Self Improvement Daily

It takes very little effort to treat someone well. Inspired by Drake and the contributions he made while filming the music video "God's Plan", I encourage all of us to take part in our own Kindness Challenge.

Monday - Have a Mentor Tuesday - Sales with Mark Cuban Wednesday - 50/10 Productivity Thursday - Positivity Quote Friday - Play your Role with Kobe Bryant

As contributors to this world we all find ourselves on different teams. It is best that we work well within these teams, and each team relies on each individual to play their own role. Even Kobe Bryant knows that his role is just one piece in the team's overall dynamic.

Life is spontaneous, but doesn't that make it fun? The moment you are in right now just might be the moment that changes your life forever. Embrace it!

I am going to give this productivity tip a try and I encourage you to do the same - dedicate 50 minutes to undistracted, laser-focused work, then take 10 minutes to tend to all of the things that came up all at once.

Coming from the expert salesman himself, Mark Cuban shares about the most important part of sales - believing in your product.

I can't express how great mentorship is for so many people. It helps provide guidance in a macro / big picture way, as well as advice in technical specialties.

Monday - Don't Take Shortcuts Tuesday - Change Your Password to a Positive Affirmation Wednesday - Respect History Thursday - "The best view comes after the hardest climb." Friday - Don't Feel Bad for Yourself

Actually, it IS okay to feel bad for yourself. Just limit those emotions to a 10 minute period, and make a plan to take action!

This one is personal to me but carries a great message. Having positivity in the moment will help you appreciate the things you have accomplished when it is all said and done.

Knowing and respecting history is a necessary component to appreciating your life. History provides perspective, and thinking about all of the people that sacrificed to give you the opportunities you have today, is a really humbling feeling. Pay respects to the things that got you where you are and gain some perspective.

Fill your days with opportunities for development that work for you. One simple thing you can do right now is change your password. By incorporating an important or concept in your password, you are forced to repeat that affirmation throughout the day, where it can sit actively in your subconscience for longer.

Go about getting things the right way. This means being deliberate in your work, and refusing to take shortcuts. You will reap benefits from this in 3 key ways - your mentality, quality, and efficiency.

Monday - Labor Day Work Hard Tuesday - Regret Minimization Framework Wednesday - Play the Long Game Thursday - "Worrying makes you suffer twice." Friday - Make a To Be List

Instead of making a To-Do list, make a To Be list. Figure out the person you want to be, and reverse engineer the steps you need to take to become that person. It is about doing those things today that bring you closer to who you want to be tomorrow.

Sharing another dose of positivity, this time referencing worrying. By choosing positivity, you can counteract the cascade of negative effects that come with worrying and stress, and set yourself up to overcome the challenges rather than fall to them.

Although it might not always feel like there is a tangible product of your efforts, have faith in the journey, know that everything adds up, and believe you will reap the benefits one day. THAT is playing the long game.

Jeff Bezos learned very early in his career and work with Amazon how we wanted to make big decisions. Calling it his "Regret Minimization Framework", he talks about how at the end of the day we are going to regret the things we didn't do, rather than the things we failed at.

In practice of Labor Day, I wanted to share a quick message about the real spirit of labor - Hard work. When working hard, it's not just the amount of hours you put in, but the quality of those hours as well.

Monday - Productivity in Writing Tuesday - Fight for a Larger Cause: A Tribute to John McCain Wednesday - Speech Tics Thursday - "Create the life you can't wait to wake up to." Friday - Build Morning Momentum

Set the tone for your day first thing in the morning. That energy will translate into productivity throughout the day. What do you do to get your day going?

A dose of positivity today - understand that you have the choice to create your own world, so might as well choose one that enriches your life with positivity!

Oooh. Ahhh. Ummm. All of us have speech tics, but it is possible to remove them from your repertoire! Kim Kaupe suggests recording yourself to identify your speech tics and bring them into your awareness.

A lesson from the late John McCain - "Nothing in life is more liberating than fighting for a cause larger than yourself.” If you aren't in a position to dedicate your life to a larger cause, you can still aid in the fight by making decisions that contribute to the cause in a more simple way.

Hear from Seth Godin about how he discovers inspiration and finds ways to produce quality written content.