In the Now

Jonathan Swift said, "May you live every day of your life." When we get caught up in worries about what went wrong yesterday or yearnings for what we'd like to happen tomorrow, we miss what is happening now.

As we mentioned in our earlier blog, Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal, success plays out on a daily basis. The only thing any of us really have is our time.

That's why for this blog, we decided to give you seven easy tips for making the most of out today.

1. Review Your Big Goals

There is a popular saying from an unknown source: "If you aim for nothing, you'll hit it every time." Start each day by reviewing your big goals. Otherwise, they will never happen.

2. Set Aside Time for Important Tasks

Whether you're preparing a proposal or developing a marketing plan, the task is unlikely to be completed if you don't set aside the time. Manage your calendar and you manage your success.

3. Be Accountable

Goals are inspiring, but they gain momentum by being shared. Tell the people on your team, not only what you plan to accomplish in the long-term, but shorter-term goals also. Teams are all about mutual support. This is as true for leaders as it is for others.

4. Limit Email

According to a study done by Carleton University, people in Canada spend about 30 percent of their time reading, writing and answering emails. The study found that the time spent on emails is a source of stress.

You can do a lot to manage that potential source of stress by setting aside specific blocks of time for looking at emails, and not responding immediately to emails that arrive outside of that time. This is not only about the work involved. It's also about controlling distractions.

5. Learn Every Day

When we are young adults, we plan our education. We complete degrees and certificates, and these are helpful. But our education does not end after we graduate and schools are not the only places you can learn. There are so many options available today: podcasts, blogs, online courses and more.

Schedule time for learning every day. At the Up Close Team, Colette starts her day with learning. She's found it not only builds her knowledge and skills, it gives her a positive attitude for the day ahead.

6. Take Care of Yourself

We've all had times in our career when we did not think we had enough time to stop for lunch, never mind exercising. Yet, without our health, we can't do anything else. Don't wait until you are older to make eating well, getting a good night's rest and exercising priorities you take care of every day.

7. Spend Time with People You Love

The last tip is perhaps the most important. Your children will never be the age they are now again. Each moment you have with the people you care about is precious. If you want to maximize your now, make people the priority.

Call to Action

Tomorrow pick two of these tips and put them into action. Let us know how it goes.

The best is yet to come. It starts with you.
Your friends,
The UpCloseTeam

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