do more often, you’ll confirm the approach, experience more joy, and life will have more depth. If you fail, you’ll learn from it only to go with your heart and a bit more wisdom the next go-around. Go with your heart today.

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Due to heightened stress levels that come with economic downturns, we sometimes choose to work on what we like to do, or is easy to do, rather than the work we should be doing. It’s the illusion that “busyness equals productivity.” The truth is, there are dozens of distractions that we can medicate ourselves with, but usually just a few things that will get us to where we need to be. Times like these demand focus on the critical work despite inconvenience or difficulty; they also demand that we count the price we will pay if we don’t step up and work on what’s important instead of what’s comfortable. Identify what’s critical today, get busy, stay focused and reap the reward.

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From “If I had the foresight to see the stock market crash,” to “If I’d done a little more research, my computer would fit my needs,” hindsight is often regret in disguise; and regret happens largely because we get complacent. We glaze over the details, we fear asking the hard questions, we avoid confrontation, and hope things will just take care of themselves. I call it A.P.D.A.S. Auto Pilot Discomfort Avoidance Syndrome. Fact is, hindsight is overrated, and foresight grossly underworked, as is our discipline to access the people and resources available to avoid the pain of that dreaded hindsight. You need foresight today. Go get it!

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Beth Moore put it brilliantly when she said, “if your past is still haunting you, don’t kid yourself, it’s not your past that’s haunting you, it’s your present.” Blaming the past is an overused strategy to escape dealing with present circumstances and to avoid dealing with the short-term pain needed to push through those circumstances. Although some PhD’s will disagree, I believe it’s our past that forms our inclinations and our viewpoints, but the present and future are clearly determined by our choices and our commitment to deal with our issues in the NOW. Shatter life’s rearview mirror today.

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Teamwork is great, but teamwork is a liability if it’s not the right team. Effective brain-trust isn’t about the quantity of heads but quality of heads at the table. Assembling the wrong team causes strife, competition, chaos and the quick demise of the team that should never have been fused, and it only takes one bad apple in the meeting to polarize the room. The wisdom of assembling the right team is in the discernment. Well-formed teams are fun, productive, encouraging and challenging in a healthy way. Pick your team members with great care today.

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Fact: If someone’s offending you, they’re afraid of something; losing something or getting something they don’t want. If you can discover the fear that’s provoking the offender, you won’t be wrapped up in being offended, but will reside in a place of empathy, compassion and strength. You’ll be able to think clearly on how to help them out of their fear, or even how you may have caused the fear – both which are the beginning of reconciliation. If by whatever means, you can look through the lens of grace, and not judgment, you’ll not only avoid being indifferent toward them, you’ll be improving your relationship with them. Look at peoples issues discerningly, not emotionally.

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It’s easy to go into lazy mode after you do something big for someone. In some way, we think doing “a big thing” for someone buys us time to go back into a relationally comatose state for a while. But to keep relationships growing, let alone going, the details are what matter; the little things that let others know we legitimately care about them. It’s the little touch-points – the love note on the fridge, the, “no honey, I’ll bring dinner home tonight,” or, “don’t worry about that, I’ll take care of it for you,” that make others.. and you, feel honored, loved and appreciated. Do a few little things for someone today.

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In my early years, I was so distracted during conversations that I often failed to track with what the other person was saying. The result was always a disjointed, awkward response or clumsy redirect, only to do it again after their next response. Tragic! Today, I notice that people are well pleased when I stay within the frame of the conversation in contrast to nervously switching to the “me” show; an empty stage where I alone have a disconnected one-way monologue, and no one claps. In fact, no one’s really there, but me. Don’t miss the value of being “all in” during conversations today.

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Meditation isn’t just a yoga thing. It’s about taking quiet moments during the day so you can think clearly and strategically about your relationships, business, next steps or life vision. It doesn’t mean getting into a trance-like state, it simply means to think deeply on something, and the deeper the better. The practice of this discipline is strong enough to eliminate the unproductive, stressful way we sometimes deal with things. It’s about bringing foresight, wisdom and strategy into situations rather than just reacting.Think deeply and quietly about something important today!

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I was talking with a psychologist friend over lunch and asked, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if during a patient session you didn’t make one statement, but simply asked all the right questions? Then after the patient answered all your questions, they got it, and were on the path to recovery?” He laughed then replied, “The skill of questioning is the top skill for anyone looking to have impact with others.” Providing someone with the space to discover and voice their own revelations is wisdom at its finest. Our ability to “strategically inquire” is a learned skill that will pay a lifetime of emotional, relational, and financial dividends. Try asking questions rather than making statements today.

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I was once asked to write my own epitaph. The exercise of putting finiteness on my life forced me to think with a sense of urgency, not the day-to-day vagueness I sometimes live in. I call it the trap of “I’ve got plenty of time.” Actually, we don’t. While writing, I became keenly aware of what I would have achieved in life, who I would have influenced, what dreams I would have fulfilled, my legacy, down to who showed up at my funeral, what my family and friends said there, or didn’t say about my impact in life… even so far as was my funeral an acknowledgment of death or celebration of a life? Spend some time thinking about your legacy today, it will bring possibilities to life.

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One of the Greek meanings of the word “blessed” implies being stretched to the widest point; stretched as in going beyond what you think you’re capable of. It implies that in doing so there is great blessing, growth, and progress that come with it. Although stretch requires risk, it also implies that the value of the stretch will supersede downsides if you happen to fail. FDR nailed it, when he said, “Success is going from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Therein is your assurance that going beyond what you think is possible is the real measure of success. Will you or will you not outperform yourself today?

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I’ve come to learn that no matter how brilliant a statement, nothing is more brilliant in conversation than a simple response to what is being said. And nothing is more stupid than thinking of what you’re going to say next or moving to your own agenda. There seems an odd pressure at times to rip through conversations rather than letting them unfold effortlessly. Removing agenda from conversations that create the rapport and trust needed for agendas to be heard anyway. They are foundational.Listen closely and you’ll respond brilliantly today!

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Among the most impactful conversations we have in life are the ones we have with ourselves. They influence every area of our life… powerfully! The little voice in our head is always talking, but the question; is it encouraging or discouraging, creating fear or confidence, peace or anxiety, focus or distraction? The mind like any muscle needs exercise to change the way it works for you, and minds left on autopilot will eventually run out of fuel or crash. We act out life based on what we think, but spend little time re-engineering our thought life. Change the way you talk to yourself today. The return is astounding.

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Ahh, little white lies; the only thing little is the person delivering them! But can we be 100% honest? I believe most things exist in percentages, and that we are at a percentage of truth during every conversation… a 100% down to 0%. People of character are willing to consistently risk high levels or total honesty to drive realization, transformation, and progress. But you can’t always just vomit truth. Certain truths must be delivered with grace, compassion and care. Truth will always bring value when one reflects deeply on when, where and how best it will be received. Speak the truth with care today.

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They say we can’t tell a book by its cover. People are much the same way. Until we discover a bit, we never really know the whole picture do we? Yet we tend to judge people. We throw their book away or put it aside as we look at them with our own lens of how they feel to us, not what is possible through us. Intermittently we ignore our capacity to draw out the beauty in people – their story, their life, their value. The true genius in relationship is simply one who shows interest in others, and whether brief, or time spent, does so knowing there is value in everyone… if discovered. Read a few lines of someone’s life today.

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Note the word “give” in forgiveness. It implies that in order to forgive someone, we must take something away from ourselves; things like bitterness, resentment, hostility, and the idea of using the offense as a weapon, (you know, those little digs or the common, “but you did x.”) To forgive is to never bring it up again… ever! The grander opportunity rests in letting offenses go completely; being free from their stronghold on our heart and mind. On our deathbed, nobody’s offenses will matter one bit, and holding onto them will only get us there that much sooner. Who do you need to forgive today?

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The outcome of every meeting you lead and its impact on your personal brand hinges on preparation… relevant preparation. Getting clear about who you’ll be (you posture or way of being) in a meeting is more significant than what you’ll say. Being resolute about what you’re committed to cause in the room is more important than how polished you’ll be. How much you care for others in the room dwarfs how well your presentation looks. Lastly, how clear you are about the next steps after the meeting, are equally as important to the steps you took walking in. Prepare, for a better meeting today.

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I once told a guy that he didn’t keep his commitments because he cared more about comfort than he cared about people. He said, “I care, but I simply forget.” He conceded. With today’s frenetic life pace, it’s excusable to forget a thing or two. It’s not excusable if you ignore the opportunity to develop a reliable system to remind you. Some people like to write, others go digital. Regardless of method, your integrity and your reputation rest of you keeping your commitments; even the small ones that often slip through the cracks. Set up a dependable system to keep track of your commitments today.

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Effective delegation is progress. But most delegation is missing the “inspiration component,” adding just another task to someone’s already long list. Most delegations are set up to lose because we rush and don’t deliver the little extras needed to set the other up to win. The result? They walk away confused, even angry. The little extras include choosing the right person for the task, specifics of the desired outcome, sharing the value of the task and in some cases why you chose them. The icing on the cake is acknowledging a job well done. Delegate to inspire today!

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It’s all but a fact that everyone would like to be a better, more strategic communicator, but to be a master of conversation has little to do with making brilliant statements every time. Most of us aren’t that smart, or quick. What makes a conversationalist brilliant is asking great questions… a learned skill. Questions are safe, they create insight, and they uncomplicated and improve conversations… instantly. It’s almost amazing how much more interesting people find you when you ask relevant questions. Never underestimate the “gift” of a good question. Talk less, learn more, ask great questions today.

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I’ve always been fascinated with the delusion that comes with the New Year. Too many people place a mystical emphasis on this event to give them the discipline to conquer the world. Fact is, a new year’s resolution is a good thing, but it can take place any day of the year. Pick a day, today perhaps, mark 365 days out and there, now you can try once more for that elusive New Year’s Resolution. It is new, and it’s a year. But don’t think the clock, the date, or the years is going to give you the strength to do it. That’s a gift you can only give yourself. It’s where self-defeat turns to a self-discipline and self-denial will turn to self-respect. Make a year-long resolution any day.

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Being late to a meeting without notification in advance directly reflects how I care for that person or group. Lateness is a habit, and albeit a seemingly innocent one, it is a leader in creating frustration and anxiety in others as well as ourselves. We all know there are meetings we’ll never be late for and ones that rank low on the, “get there on time” scale. But if we realized our reputation, character and influence were declining each time we were late without notice, we’d design our lives for timeliness, not flakiness. The caring is in the details, value other’s time today.

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Conversational complacency is commonplace today. The empty pleasantries of dancing on the surface of people’s lives seem the norm, when real richness exists in engaging at a deeper, more intimate level. For example, when I talk with strangers, sometimes I’ll ask,” So what’s your vision in life?” They may look puzzled at first, but often start talking openly about their life, dreams and realities. Although it’s just a few minutes of conversation, I get to encourage them in their vision and make a positive difference in the process. Take your conversations to a deeper level today.

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Mistakes can be costly – very costly. But with a little inquiry there is comfort knowing we have access to talented people who can help us avoid expensive learning lessons or wallet openers. Through leveraging our network we ALL have access to world-class knowledge in every category of life. Unfortunately, our pride or laziness can get in the way of us getting the insights we need. A little work and humility pales in comparison to the price we pay to remain ignorant to the things which we could easily learn. Identify a challenge and get some wisdom today.

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One of the reasons I started writing ShiftPoints was to challenge myself to communicate more effectively with fewer words. As a marketing writer and writer of various business publications, I was often criticized for verbosity. Since writing ShiftPoints, I’ve been working to bring my communication to a new level of brevity and clarity. I’m more selective about the words I use, I think more before I speak or write, and I’m more aware of other’s time and attention span… lucky for them. Challenge yourself to say more with less today!

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If we invested as much time thinking of ways to bless those in our lives as we do brushing our teeth each day, our relationships would grow in amazing ways. Showers, drive-time, waiting in line, eating, (and yes, even potty time) are all great opportunities to think of ways to bring much needed innovation and implementation into our relationships. We typically waste these idle time periods drifting between thoughts until the idle time is done with no real productivity anyways. Build a little purpose into your idle time today!

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Ever conversed with someone who lives in the past? Draining, isn’t it? How about someone too caught up in their future? Hard to keep up, yes? Now how about someone who makes you feel like you’re the only one on the planet when you’re in their presence? Rare, yes! Inspiring, absolutely. It takes great focus, care and discipline to stay present with people. But the payoff is big. You create rapport, trust, and opportunity. People leave the conversation feeling valued, you leave it feeling honorable, fulfilled and knowing you did the right thing. Be fully present with others today.

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The impact of failure lasts but a moment, but the fear of risking failure lasts a lifetime. Every week that goes by without risk will build the walls of limitation a little bit higher. Risking is very much like exercising. The atrophy of our confidence sets in if we are not taking risks on a regular basis. If we are not consistently stretching ourselves to increase our capacity, the confidence-equity from past successes will dwindle into a lifestyle of playing not-to-lost in contrast to playing-to-win. You’re keenly aware of the risks in your life. Take one today!

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Living a life of doing just enough to get by can have on stuck in just that – just getting by. In contrast, going beyond what is expected in all areas of life, although a bit more work, can form a habit that actually makes life easier, not harder, more rewarding, less stressful and more enjoyable at every level. The value for yourself and others when you go beyond expectations is worth the stretch and in the process, you’ll strengthen your character, confidence and conviction while being an inspiration to those around you. Do that little extra today.

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The most overlooked and effective stress reduction remedy is instantly accessible, doesn’t require a prescription, and last I checked, it’s free: breathing. Most people function in “shallow breathing mode,” an unhealthy mode driven by the intense pace of life, not the pace of healthy breathing. While sitting, take a couple minutes and in a controlled manner, breathe in for 12 seconds to full lung capacity, hold for 12, breathe out for 12 seconds and hold exhalation for 4, then repeat 2 more times, and you’ll see. Write yourself a note to breathe deeply today.

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Believe it or not, there’s a little bit of “funny” in just about everyone. And although we may never make it to comic status, we each have the capacity to contribute humor in our own way. For example, I can’t tell jokes very well, but I can be witty at times. In fact, one out of every three attempts gets a real good response. I just have to pay the price of the two misses, as do others. The fact is, the one win is worth it, and I believe the other two aren’t as bad as I make them out to be. People appreciate when you try and are humored by failure or success. Use your unique humor to make someone laugh today.

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From time to time I run into people who take life a little too lightly and themselves… way too seriously. Taking life seriously, which is great stewardship, requires we live out life with a sense of urgency, putting ourselves in vulnerable or risky situations where from time-to-time we’ll fall short, get it wrong, look bad and the like. This is where the “take yourself lightly” comes in. It’s a humble posture that will improve performance in every aspect of life, and will knock down the stress level a few notches. Have some grace on yourself today!

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I often hear people say, “I’m horrible at names.” I reply, “Considers that you’re as good as you choose to be.” I go on to ask, “If there were a million dollars on the line and all you had to do is remember someone’s name, would you succeed?” The answer is always, “Yes!” So somewhere between “it doesn’t matter much” and “a million dollars” our priority is revealed. This simply means we’re capable, but choose not to. The value in remembering people’s names is among the highest social rewards that exist. Google – “remembering people’s names,” and learn about strategies for success today.

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If you measured how much of your thought-life is caught up in what others think of you, you’d come up with a percentage. It’s human nature. But when other’s approval becomes a source of anxiety, insecurity and self-focus, taking away precious mental energy, it’s time to re-think the value of that attention. Once, I pictured myself lying in my grave asking: “Was all the concern and distraction I experienced being wrapped up in other’s perception of me worth it, and did it add value to my life?” The answer was no and I realized hindsight can be 20/20, even if imagined. Freely be you today!

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Half-truths, partial-truths, little white lies. From time to time, we can package our “honesty” not so honestly. Consider that we can at times be just as artful in delivering strategic truth to others as we can be at delivering flat-out deception, and now consider they’re one in the same. It was once said, “A big liar must have a good memory, and a little white liar, a much better one.” There is great peace to be had in life simply by sharing things exactly the way they are, freeing your mind to think of more productive things. Lose the temptation to manipulate your truth today.

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Society relentlessly puts pressure on us to eliminate our weaknesses. There’s a multi-billion-dollar book, CD/DVD, and seminar industry trying to convince us that getting rid of ineptitudes is going to improve our life. And it can. But not nearly as much as working on our strengths. When we work on our strengths and they are functioning well, our weaknesses don’t disappear, it’s that they become irrelevant, even laughable at times. It’s when our strengths aren’t developing that our weaknesses become so apparent. Max out your strengths today.

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When people don’t listen to what we say, we can be quick to conclude that they didn’t listen, they’re out to lunch or they just don’t care. For most of the adult life, it never crossed my mind that it might be what I said, didn’t say or even how I said what I said that created the breakdown in communications. Every delegation, negotiation and conversation became more effective when I took a moment to reflect on how the other would best “receive” what I was saying, or how much or little to say and how best to deliver it. Think before you speak. Communicate with wisdom today.

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If Nike’s slogan was “Just think about it” vs. “Just do it,” Tiger Woods would likely be sporting the Adidas logo. In life, there is a healthy think-do ratio wherein the moment you start to over-think a goal, is about the moment to get busy on it. For many, life is one big contemplation where “someday I’ll..” starts off as an innocent plight only to end up as the opportunity that once way. Not to mention the thinking that takes place while doing has ten times the power of just thinking while daydreaming. In the words of the #1 sports brand, “Just do it” today!

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There are few things more right in life than admitting when we are wrong. Although it’s difficult to admit when we’ve erred, the need to “never be wrong” ensures a life of performance anxiety, insecurity and even loneliness. People don’t mind being around those who confess wrongdoings, but will go out of their way to avoid those needing to be perfect. There is a great liberty knowing you can freely admit your breakdowns to anyone at anytime. People respect it, people learn from it, and you learn too! Admit it if you happen to be wrong today.

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Mark Twain put it brilliantly when he said, “I am an old man who has known a great many troubles, most of which never happened.” Every day our mind will invent stress, doubt and fear regarding what may happen even if we don’t have a single fact to support it. It’s not uncommon, but what is common is the notion that we can’t impact change in this area. By taking these thoughts captive, we can begin the process of being in control of our mindset instead of our mindset controlling us. The discipline of renewing our thought-life happens by grabbing thoughts that don’t encourage and support and rethinking them until they do. Invest a moment to re-paradigm any negative thoughts today!

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Most of the stress we experience has to do with the unknown. Whether career, relationship, health, whatever, our perspective can get clouded and confidence shaky when we don’t know much about the issue, the subject, the situation, the person, the ?. Whatever exists in our life that we’re unsure of, even flat-out scared of, can always be tamed if we immediately begin a journey of learning instead of wondering or over-thinking. The truth is that our level of our certainty will usually be proportionate to our level of learning. Take your biggest life issue and develop a plan to learn about it today.

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Today, life every day, you’ll have several opportunities to impact someone’s life in a meaningful and relevant way. An encouraging work, an act of kindness, even simple smile at someone may not be considered grandiose enough to “change the world,” but rest assured, it will change their world. That in itself, in its own seemingly small way makes the world a better place, especially your world. Change someone’s world today.

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As I get older, there seems to be a rapidly growing list of things that I know nothing about. And yet, the answers for all I need to know – exist. Today in your life, you need answers from simple issues to big issues. We all do. There are problems, objectives and goals you may need help with. A brief time of thought will reveal a counselor or two and the good news is – people like to help people. The bad news is that our pride or complacency can keep us from getting the help we need. Get some feedback on something you need to know about today.

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The quest to find one’s self is easier than a trip to the Dalai Lama. Every conversation and interaction that we have with someone is an opportunity to discover ourselves by what manifests, in those moment and over time. When I make someone smile, I get to see myself. When I make someone angry, I see myself, hurt or confuse someone, I see myself, make an impact in someone’s life, I see myself. I get to see who I am by what shows up in them. Others are the gauge. Evaluate how you are showing up in other’s lives today, and discover your real self.

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There’s something to be said about staying the course. Even if the goal isn’t the right one, the process of staying in the game not only makes things clearer in life, it bring us to life. It’s that “persistence adrenalin” that drives agendas and in the process builds our character, tenacity, confidence and a list of progressive adjectives. On the flip-side, if the goal is the right one, persistence makes goal success imminent. Any you get the character, tenacity, confidence and a list of progressive adjectives that comes along with it. Keep on keeping on today!

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10 to 15 minutes of initial anxiety relating to a business or life challenge is expected, and frankly it’s healthy if it drives us to move on a solution. Prolonged or intermittent worry however, is a habit many have chosen to subscribe to. Left to its own devices, our minds will create a myriad of mental inventions of how bad a situation might turn out, and rarely is the outcome even close. Worry should be seen as a quick interim strategy to drive us to plan, seek counsel, and re-paradigm the thoughts we allow to take place in our minds. Are you worrying, or taking steps to work it out today?

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Too many people wake up in 6th gear with one foot to the floor and the other foot out the door, not quite grounded for the realities of life and business, only to do it again the following day. To make the most of every day, take a break after you wake and spend some quiet time to reflect on your day, your relationships, your meetings, your responsibilities and your opportunities. Invest some time to think on what you’ll be facing and you’ll gain perspectives that will have you starting off on the top of your day, rather than the day starting off on top of you. Spend some quiet time every day to make that day a better day.

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You may not give it much thought, but you are a “brand” to everyone who knows you – at work, at home and in every area of life. Your brand is always speaking and like all brands, it is subject to constant scrutiny and potential breakdown. Your brand is comprised of your integrity, your actions, and of course your track record in day-to-day life. An occasional performance review via a look in the mirror, plus honest feedback from others will help you discover ways to make your brand more valuable for all concerned. Give some thought to the brand you are today!

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There are a few things in life we can change in a second or two, but one change we can make instantly, is how we think. The mind is a muscle, and the more you exercise it, the harder it will work to create healthy perspectives from negative ones. In fact, if everyday living were to be summed up in a phrase, it would be, “Circumstances, it’s not what they are, but how you relate to them that matters.” Mental fitness requires that we remain conscious of how we’re relating to life and to others, and a little “perspective exercise” can go a long way here. Convert something negative into something positive today.

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