Here are 9 New Year’s Challenges that I hope inspire and empower you to take immediate action and improve your mindset, habits, and productivity, which will in turn help you lead a happier, more fulfilled, and more significant life.
- I challenge you to set aside 15 minutes every day to read something motivational or educational. You won’t be successful or happy if you stop growing. And don’t say you don’t have the time to read. Make the time.
- I challenge you to study another industry or vocation to improve a very specific skill set. For example, I study both stand-up comedy and hip-hop music to improve my timing, tempo, and stage presence as a professional speaker.
- I challenge you to replace talk radio and/or music with a podcast whenever you are driving. Save your music for when you work out. Use all commuting time to learn something!
- I challenge you to avoid checking texts, email, and social media for the last 60 minutes before you go to sleep and the first 60 minutes when you first awake. These platforms can have a major negative effect on your mood and perspective.
- I challenge you to create, review, and prioritize the following days’ ‘To-Do’ list every night before you go to bed. Let your subconscious mind make some progress while you sleep. It will help give you clarity and a head start the following morning.
- I challenge you to create a standard morning routine. Create a system that helps you win the morning. When you win the morning, you will almost always dominate your day.
- I challenge you not to text (or post on social media) while you are driving (not even at red lights). Give the road your full attention.
- I challenge you to sit in complete silence (no phones, tablets, computers, or TV) for 15 minutes every single day. You don’t have to meditate necessarily… but just be present and focus on your thoughts. Embrace the challenge of stillness.
- I challenge you to take periodic ‘Digital Detoxes’ (no electronics of any kind) every month.
If you accept, embrace, and hold yourself accountable to these 9 challenges… it will change your life in unimaginable ways.
