The Magic of the Every Day Mindset
Photo by ms4jah.
The “Every Day Mindset” is a simple, yet extremely powerful, way in which to live your life. What is this mindset? Put simply, it is a mindset that remembers that this day you are currently living will only ever happen once, and it therefore encourages you to make the most of it.
It is not about recklessly living life as if there is no tomorrow. The future is important to plan for, but it is important not to obsess about it to the extent that you neglect the present. Remember, the only way to get to the future is through a series of todays. Since this Every Day Mindset has changed my life, I would like to share with you 3 specific ways in which I apply it:
1. Enjoy Every Day
I choose to enjoy every day. I wake up early at 5am because I am excited about the day ahead, and throughout the day I try to maintain a positive attitude. Yes, sometimes “shit happens” and I don’t have a good day. But I figure if I at least try to have fun and be happy there is a good chance I will enjoy myself.
What I am particularly interested in is ways to enjoy my time at work. Most people know how to enjoy their leisure time, but many people struggle to imagine being happy at work. If this is you, here are a few quick tips:
- Do what you love: this should be your ultimate career goal. I know it’s easier said than done, but just remember it is possible.
- Make friends with your co-workers: in so many ways, it is our relationships with people that give us the most happiness in life. So take the time and effort to become friends with the people you work with.
- Take pride in your work: even if you aren’t saving lives, chances are you are contributing in some positive way to society. Take pride in your work and you are sure to feel better about yourself.
- Stop waiting: stop waiting for something to occur before you are happy. Because guess what? Chances are that a better title, more money, a car bay, or that nice corner office with the great view will not make a significant and lasting difference to your level of happiness.
2. Take Smalls Steps
I have some big dreams and ambitious goals for my life. I’m also human, which means I suffer from fear, self-doubt, and procrastination. This means that if I’m not careful, big and ambitious become overwhelming and intimidating. And the danger with feeling overwhelmed is that I won’t take actions towards my dreams and goals.
What I have discovered is that the big things can result from taking small steps. As Lao Tzu once said: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” What this means in the context of the Every Day Mindset is that each day I try to get a little bit closer to fulfilling my dreams and achieving my goals. And so long as I am making progress, I feel happy. Here is my favorite tip for taking small steps towards big dreams and goals:
- Try to improve 1% each day: this doesn’t seem like much, but imagine how much you will have changed after just one month. So try being 1% happier, healthier, and productive than yesterday and see what happens.
3. Make Your Habits Daily
Motivation is an ongoing struggle for me because I find it comes in peaks and troughs. What I discovered was that during these troughs, many of my good habits would slip away. For example, when it came time to exercise I would tell myself “I will exercise tomorrow”, despite having previously committed myself to exercising at that particular time. When I changed my mindset to one in which I exercised every day, this excuse disappeared. And guess what? It made all the difference.
So to make a habit stick, commit to doing it daily. If you would like some suggestions for daily habits to incorporate into your life, I suggest reading my articles 24 Daily Habits and 12 More Daily Habits. Here are a few of my favorite habits from the aforementioned articles:
- Exercise Your Brain: exercising your brain is as important (if not more!) than exercising your muscles. In the past year I taken to Sudoku and Kakuro as ways to stimulate my brain and have fun. Other suggestions are crosswords, quizzes, and brain teasers.
- Celebrate Your Successes: I find its so important to take time each and every day to celebrate your successes. This doesn’t have to involve opening a bottle of bubbly - quite often a mental pat on the back will do.
- Floss: not only does flossing help fight plaque in teeth and gums, research has shown it is a cheap and potent weapon against heart attacks and strokes. In fact, it may even add up to 6.4 years to your life.
- Ping a Friend: I try to send a quick email or text to a friend each day. It’s a great way to stay in touch with friends when I am extremely busy.
22 Comments
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:38 pm
I love this article, not only because it has some great advice, but because it acknowledges that we’re human! It makes you feel that anything is possible with the right mindset.
[Reply]
November 23rd, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Excellent article. I think our mind often dreams of certain circumstances where all our problems will be resolved. However, in practise it is here an now where we need to make the most of life.
~
Tejvan
[Reply]
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:43 pm
Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course
Lie all the truths and realities of existence:
The joy of growth,
The splendor of action,
The glory of power.
For yesterday is but a memory,
And tomorrow is only a vision;
But today, well lived, makes every yesterday
a memory of happiness,
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day!
[Reply]
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:14 pm
Good Job Peter– Especially for this time of year (where we put more awareness in being grateful), the every day mindset is a wonderful idea…
todd
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November 23rd, 2007 at 11:53 pm
Great article, but not-so-great picture, especailly in lieu with the Hot Air ballon accident & deaths recently in Vancouver!
[Reply]
November 24th, 2007 at 6:32 am
Love your post! Those tips really helps me to enjoy life!
Thanks
Alex Liu
SecretsOfUnlimitedWealth.com
[Reply]
November 24th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Thanks for sharing the poem, great article by the way
[Reply]
November 25th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
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November 25th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
A great reminder that we are always fully at choice. At the end of the day, it’s all about the choices we’ve made. Great article!
[Reply]
November 26th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
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November 26th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
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November 27th, 2007 at 11:05 am
Thank you, Peter.
Many blessings for the work you do and the insight you share,
CG
[Reply]
November 29th, 2007 at 3:53 am
Great article, I really love your style of writing. You are so concise and clear in your messages. I agree with the three things you mention, but really love “Take Small Steps”. It is required to have unlimited ambitions if you ever want to actually make them come true, but it is the every day and consistent mastering of the “small steps” that will get you there. You really are “changing” people’s lives. Keep the amazing post coming!
http://www.JuiceofChampions.com
[Reply]
November 29th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
It’s important to remember not to get caught up in the daily grind. The simple things in life help us to really LIVE and not just EXIST day-to-day in a rut. Thank you Peter
[Reply]
November 30th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
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December 6th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
I absolutely love this. Completely wonderful and relevant advice.
[Reply]
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