From the library of

Frank Barnhill M.D.
 

The old cliché “getting the most out of your day” can mean the most time, fun, money, satisfaction or a hundred thousand other things.  Highly successful people learn at an early age that it’s not the “what you get out of your day” that counts, but how you use the day to learn and finish the day on a successful note.  They have also learned their days can be evermore successful if they invest in improving themselves.  These people are the ones you notice having fun at work, are always positive about their lives, and almost always make higher wages.  The one common goal all of them seem to have is to improve themselves in such a manner as to get to the end of the day with the most success.  Let’s take a look at how they do so.

1. Start the day with the end in mind and end the day with the start in mind.  Write out a plan tonight for what you wish to accomplish tomorrow.  Then review and amend the plan in the morning such that you figure out the best way to get through your day.
   
    
2. Do something to improve you as a person each day.  Plan this experience in advance as much as possible.  Learn yoga or meditation, learn a new language, work out at a local gym, read a book that teaches you a new skill during lunch, or listen to self-help audio on the way to work.
   
    
3. Stop halfway through the day and review what you’ve done and learned.  That way you will remember the important experiences and can change plans for later in the day if need be.
   
    
4. Observe closely and learn new things from those around you.  Sometimes even the most inexperienced can be teachers.
   
    
5. Help others have a successful day.  You will learn as much from teaching as you will from simple observation. 
   
    
6. Plan a period of fun in each day.  Maybe you can go to school to eat lunch with your kids or invite an old friend to share a bag lunch in the park.  Once you learn to enjoy and have fun in what you do, you will never work another day in life.
   
    
7. Eat healthy and you will concentrate better and be more successful in every thing you do.  Avoid caffeine, alcohol and heavy lunches as these tend to slow you down later in the day and you won’t be as alert when the withdrawal occurs.
   
    
8. Review your day’s experiences at the close of the day.  Make notes about what you’ve learned.
   
    
9. Keep a daily journal so you can review your experiences even after the day has passed.  Make notes on everything.  You’ll be surprised at what you can learn even days later.
   
    
10. Keep a positive attitude.  Remember the good and don’t dwell on the bad.  A trouble free mind works at the speed of light.
    
     

Success comes in all fashions.  For some, it’s money and possessions, for others, it’s political power, but for the truly successful, it’s the experiences they have learned that allow them to navigate through life with ease, while reaching their goals and ambitions.  “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.” “Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime!”