Simply Successful Secrets

Aaron Potts is encouraging all bloggers to write about "the top 5 to 10 things that you do almost every day that help you to be successful. They can be anything at all, but they have to be things that you do at least 4 or 5 times every week."

That seemed like a good challenge, so here's my list.

1. Take care of myself physically - eat well, exercise, get enough sleep. This is all pretty new to me - I used to eat horribly and exercise was a foreign word. But I resolved to shed 50 pounds this year, and I'm working with a wonderful personal trainer - and I'm getting there, slowly but surely. And it feels great!

2. Read. This includes reading in my field (there's always so much to learn), reading the news, and reading for pure pleasure. I read my local newspaper, a number of blogs and Yahoo! groups, and I've always got a book or two I'm in the middle of. Fortunately, I can do a quick scan of much of this to see what's really worth a closer look.

3. Write. I'm dedicated to updating this blog (almost) daily - there will always be a time or two when that doesn't happen, but it's rare, unless I'm on vacation.

4. Find a way to help someone else. This might sound corny, but I'm a member of BNI, and I fully subscribe to the philosophy of Givers Gain.

5. Appreciate what I have. I live in a beautiful place; I have wonderful friends, family, and colleagues; I could go on and on. I try to make sure I look up once in a while and notice all of that: the way the sun looks coming in the window and illuminating my office, the sound of the foghorn in the distance, the giggle from a friend as we talk on the phone, etc.

6. Straighten up. Well, I'm an organizer - what did you expect? My house is not immaculate by any means, but a certain amount of daily attention sure helps - washing the dishes, doing the laundry as needed, putting things back where they belong. I simply can't work efficiently if things get into disarray.

All of this means making time management choices. For example, because I'm now choosing to exercise, I have less time for some other things. But I try to make sure my daily habits are aligned with my life goals - and I had a life goal related to health that I had ignored for way too long.


[Via Andy Wibbels]