71 Case Studies Showing Your Daily Routine Impacts Your Attitude To Success

Welcome to another article in the Success Story series.  The Success Stories series provides answers to some of the questions about what it takes to become successful. While each of us is unique in our goals and aspirations, we have things in common with others. By consulting my LinkedIn network of over 9,000,000 people, I believe I can find ideas and solutions that may help you achieve some of your goals. While I may not agree with all of the comments below, I include each and everyone that is presented coherently and may help one of my readers.

If you want the opportunity to contribute to these questions as they are posted on LinkedIn – Click here to join Zale’s LinkedIn Success Questions Group.

The questions have been edited for grammar and presentation. Comments and Kudos, while appreciated, have been edited out.

Toyota and many others have demonstrated the way to reach success is to, do the same thing over and over again, with a desire to improve what you are doing a little bit at a time. Any specific improvement, doesn’t make the difference, but the sum of the improvements has an incredible impact.

Its the same thing as the answer to fellow who asked the cab driver – "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?". The cab driver said one word – "Practice."

It is clear from the answers below that the lesson the cab driver knew and Toyota knows. The way to success is through practice, and for success practice is all about your attitude. An attitude to success is not something we are borne with. Its something that we create for our selves.

I asked my LinkedIn Network what "What Do You Repeat Every Day (week, month) To Make You Successful?"

All the great religions in the world have long understood the power of daily prayer. Some like Islam and Judaism understood the power of multiple prayer during the day. I asked specifically that people don’t speak about their religious practises. Rather, I was looking for practical answers, that can apply to each of us.

I find the concept of simply repeating one action the most powerful strategy for success. And its clear that others do as well.

See Drip Drip – Like A Faucet To Success for my thoughts after you have read the case studies from the people here. You can read an article here about setting and achieving your goals.

Click here to find the original question and answer on LinkedIn Answers

Success Stories are part of my Success Through Balance approach to life. I believe that Success comes from living a balanced life. You can read more about being successful and the skills required here.

Before going to sleep at night (once in bed), I share my thanks for the day and review three things I have accomplished for the day. They may not have been on my to-do list. They may not be great defeats. They could be simple tasks that I have accomplished and have moved me forward and towards the visions that I choose to create for my life.

And there is a payoff for me doing this. It stops the white noise that we all have and allows me to go to sleep instead of focusing on what keeps me awake at night in my business.

What I do every morning, is spend a few moments before I get out of bed to thank for the rest I have received during sleep, the day ahead and all other things I want be thankful for, and I ask for accomplishment of my day to come.

If the alarm goes off and I have to get out of bed to shut the alarm off,  I get up, shut the alarm off and then crawl back into bed for the time it takes me to complete my ritual.

Payoff for me –  I start my day off with being thankful and grateful for the life that I have and have chosen to create and keeps me in the mindset of

I am the Author of My Life!

I wake up in the morning and make sure that I think positively. Nothing else has been more instrumental in everything that I have accomplished than actively maintaining a positive frame of mind. That may be too basic but I consider it to be the most influential factor to success. When you are happy and positive you exude confidence and other people see that.

Here is how I break up my business duties/responsibilities:

http://empowerwomennow.com/news-women-entrepreneurs/index.php/have-a-system-build-an-online-business-you-can-be-proud-of/

I home school 3 little girls, so I’m very flexible with time commitments & responsibilities.

I’m disabled, so I have my physical limitations in check.

I’m strong in faith so I pray all the time, morning, day & night.

I can *not* Empower Women Entrepreneurs, home based entrepreneurs or small business owners if I don’t practice what I preach; so I’m accountable to my business coach, business mentor & Team members (my virtual staff).

Learn. I believe that every client, prospect, professional colleague and friend has a unique approach to life that I can learn from. If you "listen" really "listen" and read between the lines…your life, finances, work and overall relationships will be more rewarding. If you enjoy something dig into it…ask questions from those in-the-know…put yourself in their shoes and open your mind to change. Six Sigma can help you do it!

The choices we make everyday influence our success. I know that if I choose to stay up late, I am going to wake up tired.

It was about this time last year that I made a major lifestyle change that has paid off exponentially. I decided to train for and compete in an Ironman distance triathlon.

When I first made the decision, I had no idea of the magnitude it would have on the other aspects of my life: my career, my relationships, and my self esteem. I was only thinking in terms of how the training would improve my fitness level and physique.

Because of the time needed to train for an Ironman, I was forced to manage my time, professionally and otherwise, much more astutely. The mental focus required to carry out my day to day training carried over to my work.

During my 18 week training cycle, my Ironman persona helped me develop a confidence and fortitude I had never experienced before. Every aspect of my life improved tremendously.

I completely understand that not everyone has the desire to complete a triathlon, I honestly believe that committing to staying in shape and living a healthy lifestyle is the most important thing anyone can do to be successful in all aspects of life.

Attention, real, life, honest and true, person to person attention.

I guess that’s the reason that my company & network still grows.

The other person, co-worker, client, business associate or partner needs to feel you are true. You cannot fake real interest.

Before I start my day, I try to add 1 new quote into my book, which helps me think and motivates myself to be a successful person. I usually will find these quotes on Google or Forbes Quote of the Day.

Everyday, I make it a point to learn one thing, whatever it is about, that has nothing to do with my everyday job. When I read the papers, or a magazine, I’ll try to learn more about a specific topic, if I see a word I don’t know, I’ll look for the definition in the dictionary. This allows me to keep an open mind and it forces me to renew my thought process everyday.

Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.

Seriously. I repeat that every morning when I get up, to muster up my energy and determinations for the day. And every evening to reflect on the good, bad, and ugly of the day to take stock to be ready for the next day. Works for me.

I work whether I want to or not.

Research.

The name of God, more than 35,000 times per month. There are many factors in my success, but this has been the most potent since April 27, 2004, when I disciplined myself to perform this spiritual practice on a daily basis.

I practice yoga. As for which name of God is repeated, it doesn’t matter. For a Christian, it could be the name of Jesus. That would be no less potent than a Hindu name. The yogis regard Jesus as a great yogi and a divine being: we refer to him as "Lord Jesus." The name "Allah" would work just as well.

If I have rearranged a few brain cells here, I will have achieved my goal <smile>.

Enthusiasm is contagious, but so is the lack of it!

I download audio books onto iTunes and iPod. A sample list of my favs: Dale Carnegie’s “The Leader In You: How to Win Friends, and Influence People, and Succeed in a Changing World.” Noam Chomsky’s “The Prosperous Few And The Restless Many.” Michael Cowley and Ellen Domb who co-authored, “Beyond Strategic Vision: Effective Corporate Action with Hoshin Planning,” and Jack Welch’s riveting “Straight From The Gut.” I pepper my playlist with classical music. Mendelssohn, Schumann, Schubert, Wagner, Chopin, Bach, and my favorite, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “The Star of the County Down.” And I practice Bikram Yoga.

Laugh…at myself, at the cat, at life. The stress and tension goes away, and clarity enters.

Have someone to share your day with. This will help with perspective.

1. In all things, put God first
2. Practice the golden rule – treat others as I would like to be treated

Brad Youtz

Laugh. Often.

Remember:

Truth is Beautiful (say it out loud three times and try not to smile)

The one action I repeat every-workday morning is to make myself one, dark and pure shot of espresso.

Read the WSJ daily. It’s a mint of great investing ideas and missed ideas.

Reading about investing regularly to learn new ideas and history of markets, which always repeats itself.

Keep a journal of personal thoughts, summaries of great books and a stock diary, which keeps you very focused on goals and how to get there.

Write in Linkedin to develop your network, which pays back in job offers and great advice.

Talk with my wife and try to go for walks–best marriage therapy there is.

Plan for the next vacation, so you actually make it there. If you tell someone about it, you tend to want to keep what you said true.

I remind myself every day in everything there is an opportunity!

1. Always be positive
2. Build relationships with co-workers (as many as possible)… it’s easier to resolve issues with a friend than someone that doesn’t know you, or worst, someone that does not like you.
3. Learn something new every day
4. When working with others, put yourself in their "shoes"… try to understand their point of view.
5. Remember, there is no such thing as a stupid question… always ensure you understand what’s being asked.
6. Don’t be impulsive, think before you act… but don’t take more time than needed before taking action.
7. Always be fair, but firm with your staff. Solicited their input, be open, but all must realize, you make the final decision. If your thought are in line with a staff member…. use theirs. Or help them come up with the same answer.
8. Give praise where praise is due…. take responsibility when thing go wrong… don’t look for excuses
9. Take the attitude that you are the solution… do not manage issues upwards.
10. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake – that’s how you learn. But don’t make the same mistake more than once

Grant Small

Every morning for the past 10 or so years I have said the following to the man in the mirror after I brush my teeth. It works for any occasion (not just business) and drives focus and keeps me positive. What is it that I say?

“Today is the day.”

I find that I organize. I organize my day, put my things together the night before, clear my desk and prepare meals ahead of time. I also organize and structure my life. I prepare for the next day a week before. I park in the same spot, I go straight to my desk, I prepare my coffee and I begin my day. Anything out of order after that, I have prepared for too. (Bad thing is, anything out of my control is a major problem and throws my whole day off). But I need my structure, it gives me a sense of control in all the chaos around me.

I visualize what I desire in the areas of my life that I desire to succeed and climb the next rung of the ladder. That and prayer are key to me.

Every day at work – no matter how busy I am – I take time out to make the place I work better. Whether it’s cleaning the kitchen, taking out the trash, or reprogramming an application we use to make it easy or faster to use.

Nothing is out of bounds. If it needs to be done, and it makes the place I work nicer – I do it. At least once every day.

I make it a habit of treating everyone I encounter with respect and equality. No person should feel any greater or any lesser than the other, no matter their position.

Relationships are key and go far when they are created with sincerity.

I am true to myself and others. If success comes, so be it. If not, I’ll just keep trying.

Top three daily:

1. Daily top 6 priorities (often sent to a peer to know what I commit to).
2. Track the top 10 items I can do to support my well being as a %
3. Extra support to my personal Achilles heel: structures

Have dates with wife weekly as well as coaching calls.

For me success is defined on two levels – professionally & personally. These are two different aspects of me as an individual. The key success factors for each of these is different.

For professional success:

- Make sure I learn new thing(s), whether directly related to my work or indirectly.

- Learn from my mistakes and try to analyze the ‘root cause’.

For personal success:

- Try to develop positive attitude/energy by doing/thinking good things.

- Take care of self and family to best of my capabilities. If my family is happy, then I feel that I have achieved ‘personal success’ to a certain extent.

Finally, devote some amount of time on regular basis developing your ‘spiritual quotient’. This can be done either through Meditation, Yoga, social service or any other positive karma.

I send a card to someone. Be it Business contacts (warm and cold) or personal contacts. I send a real, professional greeting card. If you would like to see this service I use, please contact me.

I continue to try and learn new things everyday – about my work, research, and the world in general. I make sure I read about a few new topics and things everyday and it has really made me a ever-changing person.

I try to take some time off and think, once in a while – this allows me to process all the information that I have gathered during the course of the day. These are the things that have made me better and made me who I am.

Everyday I kiss my wife, hug her and tell her I love her. I do the same for my children too, for they are my success. I make sure I remind them every day through words and actions. After all, success is the progressive realization of worthwhile pre-determined PERSONAL goals…not organizational or business goals. We achieve those types of goals so we can actually have what we want in life. I think so many people have lost sight of what true success is. It isn’t money in the bank nor the Porsche in the driveway. They are but material measures.

Hug your kids, love your partner. Nothing else matters in the end.

For 10 years my screen saver was "think IT, work IT, live IT"

I have seen some of the previous answers and they talk about learning something new every day. My philosophy is to ‘Apply’ what I have learnt to what I do every day. I have been lucky and been on management courses and self development courses and learnt many new concepts, how do I apply this?

Firstly, think about whatever the course gave me, i.e. ‘IT’.

Secondly, try to apply it at Work as often as I can, i.e. I practice ‘IT’.

Lastly, try to apply it to my life, I LIVE ‘IT’, 24hrs per day.

If I cannot apply IT to my life then its probably not worth applying at work either.

Others would talk about the stages of development as:

Unconscious incompetence

conscience incompetence (think IT)

conscious competence (work IT) and

unconscious competence (Live IT)

Then periodically I review the theory and check if I am Living IT consciously or unconsciously.

Then look for what is the new concept to start thinking about.

I learn good habits and make them unconscious habits.

I take 15-20 minutes every morning to read something positive that will help me further develop my leadership skills. Right now, I’m reading The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell.

I ask myself this:

When was the last time you did something for the first time?

It keeps me ticking!

Running

Short term : Everyday I sort my to-do by urgency and importance (Eisenhower’s effective time management). Than you plan the Important and not Urgent, you forget about what’s not Urgent and not Important, you find a tactic for Urgent and Not Important and you do NOW what is Urgent and Important.

In this, the plan activity can help you for the mid-term.

On the long term, it’s another story. If you want to be successful you not only need to work hard but you need to be in the right position. Especially because you can have conflicts in your personal goals (like work-life balance, technical Vs Business etc…). So I use a Goal Tree out of a requirements methodology called KAOS, which helps me determine what I want. Because there is no good wind for the one who doesn’t know where he goes.

What I do everyday is meditation. I thereby begin the day with renewed energy. It helps me focusing on my things to do and on the things that matter. Therefore I’m not distracted by things that don’t matter. All in all I feel refreshed, new and full of positive energy!

Success is a road with full of hurdles, thorns, struggle, etc., ultimately its never an easy thing to achieve. But when you reach, its just like thousand butterflies flying in your stomach or an happiness/satisfaction/confidence which you cannot explain in words.

So, saying that Success doesn’t come easily, then how to achieve it?

 

There are a few simple procedures to do it, but the difficult part is to follow them every time in routine.

1. Planning – Without this you cannot proceed anything. You can say that I can start/finish thousands or at least a few things at the same time but when you look at the reality, its not possible. So, plan what exactly you can do with all the resources, availability, commitments, personal life, etc., kept in mind.
2. So, once you have planned, then the next step is to set targets. You don’t have to set the biggest target at the first itself, but split it up into small milestones and progress accordingly. Because this way, you wont feel the burden of doing too many things but yet you would be progressing. You don’t have to be a RABBIT in this, but consider yourself as TORTOISE… but you will have to move/proceed at the steady motion. The consistency is more important.
3. Relax - Take sometime off your work, because if you concentrate too much on the work alone, you would be stressed and that might cause to pull down from the actual schedule, which would be worse, than to just relax a bit. Because when you relax in between, your mind and body would support you for doing more work with productivity and the ability to think properly. The relaxation can be just a walk down the road, or spending time with kids/pets/family/gym etc., But make sure you don’t get over stressed, saying that you are relaxing. For e.g., playing cricket for 3 – 4 hours is not relaxing, you would be tired more. Keep this in mind.
4. Implementation – So, you have the plan ready, schedule ready and just about everything, but stick to your plan and work it out. Implementing the plan is more important than just planning itself. Be aware of this.
5. Hard Work - Lastly but not the least, work hard. I read somewhere a wonderful quote "The harder you work, the luckier you get" and another one is "Work hard for the things you like, otherwise you will be forced to like what it gets to you".

I guess the above things should cover most of the major things that leads to success path.

I do have a few rules I try to stick to, but as I’m flexible, other priorities might come in the way and overrule them from time to time.

I try to maintain a physical and mental state which can be described as "charged", meaning that I have to make sure that my sleep – action balance is positive and that I have to enter each new day as a challenging environment with new opportunities, small wonders and risks. Life is an adventure.

I exercise in the morning, nothing earth shaking, just about 15′ of a warming up drill.

And I aim at talking to at least 1 person, preferably 3, a day that I don’t know yet. Recently, this has evolved to the internet world as well. It is true that many people need to talk and look for confirmation or want to share ideas.

In the morning I reset the priorities on my to-do list.

In the evening I try to think of one thing I have learned today.

I build my brand. At least once a day (usually early in the morning), I catch up on my blog reading. During that brief period, I strive to forward at least one and oftentimes several) interesting articles to colleagues across the business. In this way I am accomplishing several things at once – staying in contact with valued contacts, prompting larger discussions that could impact the business, and building my brand as the knowledge expert in my niche (and maybe yours as well).

·        I meditate every day. This replenishes me and makes me more alert and aligned with myself.

·        I learn every day. Everyone and everything is my teacher.

·        I work every weekday. I love my work; I bring to it joy and I get from it joy.

·        I appreciate every day. I appreciate the day itself and I find elements to appreciate throughout the day.

·        I laugh every day. Sometimes I laugh a lot, sometimes I laugh a little. Sometimes I laugh for no reason at all.

·        I write every day. I write articles, reflections, thoughts, correspondence.

·        I breathe every day. I breathe as an automatic reflex; periodically, I breathe a few deep, relaxing intentional breaths.

·        I get better every day.

Every day I show my love to my beloved family, do my gym exercises, read an interesting quote.

I tell myself that everything happens for a reason and that what doesn’t kill me will make me stronger. I also smile and put on a happy face whether I want to or not. Smiling is contagious!

Every day, no matter what:

1. I do my job
2. I do at least one thing that isn’t "my job" but is needed
3. I learn at least one new thing every day about my job, my company, my industry, the economy, whatever – absolutely nothing is more important to my career and my customers than being current and understanding the business realities.
4. I remind myself that nothing – not my customers, not my job, not my goals, absolutely NOTHING is more important than my family.

Tom Goorman

I realize every day that for every success I have booked, I had to make several mistakes. By realizing that I dare to undertake new and out of the box actions, I can be a true entrepreneur.

Daily Rituals:

1. Positive mental attitude-always think that your hard work will pay off sooner or sooner.
2. Freedom application- I can do everything as long as I do the right thing.
3. Golden rule- Do unto others what you would have them to unto you / what you saw, that you will also reap.

Cy Witherspoon

Review and occasionally update my resume. I also look for new and interesting contacts to network with.

I repeat my goals right in the morning and then start listing down all of my tasks which are scheduled for the day in a notebook. A notebook is very important, as after the completion of the task I mark it as "OK" and before leaving for home I once again review the note book to make sure that all the tasks are completed. This way I never forget the things to be done.

I treat people the way I want to be treated on every occasion. And I always start with a smile.

I replace the phrase "I wish" in my vocabulary with "I will". I once read that off the back of a Starbucks cup and I’ve put that in place in my daily routine. Whether its as simple as getting a massage to easy the stress of a day or as complex as wanting to live in a country, I ensure that I tell myself I WILL make it happen instead of letting myself wish it would happen. It’s all about ensuring possibilities turn into probabilities.

How do you want to measure success? It seems to me that my success is different to yours. I think, and I have one hell of an ego problem, that there are quite a few people out there who think I am successful, and there are probably some who would consider I have some way to go. For myself, I am happy with progress so far. I’ve achieved a lot of things that other people only dream about. On the other hand I don’t desire to climb Everest.

Okay, so let’s assume I’m successful, then I guess you’re after my opinion. My success has little to do with actions, and loads to do with belief. I realize that you’re not looking for spiritual answers – you clarified that. However, I have a belief in me, and that there is a higher being looking after me. This means I can take a few risks here and there – I’ll be looked after.

It also gives me responsibilities, I have to behave in a manner conducive to success, I won’t get something for nothing. Believing this, I find myself starting each day by reviewing the most important items needed for the day – and then doing my utmost to achieve them. Sometimes I fail, in which case I have to be careful to be realistic next time, OR block the interruptions. Either way, in answer to your question, I think that creating a minimal achievements list at the start of each day – before getting to work – is probably one of the best contributors to my success.

I keep it simple. The one thing I do each day? I actually go out and DO something. Not just talk, not just day dream, not just complain to colleagues that "someone ought to do something about…"

Whether it’s work, home life etc I just make sure that by the end of the day I’ve actually gone out and done something and not just talked about. It can be as mundane as reading that article I promised I would read, or calling that old friend or taking on that hard task at work. While others sit around in a meeting trying to figure how not to lose I try to be out there figuring out how to win. The two are not the same.

Narcissistic as it may be, every morning I wake up and I mentally puff up my chest and ponder how great I am and how important I am in my company and in my role. Then I start thinking about the good things I have to do today…

When I go home after the work day and unwind, I validate what I did right in the day and what I’m excited to do tomorrow.

Self-validation that is true is the fuel for true confidence and true confidence is the fuel for success.

I check my Filofax for appointments missed, check the to-do list and notes, cross off things done and re-list everything to-do. I check the next week, see where the "traffic jam" is going to be and try to anticipate for that.

I read a chapter from the book of Proverbs in the Bible. There are 31 chapters, so it easily matches up with the day of the month. Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings. I hope that by reading it daily, I will become wiser. I have been doing it for almost two years now. It helps begin my day well.

Answer the emails I get in! I’m surprised by the number of people who don’t do this one basic thing.

Manners seem to have gone out the window completely these days. It’s just common courtesy to respond to emails as they come in and if you do it WHEN they come in – or allocate a time during the day to do so – your inbox doesn’t end up overflowing!

If a colleague sends me a request for help, advice, or whatever – I respond to it within 24 hours. If a client sends a request it’s responded to immediately.

If you don’t have time to respond to your emails, get your virtual assistant to do it for you! S/he can filter out the junk and get just the important stuff in front of you.

I do two things everyday without fail – no exceptions.

1. Gratitude list
2. Offer my assistance

Powerful stuff; try it, experience it, and tell others.

Continuous life lessons in humility through blessed interactions with others has certainly altered my focus as to how I approach each day.

This tends to begin with a simple morning request above of "Please",

and ends passionately enough by giving "Thanks"

Savouring the moments I’m in versus longing for what is to come (uncertainty) helps ready my mind for whatever circumstances unfold.

Gratitude will forever be the hallmark by which I start each and every day.

I browse my entire contact list at least once a month and call, email or write those who I have not spoken to in a while. This is a good way to make sure important contacts and friends don’t drift away…..

I try not to make anything more difficult than it is. But I am always thinking -or trying to think- at least 3 moves ahead.

One resource is Beth Jannery who recently wrote Simple Grace.

Beth Jannery, recently named Ms Connecticut America 2007 and set to compete for the Ms America 2007 Title is a writer and pageant winner who actually has something unique, positive and intelligent to say. In her new book, Simple Grace – Living a Meaningful Life (available today on www.amazon.com) Jannery joins Oprah and Dr. Phil, but for a new generation of motivated men and women who know there is something more to life. Jannery touts wonderful simplicity her book – live meaningfully. Simple Grace – Living a Meaningful Life by Beth Jannery is like having a cup of invigorating coffee with a life-long friend.

They are so much things we can do or should do to keep our levels up toward the actions and goals we’re setting for ourselves, as a coach and trainer a big part of work is to throw question at people to challenges their belief system and impulse the building block of lasting behaviour changes ("thought" and "emotions") and I have found useful for me and for them to simply ask : What are trying to achieve today, and why? It allow me to chunk goals as well as seeing the big pictures, and associating intense emotions to it (towards or away from).

I’m beginning to wonder why I do not have a set routine like the rest of the world. Every day is different with a new opportunity, each day I try to grow and learn even more than the one before. I read different things but I have some regular thoughts which whiz around my head – I’m lucky to get this far as so many others have not made it, I know that what ever happens I’m responsible and trust in the people "upstairs" who guide me.

As I read the question I thought "Oh, should I actually be repeating something every day" I do keep myself motivated and inspired but my life is not really structured as I go with the flow.

I do relaxation meditation every morning. It is easy, and it helps me uncover what is truly important to me. A simple exercise is to sit in a quiet place (a comfortable chair works fine, or you can sit cross-legged), relax every muscle, and quietly imagine hearing the number "one" being said at the end of each exhalation. Of course, thoughts continue in their random fashion, but if you remind yourself to hear "one" before you take your next breath, you will find that in 20 minutes you have lowered your blood pressure, reached a calm place from which to approach challenges, and achieved the equivalent rest of 2 hours of sleep.

Every morning, I remind myself that "the world is filled with possibilities."

It does wonders for keeping me on the lookout for the good things in life, new opportunities, and to make the most of the daily moments of my day.

Advice I once gave when another person took over my job and asked me this question. Deal with your issues, manage your risks and look out onto the horizon of your project, your day, your week and your month and look for the next risk that might bite you. If you know your risks, you can manage them and have more time to deal with your projects and opportunities.

I start every day with a workout. I either run, bike or lift weights. I find that physical activity clears my mind so that I can think about whatever issues I am addressing in an open a positive way.

Simple-

Treat your work as your calling, and put your profession above yourself.

At the end of each day, I write two to-do lists for the next day- one for my personal life (errands, phone calls, children’s activities, etc.) and one for my work life (follow-ups, research, etc.). Being as compulsive as I am, I make a point of completing my to-do lists each day. Writing down my tasks ensures that I will neither forget my small daily goals nor waste an entire day.

Morning – review my schedule, take a few minutes for myself. If I don’t, my day will be a jumbled mess

Mid-morning – spend a few minutes with the animals (2 cats and a dog)

Lunch – eat a real lunch, preferably away from my desk

Mid-afternoon – run my errands (i.e. get outside)

Early eve – enter all time, take any final notes, make sure tomorrow’s calendar is synced to the PALM

After Dinner – relax – it’s ME time

Well, other than the fact that I adore my job, and can’t wait to get to work, etc…. here are my practicalities to be successful….

1. Morning Tai Chi or Yoga (both make me giggle, and this is good)
2. Walking my beagles (rain or shine)
3. To do lists, which are prioritized, not timed
4. Dance
5. Write
6. Question myself as to why I did things a certain way

 In retrospect, my routines are not even related to my job, but I guess that is the trick, be happy, and success will follow.

Just positive thinking about everything around you brings you success

Remind myself that I live in an amazing place: the idea that is America.

I’m a US citizen, but grew up overseas, including 11 years in the UK.

I remember hearing Gore Vidal answer a question on the BBC about the difference between the USA and the UK (in the early 80′s)

USA – a worker sees the boss drive by in the Cadillac and says that one day he will have a Caddy himself.

UK – a worker sees the boss drive by in the Rolls and flips him the finger, never thinking that he could be a boss.

I’ll live in the idea of America any day.

Almost every morning like clockwork I make a smoothie. And I hate to boast, but it is good. The recipe has been evolving for about 5 years. Drop me a line and I’ll share the "secret" with you.

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Tagged as: Making Choices, Personal Growth, Stories Of Success