[acb-hsp] 6 Rituals to Reach Your Daily Goals

[peter altschul]

6 Simple Rituals To Reach Your Potential Every Day
  By Amber Rae December 4, 2012
  Becoming and staying productive isn't about hard-to-follow 
programs or logging your every move in an app.  It's about 
self-care.  Here are daily to-dos to get you started.
  It's Tuesday morning at 8 a.m.  Two San Francisco entrepreneurs 
are pitching their ventures to potential investors today.  They'd 
both agree that this is one of the most important days of their 
lives.  This is the story of Jane and Joe...
  Jane was up until 4 a.m.  putting the final touches on her 
deck.  In fact, she spent the entire weekend fixed in her 
apartment, preparing the presentation.  This morning, she woke up 
late and rushed putting together her most "investor-worthy" 
attire.  She slammed a shot of espresso, grabbed her computer, 
and ran out the door feeling hungry and tired.  She arrived right 
on time but felt anxious and flustered about the events of the 
morning.
  Joe, on the other hand, went to sleep last night at 11 p.m., as 
he does most nights of the week.  His presentation was ready 
Friday afternoon, after seven revisions thanks to feedback from 
advisors.  He spent the weekend in nature connecting with 
friends.  This morning, he woke up at 7 a.m., had a glass of 
water, ran two miles, meditated for 15 minutes, and drank a 
smoothie.  He put on the outfit he picked out the evening before, 
grabbed his bag, and walked out the door.  He arrived 10 minutes 
early, feeling confident, calm, and eager to share his vision 
with potential investors.
  Which entrepreneur would you bet on? And, which entrepreneur 
most closely resembles you?
  Jane and Joe are fictional characters but having been immersed 
in the world of startups in both New York and San Francisco, I 
see a lot of Janes.  They work 16-hour days, seven days per week, 
and wonder why they aren't getting the results they're looking 
for.  The truth is, results don't come through hours spent.  
Great results often come by doing less and working smarter.
  This past weekend I had the opportunity to speak with my friend 
Mike Del Ponte who resembles the character of Joe.  Today he 
launches a Kickstarter campaign for his company Soma, which aims 
to revolutionize the water industry using sustainable design.  
(It's awesome.  Check it out Surprised by how cool, calm, and 
collected Mike was so close to launch, I asked him what his 
secret is.
  "Every day I need physical energy, mental clarity, and 
emotional balance to tackle everything that comes my way," Mike 
said.  "Self-care is the secret to performing at the highest 
level."
  Here are the six simple rituals he uses to perform at his 
highest, which you too can begin implementing right away:
  *1.  Drink a glass of water when you wake upddinin Your body 
loses water while you sleep, so you're naturally dehydrated in 
the morning.  A glass of water when you wake helps start your day 
fresh.  When do you drink your first glass of water each day?
  *2.  Define your top 3ddinin Every morning Mike asks himself, 
"What are the top three most important tasks that I will complete 
today?" He prioritizes his day accordingly and doesn't sleep 
until the Top 3 are complete.  What's your "Top 3" today?
  *3.  The 50/10 Ruleddinin Solo-task and do more faster by 
working in 50/10 increments.  Use a timer to work for 50 minutes 
on only one important task with 10 minute breaks in between.  
Mike spends his 10 minutes getting away from his desk, going 
outside, calling friends, meditating, or grabbing a glass of 
water.  What's your most important task for the next 50 minutes?
  *4.  Move and sweat dailyddinin Regular movement keeps us 
healthy and alert.  It boosts energy and mood, and relieves 
stress.  Most mornings you'll find Mike in a CrossFit or a yoga 
class.  How will you sweat today?
  *5.  Express gratitudeddinin Gratitude fosters happiness, which 
is why Mike keeps a gratitude journal.  Every morning, he writes 
out at least five things he's thankful for.  In times of stress, 
he'll pause and reflect on 10 things he's grateful for.  What are 
you grateful for today?
  *6.  Reflect dailyddinin Bring closure to your day through 10 
minutes of reflection.  Mike asks himself, "What went well?" and 
"What needs improvement?" S...  what went well today? How can you 
do more of it?
  Whether you more strongly resemble Jane or Joe, these six 
rituals will help you up your game, taking your performance to 
the next level.
  Copyright B) 2012 Mansueto Ventures LLC.  All rights reserved.