Deciding to be positive can dramatically change the face of your life. If we can learn to default to positivity, the world will be a better place to be in. It all starts with a conscious choice.

With that in mind, today's quote is,“The past is in your head. The future is in your hands”.

The first half of the quote states, "the past is in your head". I interpret this as the past is a memory. Yes, it’s an important part of who you are today, but it is no longer actively in your life.  In our memories we can look back at the injustices that we were witness to, the mistakes we made, or the opportunities we missed, but it’s a slippery slope. What’s in our past can’t be changed. I understand that major life events could have been life altering, especially negative ones, but again, it has contributed to the person you are today, which is something worth celebrating. Acknowledging the past, and the role it played in your life, is an important step to the next phase.

The second half of the quote states,“The future is in our hands”. Similar to how the past shaped who we are now, the present will shape who we become. Our future ready to be made and will be molded by our own hands. Choosing positivity today will create positivity tomorrow.

Remember, the only moment we can control is the present. It is our responsibility to squeeze everything we can out of it.

When you’re at a restaurant, order without looking at the menu.  

For me, it’s a mini-public speaking practice. I am expressing something to a stranger and want to be effective in my communication, and I see this as an opportunity to build this public speaking skill.

I’ve noticed a few things happen for me that I want to share. First, is my short-term recall has improved. By holding my order in my mind, and waiting while other people at the table order first, I am forced to hold that information in my head for a bit of time. I believe this skill translates in many areas, especially if we can learn to remember and recall that information passively. For example, when was the last time you were talking to someone and you had a question, so you stopped listening to them to wait for the right time to ask that question? Maybe you even forgot your question!  Practicing your recall will help you in those moments!

Also, it helps from an interpersonal communication perspective. When we’re not looking at the menu, we can make eye contact with our server, and engage in a more natural exchange. Being comfortable having natural conversations with strangers is an essential skill to have, and this min-challenge will help you get better at it.

So, the next time you’re out to eat and ready to order, do it without looking at the menu. It’s just one small choice that could make a world of difference!

Life is a balance. We all have professional, personal, and family matters to attend to, prioritize, and accommodate. Is there one best way to do it?  Of course not, all of our situations are different, but there is one strategy in particular that helps us manage all of life’s pieces.

This message comes from serial entrepreneur and author Paul Carrick Brunson, and how he uses this strategy to manage his life.

Work. Life. Integration.  I love the practicality of it. When it’s a balance, it implies that there is a trade-off. But, integration finds the way to get the most out of each aspect is a better approach to making everything work!

I am a huge fan of organization and routine, and it’s something that I pride myself on.  Getting into the right habits has helped me be more efficient with my time and energy, and work toward those things that I have identified as important to me.

Well, I want to talk about something that is important to me but I haven’t gotten into a rhythm with yet, but first I’ll explain the concept behind it.

We all have systems that we have developed and live by every single day.  Maybe you put your bread in the toaster to let it heat as you get dressed, or wash your face after brushing your teeth.  As random as the system might be, you put it into place because it made your life more efficient. Could be efficiency with your time, your resources, or energy, but efficient nonetheless.

Unfortunately I still don’t have a good system for writing my Self Improvement Daily weekly newsletter. As a result, I believe that it loses quality, is done at inopportune times, and I enjoy doing it less. However, today I’m going to build a system to help me be more efficient with this task.

So, maybe what I’ll do is I’ll break the 5 tip newsletter into smaller tasks, and write one a day.  And maybe use another Self Improvement Daily task as a trigger? Or maybe I should allocate a certain time every week where I take time to do it and do it well. I’m going to get working on building that system now.

And that’s the point. The first step to building a new system is to take the time to think about it, and the factors that are keeping you from being more efficient. When it’s time to put that system into practice, create a game plan to execute it.  A proper system will most definitely help you be more efficient in all of the right ways.

As much as we hate to admit it, money plays a big role in our lives. So, why not optimize our spending habits? Near and dear to my heart, Ms. Irene Whalen, was a poor college student who managed to work and pay her tuition without taking out a student loan. She couldn’t have done it without developing good financial habits.

"Checking your bank account regularly is a great way to remind yourself of your financial goals and keep yourself accountable to your budget. Since Identity theft and credit card fraud are one of the most common crimes we see today, reviewing your account regularly will ensure that you catch any unexpected charges. So here is my recommendation: each morning, check your bank account. The first thing you will see is what you spent money on yesterday. If unnecessary over-spending causes stress, this is the first place you will catch yourself. I know I had moments where I think how on earth did I spend that much on Amazon. Additionally, if you were out at the bars feeling like buying a few rounds, you may remember the next day that it's Susan's turn to buy for everyone. Thanks Susan. Keep in mind that sometimes things like tips for service take a little longer to process and may not show up in your bank account balance right away. Being aware of your spending habits will help you identify what things you need and what things are a little extra".

When we give thanks, or express gratitude, we do so expecting nothing in return. It’s a way of appreciating everything you have, nothing more, and being at peace with that. That’s why it is so fascinating to me that in this state of giving thanks, that’s when you find something new!

Give thanks for a little, and you will find a lot.  

To add, the quote in itself has contrast. That‘s because a little thanks does go a long, long way! By expressing gratitude in small amounts, you train your brain to see more gratitude in the future. With that training your level of gratitude grows beyond measure! This is the exact concept in the B.A.G. technique I shared earlier in the week. Count your blessings. More blessings are on the way!

When taking a position of gratitude, you reflect on the positive things in your life. Even if the road to get where you are today was bumpy and misguided, it still led you exactly where you’re meant to be, and that’s something worth being grateful for!

Have you tired brushing your teeth with your opposite hand?

I must preface, the science is inconclusive about the neurological benefits of this. Some studies state, is that different areas of our brain are active when engaging in a unique action. This then plays into our brain’s natural tendency to accommodate our bodies demand by changing its wiring or firing patterns. If you’re familiar with this theory, the buzzword here is neuroplasticity, and it is responsible in part for learning. The thought is that putting the brain in a neuroplastic state by brushing your teeth with the wrong hand then creates an environment for other learning to occur.

If you choose not to believe that, which I wouldn’t blame you for, then let’s think about the indirect consequences of the action.  First is discipline. Most of us brush our teeth two or more times a day, which means we have two or more opportunities to use the opposite hand. If we use the opposite hand, we are testing our willpower to stick to our commitment, which, if you ever tried it, you know how hard it is to brush with the wrong hand. Then growing on that, if you do develop the habit and commit to it, you quickly learn how possible improvement is. Having that tangible example in front of you might encourage you to have more patience in other areas.

So yes, Self Improvement Daily is in fact telling you to try brushing your teeth with your opposite hand. It’s just one small thing that could be the difference you are looking for. And in true Self Improvement Daily spirit, if it’s not for you then ditch it! We are all very different and we should celebrate that.

As humans, we sometimes focus on a certain component of our behavior so much that we don’t realize the other ways that behavior manifests in other areas.  We have this entitlement about a decision we made, or a good deed that we did, and we feel like we get a hall pass on something else. This social phenomenon is called “moral licensing”.  Let’s let Nir Eyal, a Stanford MBA, habit expert, and author of the incredible book “Hooked” break it down for us.

I feel like the examples Nir shared did a great job of illustrating the point, and now that we are aware of moral licensing, we can be more careful about not letting it get the best of us.  Interestingly, we can apply the same reasoning with progress. Moral licensing also makes it more acceptable to take a break when we have already accomplished a lot. In both cases, it is important to view our wins as positive, but not as an excuse to have our performance suffer in another area.