Written by: Andre Young, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I’m honored so many organizations worldwide reach out to me seeking to impact their leaders and employees, eager to enhance their people’s professional leadership, daily leadership skills, and lives outside of work. I’ll share with you, just as I share with them… It’s imperative to start trainings and speaking engagements with The 5 Points of Your Day! If you want to live the life of your dreams, professionally and personally… and enhance your Leadership & Work/Life Harmony… this is the foundation! Remember, everyone has 24 hours in a day; leaders use theirs differently. Let’s jump in!
Point 1: What You Consume When Your Wake Up!
Sorry… there’s no fancy name for Point 1! You may be thinking about what you eat or your diet, but that’s not what I mean. Please, by all means, eat healthy; as we only get one life to live. However, I’m referring to what you put in your mind and spirit when you first wake up!
I often hear from leaders and employees they wake up grabbing their phone, iPad, or laptop and take it to the bathroom to check and respond to emails. As an employer, it may seem impressive and you may want hundreds or thousands of employees like this. As an employee, it may seem like a logical way to get a jump on the day. However, compound this act… day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade… how’d you think you’d end up feeling about your job… starting your day complaining about an email, who sent it, how dumb someone is, or a sharp email that grinds your gears before you’ve gotten a chance to even brush your teeth… Be Mindful!
So, since you’re not starting your day by checking your email or scrolling social media… what to do instead? The answer is… anything that enhances your positivity, your passion, and your production professionally and personally! During my last job as an employee… a coworker came to me and said, “You know how you have one of those bad mornings?”. I thought carefully as I didn’t want to come across cocky. The truth is, I haven’t had a bad morning since 2011. I’ve had busy mornings with having three young kids back then. I’ve had mornings I’d rather stay in bed, but I haven’t had a bad morning since 2011… Why? When I started my business in 2011, I’d go to bed every night looking for positive quotes to post in the morning. When I woke up, I came up with a question related to the quote.
As time passed, I started making personal development and leadership videos in the morning and finding short motivational videos to watch. Years of this have made it impossible for me to have a bad morning! Whatever your process, the cherry on top is, whatever your process… it simply starts to become who you are! So, be mindful of what you consume when you wake up. For me, it’s short motivational videos and posting my content. Perhaps yours will be the same… or meditation, prayer, push-ups, or quiet time with your coffee before the rest of the world is up. Whatever it is… be sure it’s making you better, not bitter!
Point 2: Organize Your Day!
It’s no wonder leaders and employees are so on edge; as you attempt to maintain the order of the tornado of things you have to do in a day… I like to say “Get to do”, but you get the point! Organizing your day means you keep a notebook by your computer or wherever you get your work done… with the purpose of writing your list of “Things to Do”. It’s important to get what’s in your head on paper. My list tends to average 15-20 things daily for me to run my business effectively.
As a leader, be sure your list is making you “Better” not just “Busy”. Before I pull the covers back in the morning and my feet hit the floor, I say two things to myself. “Let’s be great and have some fun today”… I’ll explain more about that later in the book. The second thing is a question, “What are my wins for the day?”. Having an answer to this question will give your day purpose and allow you to win the day instead of the day beating you! When you make your list… be sure your wins are at the very top; allowing you to cross off wins that propel you, your team, and your organization forward!
Organizing your day also involves who you choose to associate with at work. As a leader… you walk in with your head up, eyes up, smiling, greeting, and saying hello to everyone; but you don’t park it and live there with everyone! You know the Negative Nicks & Nacys, Gossipers, and Grouches… be gracious to everyone and keep it moving!
Point 3: Relationship Building and Self-Care!
Let’s start with Self-Care! No matter how much you love what you do for a living; at some point in the day, we all hit a wall. For some, it may be one o’clock, two o’clock, or whenever… it’s coming! When it happens, it’s time to do something good for YOU. For me, it’s remembering to eat. I love what I get to do for a living and get consumed by it and can easily forget to eat! Perhaps it’s taking a walk, eating with new people, scrolling positive things and people you subscribe to on your phone. Whatever it is, enjoy it!
You’ll find Relationship Building to be a gift… for you and your loved ones! What would it take for you to send a nice text to your significant other midday? Not much, right? My wife and I both work from home and from time to time I send her a nice text… even though she’s right upstairs, “Hey Beautiful, I hope your day is going as amazing as you are! I love You!”. Believe me, it sets up the back half of my day very nicely! Maybe you decide to send a nice text to your parents if you’re still lucky enough to have them… your kids, your friends. Let’s be real, we all have the fastest texting thumbs on the planet; let’s put them to good use! I think we all can spare 20 seconds to gift your partner, parents, kids, friends, and your life!
Point 4: How You Return Home!
If you’re reading this book; I’m assuming you’re in a professional position of leadership or would like to be. So here’s a question… Would you ever purposely hire someone that looked as if they were dragging themselves around, complaining all the time, and looking as if they’d rather be anywhere else? I hope your answer is “No”. Then isn’t it a shame that’s how most of us return home after a day at work… or to the living room after closing the laptop? Dragging ourselves through the door, complaining about the day, your boss, your employees, and everything in between. Let’s be mindful of how we return home and gift our family with the same energy you’d want your employees to exhibit walking through the door or clicking onto a Virtual Call!
The key is to know what you need, so you can return home like a leader. For me, it was going to the gym after work; it was the only place where it was ALL ABOUT ME for an hour. It also gave me my second wind and I could return home happy to put my cape on and become Superman, Superhusband, and Superdad! For you, perhaps it’s a shower, a walk, or 15 minutes of personal chill-time. Whatever it is… BE SURE you’re a better person after doing it… this makes it easier for the people in your life to accept what you’re doing… and they will actually want you to do it because they enjoy how you are and who you are when you return!
Point 5: “What was my Biggest Accomplishment of the Day?”
Monday through Friday, before I close my eyes to go to sleep, I ask myself this question… and I implore you to do the same! It’s one of the most powerful questions you can ever ask yourself and having an answer to this question will allow you to have won the day, instead of the day consistently kicking your butt. I hear from so many people, especially women, that they lay in bed at night thinking of all the things they didn’t get done and ALL the things they have to do the next day. Do you know how much you actually did and accomplished today… and everyday? Your brain is faster than you think and I promise you will have an answer to this question… and most likely more than one! In this quiet time of reflection, give yourself a pat on the back for your Biggest Accomplishment of the day… and for all of the small ones no one may know about!
To take it a bit further, ask your significant other… your kids. I guarantee you don’t know their answer! My wife works in land development… I have no idea what she’s talking about when she discusses the grading of land and swales (I hope I spelled it right) … however, when I ask her this question, I know what to hug her for, what to say congrats about, what to celebrate with her, that I’m proud of her, and great job Baby!
This is the 5 Points of Your Day! Notice, it’s not a lot of time out of your day. It’s about intent and consistency! You do this consistently, not just when you’re motivated on a Monday or January 1st, and you will evolve professionally and personally! Before you move on in this book to learn concepts to put in your Leader’s Toolbox, answer this quick question… What was your Biggest Takeaway from the 5 Points… which point resonated with you that you will make a homework assignment for yourself RIGHT NOW? Remember… knowing something new, without applying that something new, will lead to nothing new!
“Everyone has 24 hours in a day; leaders use theirs differently” – Andre Young
You’re a busy leader that cares about your people; the level of change they’re experiencing, their burn-out, and need for leadership training and work/life harmony skills but not sure where to turn or who to bring in… Look no further, click here for customizable speaking engagements and leadership trainings with Professional speaker, author, and leadership trainer, Andre Young!!! (In-Person, Virtual, or Online)
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Andre Young, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Andre Young is a Professional Speaker, Author, Leadership Trainer, and Founder of You Evolving Now. He worked as a Mental Health Therapist for 19 years, played sports at every level from high school to professional, has been an employee, a business owner, and self-employed, and has written 4 books focused on enhancing Leadership & Work/Life Harmony. As Founder of You Evolving Now, it's his mission to enhance Leadership and Work/Life Harmony for organizations, leaders, employees, and teams with his high-energy, interactive, culture-changing leadership training programs and speaking engagements, allowing a professional and personal evolution!
