Building A Better Life

Imagine how incredible you'd be one year from now if you stopped fantasizing about a better life and actively started building one.

So often we get in our own way. We are creatures of habit and like nothing more than to be busy "being busy". We sit down in the morning (or sometimes the night before) and create a list of "to-do's" for the day and feel great with every item that we scratch off as completed. At the end of the day we may sit back and say, "Wow, I was so busy today." But were we really? Did these accomplishments bring us any closer to our goals? Do we actually feel better?

Perhaps the wiser thing to do is to ask ourselves, "What do I want today?" Envision the one thing you really, really want out of the day. See it in all its technicolor brilliance. Feel it with every cell in your body. This is what you need to be thinking about throughout the day. Are you merely doing activities or are you bringing yourself closer to your goals? Are you getting what you want?

A friend of mine and I often talk about the WIN philosophy. WIN stands for What's Important Now and was first mentioned by Coach Lou Houltz of Notre Dam. If you begin to put this philosophy into practice each and every day, with each and every choice you make, you will find yourself achieving more success, accomplishing more and getting closer and closer to what you truly want in your life.

I begin each day focusing on me. I wake up early, before anyone else, when the house is still dark and quiet, and I meditate. Sometimes it's only for 10 minutes, sometimes it's for a half-hour. Following this, I grab a cup of coffee and sit down to journal. I write down what I am grateful for and I open myself up to what the Universe has in mind for me that day. I keep all my journal entries positive because I don't like to give energy to negative thoughts. Following this, I go to the gym. This time I spend on myself - giving importance to my mind, my emotions and my body - help me set the stage for the rest of my day. No matter what happens, I am calm and better able to handle anything. For me, this is what's important now.

Each of you should carve out time for yourself every day. Figure out what you need to do to reset your internal clock. It could be reading a book, listening to some music or a podcast, or simply taking some time to sit quietly and reflect. It doesn't really matter what you do. It's more important that you do it. Being selfish isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes it just means that you know you have to focus on yourself to get where you want to be. By nurturing yourself, you will be better able to nurture those around you. When everyone is feeling love, there can't help but be success. Remember, happiness is an inside job and real success will come when you focus on yourself first. And I promise you, this will build for you a better life.