"One should count each day as a separate life."
- Seneca
We can do nothing about yesterday and tomorrow hasn't arrived. So let's focus on living one day at a time.
If you string a bunch of strong days together, you get a strong week.
if you string a bunch of strong weeks together, you get a strong month.
If you string a bunch of strong months together, you get a......well, you get the point.
Here are three simple ways to live a strong day.
1. Include Priorities, Routine Work, and Life-Giving Activities.
Priorities are what is really important in your personal and professional life. It could be strategic planning, working on a high-value project, receiving training or relationship building. Priorities are actions that bring the highest value and move your life/career forward.
Routine work is attending meetings, filling out expense reports, paying bills, organizing the closet, buying groceries, etc.
Life-Giving Activities include exercise, solitude, appreciating the outdoors, delighting in a hobby, and enjoying healthy relationships.
2. Decide on a Limited and Definite Amount of Tasks You Want to Accomplish in the Day.
When planning your day, rather than having an overwhelming, laundry list of things to do, have a definite and limited number of things you want to accomplish during the day. This will help you be more productive, enable you to have more focus, and give you a greater sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.
3. Leave Yourself Margin
Don't plan every minute of your day. Have a game plan for the day but be flexible. A lot of life happens in the white space. Balance structure with flexibility. And don't wait until the last minute to do something or get somewhere. When you are running behind, you don't have time to be kind.
Life isn't about how high you jump, but how straight you walk. Consistency beats talent.