The 7 Keys to a Good Day

The 7 Keys to a Good Day

by | Feb 14, 2020 | Articles, Practices

When we are just starting down the path of self-improvement, it can be hard to find the things worth focusing on. We all have grand visions of the future, but we often have no idea how to get there. While it’s great to have those kinds of goals, the only way to get there is one day at a time. The road to fulfillment starts with a fulfilling day.

So what makes for a fulfilling day? I believe there are seven areas we can all improve and reflect on every day: intention, creativity, health, productivity, communication, presence, and courage. Each of these qualities creates the framework we need to achieve each of our individual goals and, when practiced every day, lead to a better life. Every day, we can reflect on how to improve ourselves in each of these small ways.

Every night, I write down each point and reflect on how they played a role in my day. Did I work to improve on them? How can I do better tomorrow? This simple practice of clarity and reflection is the foundation of a positive day. I hope a quick breakdown of these qualities can help you as well.

Intention

Our intention is the fuse that starts the chain reaction of a good day. When we practice intention, we develop a deep understanding of how and why we make the decisions we do or devote ourselves to specific activities or practices. It helps us to refine what it is we truly want and, more importantly, what things we are willing to let go of. It comes from a deep sense of personal clarity and purpose.

The important thing to keep in mind when setting an intention for your day is what you deem to be your inner drive. Take time to reflect on what you are devoting yourself to, either that day or in life. Whenever you are faced with a decision, refer back to that purpose. How does what you are doing right now apply? If not, why are you doing it? What is the personal reason for making this decision? Simply taking the time to pause and consider the paths in front of you can make all the difference.

Developing an inner sense of purpose may sound daunting to some. One of the best ways to develop this is by working backward from your intention. At the end of every day, look back at the activities and big decisions you focused on. Which ones did you feel good about? Which ones did you not enjoy? What was it about the positives that made them exciting? What might they all have in common? The more you deconstruct your daily interests, the more you can define what it is you truly want. As this intention becomes clearer, you can more actively apply it and keep yourself accountable.

Health

Did you eat well today? Excersize? How did you sleep? Making sure we are healthy is the foundation of a good day. When we take the time to treat ourselves right, we set ourselves up to focus and cultivate good experiences. I’m sure we can all think of a time where lack of sleep has made us lash out at a co-worker or make a wrong decision. If we don’t take the time to treat our minds and bodies well, how can we expect to use them well?

We don’t need to go on a crash diet, eat pounds of carrots, or hit the gym for 3 hours every morning to work towards being healthy. Start the morning with some stretching or a short jog, add a piece of fruit to your lunch or go to bed an hour early. Small steps make a huge difference when it comes to our health and can make all the difference in determining a good or bad day.

Creativity

Regardless of who you are, or how creative you think you may be, we must take some time to be creative every day. It could be something as simple as sketching for 30 minutes during your lunch break, or a few minutes of free writing. Don’t focus on whether its good or bad. Your creativity is just for you. Try, if you can, to make this time separate form any work you have to do. Even if you are an artist or creative already, it’s just as important to try out a new medium or make something just for fun. The goal here is to channel your artistic sense in new ways and take time away from work or stress.

Taking just a few minutes to be creative each day can be one of the essential practices of our day. Its often in these times of creativity we find the answers to problems we were blind to before. It also opens us up to new ways of thinking. Giving our minds free creative time reminds us that we are not locked into patterns or rules.

Productivity

Productivity is often considered the most measurable quality in judging a good day. Did we get all of our work done? Did we use our time effectively? But, we need to be careful. Often productivity becomes workaholism with a dangerous focus on efficiency. But, productivity is often more concerned with limitations and good choices. The key is choosing to focus on what matters when it matters. It’s not about working hard on everything, but working deliberately on what matters now — not tomorrow, not next week, not next year.

One way to keep your productivity on track is to write down three things you want to focus on completing today, no more and no less. This process forces you to limit yourself to what is important. It also creates a sense of balance. Perhaps once those three tasks are completed, you allow yourself to move onto something else, or, use the rest of your day to take a break. As you implement this practice, you will get a better idea of what kind of tasks you can handle in a day. Sometimes those three tasks might be biting off more than you can chew and force you to take a step back tomorrow. Over time you will find the productive sweet spot of a good day.

Connection

We can fight against it all we want, but its important to connect with others, yes, even for us introverts. I don’t expect us to engage with every uber driver or waiter we encounter, but finding one or two people to connect with personally makes all the difference.

Connecting with others helps to keep us out of our heads and consider everyone else. It reminds us that we have a responsibility not just to ourselves but to others. I think it’s very easy to forget that the work we devote ourselves to is seldom for ourselves, and that requires vulnerability. We are all here to serve others through our work, so take the time to connect with those people. Try to make their day just a little bit better. Listen and give meaningful responses. Give and take. Even a small favor or a few words of support go a long way.

Start by introducing yourself to a new person at work. Share an article or funny post with an old friend. We don’t need to become extroverts. All we need is a little consideration and a willingness to be vulnerable.

Presence

Presence is perhaps the most challenging thing to cultivate. Amongst smartphones and social media, we rarely have any space in our day. Our minds jump from one hit to the next with never a moment in between. I’m not going to beat around the bush, its an addiction, one we all suffer from, and one we need to step back from. The problem is that we have lost the space to think and be present in the moment. These moments of space are vital to self-improvement and a positive day. It is in the moments of presence we consider the world around us and the real consequences of our actions. No space means no reflection. No reflection means no growth.

We don’t need to be hermits to cultivate presence in our lives. Taking a few opportunities a day to step away from it all is a great first step. Try going for a walk around the neighborhood and leave the phone behind. Or, try a short meditation practice each morning. I like to go out into nature to sit, think, and observe. Find what works for you and stick to it. You’ll quickly see how a few minutes of space can clear up any anxieties or problems you cant find your way through.

Courage

The only way to improve is to try something new, experiment. It often involves doing something we would never have considered before — and that takes courage. Courage is the linchpin of the fulfilled day. Acting courageous means putting aside regrets or wants and taking a leap. Maybe it’s bringing a new idea to your boss or sharing your first blog post online. At some point, if we want to improve, the only thing left to do is jump.

At the beginning of every day, write down one scary or vulnerable act you can complete. Start simple. Maybe it’s trying to small talk with a new person, or sending that resume out. Whatever it is, make sure it’s actionable. There needs to be some sense that you are overcoming fear and putting yourself out there. Over time these small steps will help to build your confidence, and you can take on bigger and bigger challenges. Think of it as a game. The more you play, the better you get, and the more fulfilled you get to feel when you’ve done it.

Spend some time considering how you can apply these practices to your everyday life. Even a small step in a few places will show heaps of improvement.

What will you try to work on? Are there other qualities you think are important?

A Vocabulary of Experience

A Vocabulary of Experience

by | Feb 12, 2020 | Impromptu

One of the best things we can gain from our reading practice is a vocabulary of experiences. These are the nifty and perfect little phrases that somehow seem to sum up or represent a fundamental concept in our life or work. We plaster them on our walls, news feeds, and even on our bodies with ink. They become guiding principles and reminders of our development. These epithets reveal some core of our being, clarifying something we’ve always known but never been able to put into words.

They might show up as personifications of a struggle such as Steven Pressfield’s concept of Resistance in The War of Art. Sometimes they represent states of character, like Elizabeth Gilbert’s Trickster in Big Magic. Or a word may perfectly and poetically describe a personal experience, such as the Stoic concept of Sympatheia. Maybe one piece of vocabulary isn’t for you. But chances are someone somewhere has founds the words you are looking for, and they are worth seeking out.

Whatever you come across, hold onto that vocabulary. Write it down and reflect on it. Consider how it might apply to your own life. Try coming up with your own. Perhaps meditating on an experience, you can find some small piece of meaning worth holding onto or sharing with others. These words and phrases may seem insignificant, but in times of stress or uncertainty, they can act as small guideposts, bringing us back onto or revealing the path ahead.

You Already Know

You Already Know

by | Feb 10, 2020 | Impromptu

One of the things I think a lot of people struggle with (especially as students or young professionals) is an anxiety that we have so much more to learn before we are ready to do something. It’s hard not to think that way when the professionals around us seem miles ahead. Publishing, winning awards, or working with world-class performers — and only a few years older than you. So we assume we must be missing something. That there is some knowledge or skill that you have yet to learn. We think if only we can find it, we can be like them.

I felt like this for a long time about my sound design work. I would read dense textbooks cover to cover and ask probing questions at conferences. But every attempt failed. I dug a thousand holes; I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I knew it was something that was going to change everything — if only someone could give me the answer.

I see this today in my peers too. Whenever an industry professional visits or hosts a Q&A, the same questions pop up. “If you could give us one piece of advice…” or “What’s one thing you wish you had known…” they ask, digging another trench. Nevertheless, when their cliche questions are met with cliche answers (“be kinder” or “try more things” or “start early”), the eager students frown, nothing here, they think.

But the truth is the search isn’t one of ambition or drive. It’s one of fear. Because we already know the answer. There is no book or quote or mentor that’s going to change everything and make us “like them.” The truth is that it’s going to take hard work, and experimentation and kindness, and all of those other cliche’s we disregard at every turn. Deep down, we know this, but we are afraid to believe it. Because, if we do have the answers, if we do know what we need to know, then the only thing holding us back (and the only thing we can count on) is ourselves. And that’s a terrifying realization.

There is no magic weight loss plan. It’s just good nutrition and exercise. There is no “perfect” marketing plan for your social media, just experimentation, and development. There is nothing that is going to keep us from failure or take us beyond the “rest.” It’s a matter of work, dedication, and improvement.

So its time to stop searching, stop digging. You know what you have to do. And you’ve known for a long time. What’s important now is taking what you’ve learned and practicing it. Move beyond the mentors and the safety and just try. It’s going to be hard, and scary but its also going to be exciting. There is nothing more exciting than making progress on yourself and your work.

You know the answer. It’s not hidden if we stop avoiding it.

Weekend Reflection #25

Weekend Reflection #25

by | Feb 10, 2020 | 2019-2020, Weekend Reflections

What I’m Reading: The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler

Similar to my favorite What Makes Sammy Run, (I seem oddly drawn to novels form the 40s and 50s), or Netflix’s The Politician, this book follows the life of Duddy Kravitz, who, in his misguided ambition, will do anything he can to “be somebody.” Inspired by his grandfather’s warning: “A man without land is a nobody,” Kravitz swindles, lies and cheats his way through his family and friends on his quest to buy up lakefront property to develop into a resort. I’m sure you can guess as to how it goes, but the beauty of this book is its personability. Unlike a lot of stories of this nature, Richler lets you see the journey as a whole, taking you into Kravitz’s mind with every rash decision. In the end, it becomes incredibly clear how someone (and many do) could come to believe in this kind of life. If other books from this era have seemed un-approachable, I would recommend you to take a look here, the story and its message punch through no matter the context. 

What I’m Struggling With: Work/Play Balance

I’m terrible at balancing work and play. While in practice, I can jump back and forth; rarely, my mind is ever able to switch so quickly. Chances are if I’m in work mode, it’s all I can think about when I’m at play and vice versa. The result is that I’m rarely ever able to focus on what’s at hand. While some schedule changes have helped (such as the “chunking” I discussed last week), it really does come down to a sense of presence and ease, something I am working towards every day. 

What I’m Cultivating: An Annual Reading List

One of the things I’ve come to love about my reading practice is stumbling on the one book that somehow wraps up and captures the ideals or lessons of a hundred. As my library grows (faster than I can read it), I want to be able to hold onto those books as they come along. So with this in mind, I’m going to start drafting an annual reading list, ten or so books for me to read every year that encapsulate the most important lessons I’ve learned along the way. I’m sure this list will change as time goes on, but at the very least, its an interesting exercise in keeping lessons at the forefront of your practice. When I finally get the bookshelf up on the running, I’ll be sure to include these top-reads on the list as well.

Learning is only Part One

Learning is only Part One

by | Feb 5, 2020 | Impromptu, Practices

Don’t be satisfied with study. In today’s world of home business, divisive politics, and intellectualism, we all want to show off our knowledge or be the smartest in the room. We need to be able to quote the best articles or newest studies, spout trade news or educate the office on the book we are reading. So we spend all our time studying, researching, learning. We are so well-versed that we can drop a meaningful quote with the drop of a hat or go toe to toe with the first left or right-leaning amateur politician on our feeds.

But how often does this study change our lives? How often does that quote we retweeted affect our actions? The turnover is pretty small. 

It takes more than memorizing facts or reading studies to create change. We must internalize what we read. Comprehend it as it relates to our lives. And once we’ve truly understood what we’ve learned. We must put it to use. 

Why spend the time to learn or read if it isn’t going to benefit you or those you hope to serve? All of the knowledge in the world is useless if we can’t use it to help others and help ourselves. 

The smartest person in the room is the one putting those smarts to use, learning, and changing — maybe without a word. The study is only part one. Practice and progress come after.Â