Welcome!
I hope you enjoy the video to help you coach yourself to success by taking action in seven simple ways. The key is to remember that when you change one thing in your life you change everything!
With these seven tips you can have more time, more productivity, and more focus.
Step #1 – Get an alarm clock (not your phone)
Do not use your smartphone as an alarm clock. This might seem trivial but the payoff is amazing.
Today 84 percent of Americans own a cell phone and use their phones as their alarm clock which can cause immediate distraction. It also jeopardizes your health. When your phone is sitting on your bedside table your last few minutes are spent staring at a glowing screen and usually your first few minutes are right back at the screen.
When I was using my phone for an alarm clock I found myself checking emails in the morning before I even brushed my teeth. That made my mornings feel rushed every single day, even when the emails weren’t that important. Now that I’ve stopped using my phone as an alarm clock my mornings are more refreshing, calm and focused. I’m able to consider my top goals for the day and manage my time more effectively.
Another tip I love is putting my alarm clock across the room so that I don’t hit snooze. The more you snooze, the more confused your body and brain get and you’ll probably feel more out of it even though you actually spent extra time in bed.
A wonderful book that can change your entire morning experience is The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod.
Step #2 – Meditate (for ten minutes a day)
Tony Robbins said, “If you don’t have ten minutes you don’t have a life.” Consider this as a mantra. Just ten minutes of meditation a day helps the brain function more effectively and have significant health benefits. By slowing down the mind and body for just ten minutes lowers stress, lowers anxiety, and boosts the immune system.
Most people assume that meditation is about stopping thoughts and getting rid of emotions, but actually it’s about stepping back, seeing your thoughts clearly, and getting less attached to the frenetic energy inside the mind. A great app to help you start your ten minute a day practice is Headspace. You can use the free version as long as you like and it’s a great way to boost your meditation skills.
A book I recommend in the video is called The Wisdom of No Escape by Pema Chodron. In it she explains how we can develop kindness towards ourselves in the process of meditation and how it helps with letting go of negative thoughts while increasing our focus, which allows us to have more time for the things we love.
Step #3 – Hand write three goals (with a pen)
Download this worksheet to help you hone in on your three top goals.
Handwriting your goals is one of the most important things you can do to seer the images of those goals into your mind. The research is conclusive. Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University in California, did a study on goal-setting with 267 participants. She found that you are 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals just by writing them down.
The reason for handwriting is that it slows you down to allow your brain to make a clear image of what you are committing to. It forces you to clarify what you want. The subconscious mind will start working on these goals even when you are not consciously focusing on them. Typing your goals doesn’t have the same effect. Most of us type much faster than we write. Speed is not your friend when you are getting clear on what you want to create in your life.
It’s also good practice to put these goals someplace where you can read them weekly. The more you can remind yourself of what these three top priorities are the more likely they will all come true, and usually faster than you expected.
Step #4 – Get a timer (an ordinary timer!)
Once again remember that your smartphone is the gateway to distraction. I’ve had clients see so much improvement in their time management for independent projects. You simply set the timer for 20-30 minutes and make a commitment to not leave the project for that duration.
In some cases you will go into autopilot and before you know it the timer goes off and you barely started! Now you know how easily it is for you to get distracted. Just set the timer again and stay put. This is a concrete way to start training your mind and body to sit still and focus for at least 30 minutes at a time. It’s good to take a short ten minute break and then keep going.
I know that there is software and applications to help you monitor your time, but the beauty of the old fashioned timer is that it will BEEP at you to get you back on track. On the flip side the time is great as a reminder to get up and stretch, or to take a break if you’ve been sitting for too long.
Step #5 – Go for a 10-15 minute walk (anywhere)
Creative thinking improves while a person is walking and shortly thereafter, according to a study co-authored by Marily Oppezzo, a Stanford doctoral graduate in educational psychology, and Daniel Schwartz, a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education. The act of walking itself, and not the environment, was the main factor. Across the board, creativity levels were consistently and significantly higher for those walking compared to those sitting.
“I thought walking outside would blow everything out of the water, but walking on a treadmill in a small, boring room still had strong results, which surprised me,” Oppezzo said.
The study also found that creative juices continued to flow even when a person sat back down shortly after a walk.
Walking also helps reduce stress and anxiety and can aid in better sleep!
Step #6 – Clear Out All Clutter (inside and out)
Whether it be your closet or office desk, excess things in your surroundings can have a negative impact on your ability to focus and process information. That’s exactly what neuroscientists at Princeton University found when they looked at people’s task performance in an organized versus disorganized environment. The results of the study showed that physical clutter in your surroundings competes for your attention, resulting in decreased performance and increased stress.
Files on your computer, notifications from your Twitter and Facebook accounts, and anything that goes “ping” in the night competes for your attention. This creates a digital form of clutter that erodes your ability to focus and perform creative tasks.
Start with one place you KNOW you need to clean out. Then notice how much better you feel after you organize it. Notice if any new ideas popped into your mind. Then give yourself a reward or a relaxing evening to unwind. When you are ready tackle other areas, including your computer files. Once you have successfully cleared out all of your clutter you have not only helped your brain to relax but you have made room for new things and new ideas to come to fruition.
Step #7 – Get GOOD sleep (no screens before bed)
A good night’s sleep is incredibly important for health. It increases the ability to concentrate, and lowers stress. In fact, it is just as important as eating healthy and exercising. Unfortunately, the Western environment is interfering with natural sleep patterns. People are now sleeping less than they did in the past, and sleep quality has decreased as well. Poor sleep is also linked to depression.
Good sleep boosts your immune system, your sex drive and allows for better weight control. There are many reasons to get good sleep.
The best ways to get good sleep is to plan for it. Most people function the best on 7-8 hours of sleep. Have a sleeping ritual where you plan to be in bed a half an hour before you fall asleep. Don’t look at any screens at least an hour before bed. This includes your kindle, ipad, TV, smartphone and computer.
According to new research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, reading from an iPad before bed not only makes it harder to fall asleep, but also impacts how sleepy and alert you are the next day
“We know from previous work that light from screens in the evening alters sleepiness and alertness, and suppresses melatonin levels,” Dr. Anne-Marie Chang, an associate neuroscientist in BWH’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders who was a co-author on the study, told The Huffington Post via email. “This study shows comprehensive results of a direct comparison between reading with a light-emitting device and reading a printed book and the consequences on sleep.”
Another tip is to keep the room cool. The mild drop in temperature triggers a better night’s sleep. However, it might make it hard to wake up. I like to set my heater to go off about 20 minutes before I wake up so that I wake up toasty and warm.
I think that the number one way to have a better life is to have a good nights sleep.
***If you would like more information or have any questions, or would like a FREE 20 minute coaching consultation contact me and let’s get started.
