Top-Shelf Tip No. 253:
"The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams." Oprah Winfrey
Want to feel more energized and productive in 2020? Forget about the perpetual hustle and grind-make this your year to take ownership of your life. If you constantly try to give 110 percent every day, you leave little room for the things you value. Instead, organizational psychologist Dr. Nicole Lipkin encourages sales professionals to clean up their head space so they're prepared to take on new challenges and experiences.
Keep reading this issue of Promotional Consultant Today to learn Lipkin's tips for a more productive and energized 2020.
1. Dismiss the guilt. Guilt will drain you and exhaust your energy, says Lipkin. Use it as an emotional barometer, but then make a proactive decision about the situation that's causing the guilt. Imagine your guilt as a briefcase. Simply set it down as you're walking, and then keep walking.
2. Create positive habits. Every decision you make before you get to work taxes your mental energy, though you may not be aware of it. Pick a breakfast or two you like, an outfit that suits you and stick to them, advises Lipkin. When you're not thinking about what to wear you can be thinking about what to create.
3. Distance yourself from negative people. Try not to entangle yourself with the unhappy people in your life. Their problems don't have to be your problems.
4. Catch up with friends. Lipkin says this seems simple enough, but our professional lives often keep us busy in our own little worlds. Spending time with friends creates memories. Lipkin reminds professionals that later in life they won't look back on their important work but on time spent with friends.
5. Move your body. Exercising combats sadness and depression. Lipkin says it's imperative in order to feel good. Find something you like to do and try to create a daily or weekly routine.
6. Sleep. According to Lipkin, much of our annoyance and frustration with the world and ourselves is simply due to a lack of quality sleep. Try to get to bed by midnight and sleep for at least seven to eight hours, she advises.
7. Meditate. Meditation calms the mind, lowers your heart rate and allows your whole body to relax. Lipkin says it has been shown to reduce stress, improve relationships and improve your focus.
8. Take a break from social media. Lipkin says every time someone likes/hearts/shares your post you get a hit of dopamine in your brain, which feels good. Over time the dopamine release decreases but the seeking never stops. Take a break. Look at a tree instead.
9. Read Mindset by Carol Dweck. According to Lipkin, this book is a life-changer. Add it to your 2020 reading list.
10. Love and laugh more. Love and laughter take the focus off yourself. When you are less self-focused, you are less likely to obsess and stress. Watch a funny movie. Go to a comedy club. Laughter releases stress, builds endorphins and makes you happy.
When you think about living your best life in 2020, remember that you don't have to tackle every tip at once. Take it slow and stick with it—starting with No. 10.