I’m not talking about making the most knockout canva presentation or landing a big client, as these things don’t happen every day. In modern life, success immediately makes one envision a high level corporate title, a raise, a promotion at work, and surely, a financial net worth. Yet these milestones are unrealistic daily occurences and as one who sets fairly high expectations for myself, I can feel ‘down’ if I don’t experience a major ‘business’ win.
In 2014, Navy Seal William H. McCraven, commander of the forces that led the raid to kill Osama bin Laden, gave an outstanding commencement speech at the University of Texas where he advised graduates that “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another. And by the end of the day that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed.”
This speech resonated with me and made me realize that if I focused on tasks and mini goals outside of work, those too, would be successes, and even better, help me seek and acknowledge accomplishment every day. Even if I had a tough day at the office or if I failed to win a prospect client, I found happiness and success in other areas of life. Being able to grasp this has made me a happier, more productive and more grateful person. Why? Because I feel success and fulfillment every single day, and even if the goals are small, they have helped me put life into a whole new perspective. Money and power aside, below are 20 Ways To Feel Heart Felt Success Every Day:
1. Exercise first thing in the morning — this gets endorphins going and no one every regrets a workout.
2. Pack a special note inside your kids’ lunches or partner’s briefcase — you will make someone smile that day.
3. Call 3 People to let them know that you’ve been thinking about them — A short and sweet call means a lot to someone who needs the love, and the feeling of having made their day is quite rewarding.
4. Eliminate Distractions — limit your social media, make sure you have a game plan for the day and focus on things that you know you can get done.
5. Get Outside — be it a walk at lunchtime, an outdoor meeting or an errand, fresh air feels good and real daylight and sunshine is a natural endorphin.
6. Hug someone close — Whether it’s your partner, kids, sister or friend, give someone a big hug. Invest in your relationships and remember that we should never be too busy to hug someone you care about.
7. Be on time and don’t rush. Traffic is “not” an excuse so plan accordingly and arrive on time (or early) to an appointment. When I’m not rushing, I feel calm, happy and in control.
8. Book a 1 hour appointment for yourself. An hour of yoga, exercise, coloring in a book, meditating or reading, prioritize 1 hour for what I call “me time.”
9. Pay someone a compliment. And a genuine one. The truth is that social media selfies and “busyness” has made us care less about others, so let’s reverse that. Whether you like someone’s outfit, their smile or the way the helped you, you’ll make someone’s day (and feel good about it yourself!) if you let them know.
10. Do 10 pushups — sounds crazy but if you drop and do 10 push-ups, it’ll make you feel strong, make your heart race, revive your energy and sure, it’s a success!
11. Take action on the small thing you’ve been procrastinating — make that dentist appointment, pay that bill, sign your kid up for baseball.
12. Learn from a mistake. Don’t fear failure. Find the lesson in something that you made a mistake on and embrace the value of it.
13. Give yourself a deadline and execute a task. It’s sort of like a game but the feeling of accomplishment under deadline is terrific.
14. Delegate — Have someone help you accomplish a task. Whether it’s a friend picking up your kids from school, a nanny picking up dinner or a work colleague researching a project, delegating well yields satisfaction.
15. Send a handwritten note. A thank you, a “thinking of you,” a birthday card or a congratulations, everyone loves snail mail and it feels incredible to send one.
16. Drink ½ gallon of water per day. Buy a water bottle you enjoy using or infuse some fruit into your water. From energy levels to weight loss, staying hydrated every day is a success.
17. Read a book or magazine. (Not social media.) Even if just a couple pages, books invigorate us and take your mind to a more productive and creative state.
18. Before you leave the office, jot down 5 goals you want to accomplish for the next day. By leaving the office organized, you set yourself up for success.
19. GIVE. Whether you buy the eggs for the woman behind you in the checkout line or donate a couple dollars to a local non-profit, giving lends satisfaction.
20. Kiss your kids and/or partner goodnight, every single night. For me, this is grounding and brings all things into perspective, even after the toughest days.
At the end of the day, reflect on what made you happy and wind down with something you enjoy doing. Accept that not everything needs to be perfect and embrace satisfaction from small accomplishments throughout the day. Remind yourself that every day is a gift. Be positive and even if you didn’t make your bed that morning (I rarely do), look for the silver lining in your own day to day activities that don’t necessarily pertain to career accomplishments.
Originally published at medium.com