Don’t Wait Until The New Year
It’s just a big excuse really to put off changes that you could be making now, while silently giving yourself permission to indulge excessively in the behavior that you supposedly so badly want to end or change. This just puts you deeper in the hole you want to get out of and makes it more likely for you to quit any program that you start early in the year once you see that your small amount of hard work just gets you back to where you were right before Christmas. It’s a vicious cycle and I don’t recommend making any resolutions at all.
This is not to say that I haven’t been guilty of it. I have as recently as this past year actually. What I’m saying is that the majority of New Year’s resolutions go unfulfilled while those who are really concerned about their personal development do work throughout the entire year to ensure that they see results. It’s a mindset that I have cultivated in myself and I would recommend that you do the same to boost not only your success but your overall happiness and well-being.
If you want to make resolutions, make them geared towards processes that bring you more time to do the things that you really want to do and will ultimately give you the most happiness. Here are some examples and the start of my list:
1. Take steps to cut down on the junk mail you will receive this year. One needs only to Google “remove yourself from junk mail lists” to get started.
2. Check email less times per day: Checking only once or twice per day is all you need to keep in touch with every one. Even less than that is even better. If anything is that important then people can call you. Part of the effectiveness of this one relies on you conditioning others to expect fewer responses from you and to be more concise when they do have your attention. You and those you correspond via email with will greatly benefit from this change.
3. Don’t go on binges, but instead make lifestyle changes. Eating right all the time is next to impossible, but at least eat right consistently. Work out consistently. Check your finances and your business consistently. Showing up the majority of the time is the thin line that separates success from half-assing it.
4. Automate as much as possible. Then automate some more. Streamline your activities online. Can you update all your social networking sites with one account? I update my Facebook and MySpace accounts just by updating my Twitter account. Also follow the same rules for emails as you do here. Do it just a set amount per day or even schedule updates to automatically be sent out so you don’t get sucked into the social vortex and lose hours of your life playing Farmville or Mafia Wars.
5. Be a little more selfish this year. I’m already practicing this one. I didn’t visit any body for the holidays. I got almost no one a present. I saved a lot of money and spent a little more on myself. You may not always be able to live up to this but start practicing it if you’re like me and can be a little too nice sometimes. Say no to more requests for your precious and valuable time.
6. Start blocking away time for uninterrupted productivity. Even if it’s just 2 hours, get that time by any means necessary.
The end goal of all of these is gaining more time in your life through selective ignorance. If you get more time, all the other things will improve as long as you improve the processes in your life with your new found hours.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and get started now. Personal development is your job, not anybody else’s. In order to get the time, you have to eliminate the things that don’t matter to focus on the things that do.
Self Improvement Series 1: Grooming
Here’s a new series in my ongoing dedication to personal development and related topics. I’ll be covering some grooming basics in today’s article.
Grooming is one of the simple things that many people overlook but can make a huge difference on how you look, feel, and how you are perceived by others which can also in turn affect your perception of yourself. Part of personal development is improving yourself in all aspects and how you present yourself to the world is a big piece of that. I like to sit in and bum out as much as the next guy, but I’ve found great success with how I feel and how that in turn affects me over the following days and weeks because of my grooming or lack thereof.
A lack of hygiene, dress, and presence can be overcome by how you present your personality. But if you have all of these working in unison, you will find it much easier to be attractive and impressive to others. This can lead to networking and relationship opportunities you may not have had otherwise. So let’s get started. These can generally be considered applicable to men and women:
1. Hair maintenance: Keeping your hair in a neat, trimmed style. If you are going bald, investigate your options: hair products, implants, different hairstyle, etc. For men, it may just be worth going bald. Grooming all other hairy areas of the body is a must as well. Back hair, nose hair, ear hair, and possibly chest hair are all candidates that are worth touching up. If you have a unibrow, pluck it! Facial hair for men can be considered attractive but it should be groomed into a nice goatee/beard style or clean shaven altogether. For women: Wax those upper lips!
2. Mouth Hygiene: Brush your teeth at least twice a day. If possible do it more! Flossing is also a must, and it is much easier if you use the pre-strung flosser tools. Use a tongue scraper to get all the nasty bacteria and gunk off your tongue. Finish this off by using a good mouthwash (alcohol-free will leave your mouth feeling less dried out). Keeping breath mints or gum on hand is also a wise decision for those social moments when you want to keep your breath fresh! Another reason is to give yourself the chance to smile regularly!
3. Physical Appearance: Work out and eat right! This should become a part of your lifestyle. This is not to say that you can’t eat some junk food ever, but get to your goal weight before you allow yourself to indulge and then do it only in moderation. If you are not working out regularly, then what are you waiting for? Being obese is not attractive and you feel terrible! Trust me, I know all about it 
If you aren’t at your target weight quite yet, keep working. The next two areas will help you in the meantime.
4. Posture: Important to stay mindful of as most people can overlook it. Consciously work on your posture. The way you carry yourself can speak volumes to your mindset and personality. If you are slumped over with your shoulders forward and face down, it can scream “I’m low confidence…don’t respect me”. Head up, eyes forward (making good eye contact with others), back straight, and shoulders back is where you want to be. If you need help with this, investigate “Alexander Technique” on Google or another search engine.
5. Dress: This is something that many people (myself included) have trouble with at times. Go out and buy some nice shoes first of all. Then a belt that goes well with the shoes. Offer to buy a friend who is more fashion-savvy than you lunch if they will agree to help you pick out a new outfit or two. Start to get a feel for what they see and get tips and suggestions as to what style fits your life and personality. After you get more experience picking out nice outfits, you start to develop your own tastes and you can tell what clothing works for you as you improve. Nice form-fitting clothes are definitely more flattering than baggy, rap video outfits. Unless of course that is the style that fits your personality.
6. Cleanliness & Scent : This should probably be higher on the list, but since these are in no particular order here it goes. Shower regularly, use deodorant, and a nicely scented (but not overwhelming) body spray, cologne, or perfume. Putting your scent on your pulse points (chest, wrists, neck, & hips) will allow it to be released more slowly over time.
7. Extras : Other things can also be considered to improve or enhance your physical attractiveness. Tanning, teeth whitening, and other more intrusive cosmetic procedures may be worth considering depending on your situation. Be informed and look into everything!
There is the short list on grooming basics. Entire posts could be written on each one of these (and may very well be at some point!). Take care of yourself first and your other personal development endeavors will go much more smoothly.
Self-improvement and personal development begins with you taking care of yourself first. When you look good, you start to feel much better and more positively about yourself. You’re sending a very subtle but powerful message to your subconscious that you are worth putting more effort into.
Improve your grooming habits and strengthen your personal development progress today!
