In life we get rained on. We hear bad news, miss opportunities, and lose friendships. Times can be really hard and test your will. But, it’s all about how you greet those challenges and moments. Rain is meant to test your character and see what you’re made of.

To those things that beat you down and wore you out, can you think of what happened next? You evolved and changed to your new reality, and likely grew as a person.  Those moments are necessary sometimes because it takes hitting a new low to push a new ceiling.  Darren Hardy articulated this like a pendulum, you need to be far on one extreme to swing back and hit a high point on the other side.

So, “Be like a flower, survive the rain but use it to grow”. Adding a positive outlook to those negative moments will help you extract more out of them and become even more resilient to their power.

Let’s talk about leadership. As a leader you are required to make big decisions, keep the peace, and get everyone pointed in the same direction. A tactic many great leaders use is to lead by example, to be the one with their elbows in the dirt, delivering the energy, and executing on a day to day basis.  

I heard a really cool thought recently from Alex Pirouz, the CEO of LinkedInfluencer. He made the comment that true leaders don’t say “go”, they say “let’s go”.  I think this embodies how we can truly lead by example.

To enumerate, if we expand out the abbreviation" let’s" into it’s two components," let us", we can realize the power in the expression. By putting the command in the “We” form, it takes a more inclusive meaning that integrates the speaker into the action. This is called “we speak”, and it’s a very effective communication form for leaders. By making the choice to place themselves in the brunt of the action, they assert themselves as an equal in the group, rather than an authority figure, and is more likely to garner more support as a result.

So, the next time you are managing someone, choose to lead by example and say “let’s go”. Then, to stay consistent with that message, execute on that level, and you will earn a ton of respect from your team.

Let’s talk about perspective.  I normally talk about this with relation to appreciating our life in the context of the larger world, and the blessings we have that go unnoticed. However, I actually mean more of the artistic perspective. Artistic perspective is the way that artists can represent three dimensional objects on a two dimensional surface. This naturally has its own limitations because information needs to be conveyed in a way that has a consistent meaning. As far as we know, there is a lot of interpretation to art, and perspective is no different.

The same thought can applied to our own perspective in this world. Think of our eyes as viewing only a 2 dimensional picture when the world exists in 3 dimensional. A great example of this is the shadow given off by a cylinder. Look at it from the top and see that the shadow is a circle. Look at it from the side and the shadow is a rectangle. Same object, different results, and neither is wrong.

The goal is to acknowledge multiple interpretations. The second we get into thinking that our vision is the only way to see things is the second we close our eyes to everything else happening.  

A few techniques to make sure you see, well, know about the whole picture. First, is ask someone what they think and listen with an open mind. Note the differences and adjust your view. Second is to be empathetic. Place yourself in the shoes of the other person and brainstorm reasons why they might see something differently. And last, the classic, play devil’s advocate with yourself. Find flaws in your own reasoning and bring attention to those limitations.

I’m no artist, but I thought that example would help illustrate the point. See what I did there?

The start of the work week is worth celebrating and our approach to it should match that. Don’t believe me?  Well, let’s hear from Kim Kaupe, the CEO of the Superfan Company and a Forbes 30 under 30, who gives us a few pointers on greeting Monday with a smile.

So, when those “Sunday Scaries” hit, change the messaging you use and frame your thoughts and concerns in a more positive light. It’s the perfect start to the week, and we all get to go to work!  Whether you believe it or not, just try it, and let me know how it goes.

By now we all should know the importance of goal setting.  There are a few different ways to be organized in your pursuit of a goal, and each one has its own pros and cons, and works differently for each person.  Today let’s hear from Luke Nesler, CEO of Impakt media, and how he stays on track with his goals.

Love it.  So to summarize, set your goal and list the action items that are required to achieve it, focus and execute on it for 90 days, then reevaluate and iterate your action items to make more progress toward your goal.

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.