Self Improvement Daily Podcast

I’m a nerd scientist so I’m going to share the scientific definition of momentum. Momentum is Newton’s First Law which is an object in motion continues in motion unless acted on by an unbalanced force. More simply put, and in the terms of productivity in your day, momentum is the energy you carry with you between tasks.

But the most important part about momentum is it is changeable both positively and negatively. So, lets try finding ways to increase your momentum to get things in motion!  

Personally, I have found it most useful to build momentum first thing in the morning as a way to set the tone for the day. My morning routine includes practicing gratitude, doing pull-ups, and making my bed. Accomplishing these micro tasks are enough to get the ball rolling in the right direction.

I’ve recently met a guy named Sig Magnusson, an Icelandic entrepreneur, who told me that he does ice water submersion every morning for this very reason. He says that forcing himself into cold water every morning teaches him that he is capable of overcoming any challenge he may face in the day!  It doesn’t need to be as intense as that to build momentum though, even choosing a healthy breakfast option, not snoozing your alarm, or getting one thing done before 8am can all jumpstart your momentum!

What do you do every morning that builds your momentum and sets you up for your day? Let me know. I’d love to have you help me make a tip about it!

There are a few things about the quote,"Create the life you can't wait to wake up to", that I particularly enjoy. First, I love the word create. It demonstrates that our life is in our control, and we can make of it what we want.  Built into that control is a choice, where we decide what we want to create. Having autonomy to choose is powerful, and best be done right!

The second part of the quote that I like is the part that says, “you can’t wait”, meaning that you are so eager or excited about something that it consumes you. It lends a natural positivity to the quote that frames it all for the better.

Lastly, I love how the quote references waking up, because waking up is associated with a new day. A new day that has its own trials and challenges, but always starts with a blank slate.  

So, to tie the quote back together in my own words: the happenings and opportunities of today, that we can’t wait to experience, are the product of the choices that we make. So, choose positivity. By deciding to see things from a positive lens, you’ll quickly see how everything else trickles down to match.  

So what’s stopping you? “Create the life you can’t wait to wake up to”, by starting with positivity. 

Let’s dive right into this one, featuring CEO of the TruFan Company Kim Kaupe.

Kim told you exactly what you can do to identify and correct these speech tics by recording yourself.  I’m sure you’d be surprised to learn how interrupted your speech could be when you break it down.  

I wanted to take a moment today to share a bit about John McCain and his legacy he left behind with us earlier this week. John McCain was a statesman, senator, POW, and USA presidential candidate who left a huge impression on the world.  

While I did some research on his life, I came across my favorite quote of his that I felt was appropriate to share. The quote is, “Nothing in life is more liberating than fighting for a cause larger than yourself”.

So, I am going to talk about the importance of fighting for a cause larger than yourself.  We are all just a small piece in a larger ecosystem. To provide a bit of perspective, the fact that you can listen to this message right now means you have access to the internet, which is only possible to half of the world’s population. It also means that you live in a country where you have freedom to information. John McCain dedicated his life to serving his country, but we all have our own larger causes that call us.   And having the perspective that there are things bigger than you happening outside of your life is the first step being ready to dedicate to a larger cause.

One option is to identify exactly what larger cause you are meant to serve. Identify what you are passionate about, or a privilege you take for granted, and let it motivate you to make a difference in that area. This is a huge commitment, and if that’s how you live your life I commend you for it. However, it’s really hard to do, and you can still fight for a larger cause in a simpler way.  

It’s by making decisions in your life that serve the larger causes. For example, you can support local businesses by limiting your online shopping, limit your carbon footprint by biking to work, or support wage equality by purchasing from certain stores. Having an awareness about the implications of your decisions, and acting on those in the right way, will allow you to effortlessly contribute to larger causes!

Thank you John McCain for the last lesson, you’ll be missed but never forgotten.

Who here experiences writer’s block?  Whether it’s in a professional or personal setting, it can be really frustrating. Fortunately for us, writing guru Seth Godin has a tip for us today. It starts with productivity, and continues as a habit. 

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It’s crazy how competent our brain is. Simply by placing yourself in a situation, your brain will adjust to make the most of what it has to work with. And if that means facing writer’s block, the solution is just to write!

I’d say just about everyone has a desire to be a better version of themselves.  We all talk about how we are working toward a promotion, growing an audience on social media, or trying to get healthier. But, to me that’s all talk, all hypothetical. I think the better question is, what percentage of the talkers actually act on it on a daily basis?

I bet it’s pretty disproportionate to the amount of people who think they doing it.

As great as self help books are, or going to conferences, or even my SID audio content, the resources themselves don’t do anything but offer ideas. While it is very important to learn about the strategies, techniques, and reasons for certain things, at the end of the day it is only knowledge. It still requires that you take action. 

I encourage you to reflect on your life and be honest with yourself. Are you accountable to goals, do you have routines, are you changing habits, do you have certain favorite techniques? Do those things match the lifestyle, productivity, and efficiency you want to live with?

There’s no trick to personal development, because the responsibility is on you to take action. Identify those things that fit into your life, the person you want to be, and put in the work to change your life to match it.

What do you do when you realize you made a stupid mistake? Or when you can’t figure out where your error is in a project?  If only there was a way to keep these things from happening.

Well here is! It’s a really simple fix. Double check your work.

It is one of the first things we learn in school but we don’t continue with it for some reason. It might be pride or naivity, whatever it is, best set it aside.  

Double checking your work will clean up all of the small and tedious blemishes before they become mistakes. Although it seems counterintuitive, double checking your work right away will actually help you be more efficient with your time. This is because all pertinent information is still warm and ready to be recalled because your brain hasn’t transitioned the tasks yet, which will allow you to correct the mistake cohesively and effectively.

How can we get ourselves to double check our work? There are two ways. The first way is to move slower through the task the first time and double check proactively, and be more diligent in your work. The second way is to set aside a time to revisit your work before you have finished the task. By creating that plan, and a commitment to the task, you won’t consider it complete until you have double checked your work, and that cognitive dissonance created by having a lingering unfinished task will motivate you to get back to it.

Double checking your work will improve quality and be more efficient with your time! Now time for me to double check the accuracy of this information before posting it!

This message is about setting boundaries, and understanding that you have the control and autonomy to decide what want to do and not do. Oprah spoke about this on her show, specifically around the topic of sexual abuse, and empowers people to choose what is best for them.

The best thing to do to know your boundaries is to state where your boundaries are before the moment arises. Whether it is the number of drinks on a night out, or times you will try to reach out to someone, it is best to determine that amount in an unemotional state. And something that you could try to stay accountable to that amount is writing it down somewhere. There is strong commitment to your own handwriting.

I recently did an article published by Addicted2Success.com, and I think the core concept is worth sharing here. The article is about independent travel, and how that experience translates to improved performance at work. While most of us have no plans to travel, the lessons presented in this article about being independent are more widely applicable, hope you enjoy!

The first lesson is about building relationships from nothing. Doing anything alone puts a strain on your social needs, and forces you to step out of your comfort zone, and is arguably the most difficult part of traveling alone.

The next lesson is about self awareness, which is fundamental to a healthy personal state, and has been getting the attention it deserves. Time on your own helps you realize exactly what you want to do for yourself, which is a valuable lesson, because it makes for a happier you.

Third, I talk about taking ownership for poor results. When acting independently, you can’t point the finger at anyone else, and having those moments of self-reflection where you realize that you are at fault is a powerful perspective to have.

To expound on that, you learn how to solve problems. Again, when there is no one to turn to and you find yourself in a situation, you and only you are capable of getting out of it. Taking pride in and solving your own problems is a huge asset in life.

And last, you learn to trust your gut. With this trust in your own impressions comes a confidence and poise that is extremely valuable in traveling, business, and relationships.