5 ways to ‘max out’ confidently every day​

If you want to end each day feeling full of achievement, success and growth (personally and in your projects), then you need to learn how to confidently lead yourself to max out each day. That means being able to make the most of yourself and of each day consistently. Here are 5 ways you can start to confidently ‘max out’ every day.

Make more of your morning routine

Habits breed success and one key habit many successful people swear by is their morning routine. Getting up at the same time, having a set number of tasks in a particular order and making sure that they start the day with a positive mind, energised and ‘ready’ for the day ahead. Now, don’t start thinking you have to join the 5amclub and get up with the sparrows to max the early hours – that works for some but not everyone. We cannot forget sleep is a fundamental productivity boost. What I have personally found is a successful morning may mean rising a thatlittle bit earlier but the key things are consistency, a comfortable pace and doingmore than just up/dress/eat/out. Routine plus adding more of what will energise you first thing is the shift you are seeking. Perhaps it’s yoga, breathing and gratitude exercises; a trip to the gym or a run; writing in a journal or working through your to dolist calmly while ‘sitting’ and enjoying a cup of coffee in your favourite chair – the key is making the morning routine ‘your time and part of who you are’ to create energy and positivity to max out the day ahead.

Check out this article for some inspiration from those that make it work https://www.success.com/article/10-morning-routines-of-wildly-successful-entrepreneurs

Eat well

Are you a grab and gulper? Or perhaps a meal skipper? If you want to max out the day then you have to eat properly. The brain needs to be fed and food is its fuel. The right food, eaten mindfully and enjoyed will help you maximise the day. One thing you are definitely never going to be is more productive if you miss your lunch despite what the inner voices are leading you to believe when you have a deadline approaching and you keep going and going never breaking for ‘fuel’. The knock-on effect toskipping lunch is the brain can’t recover from the morning. Also, think about what you eat – get more fruit, lean meat, vegetables and stay hydrated (water literally should be on tap for you all day to keep you maxing out). Stick to meal times, have some healthy snacks and water on hand and don’t succumb to the sugar cravings when your body and brain finally connect and start to urge for the wrong food.

Dump the word busy

Being busy is a form of laziness – lazy thinking and indiscriminate action – Tim Ferris

I’m often called intohelp people to increase productivity and efficiency. I always start withasking them how they define their day. The word BUSY comes pouring out and often with a sense of achievement, a halo or badge of honour when actually what they are describing are hamsters running in wheels, no sense of purpose, direction and control. Busy is a default word where the correct descriptor is often ‘overwhelm’. People who max out their day don’t allow overwhelm to take over and they don’t use the word busy with pride. They can focus on the right things, remain present so they capture each thought and the response in the moment, have better relationships because they are engaged not distracted, they are moving forward not just moving and they park any concept of multi-tasking. This means they are able to think, do and feel great all at the same time. How do they do it? Prioritising (not just the to-do list but leading with life priorities and purpose), planning with systems which work for them, they understand that time is their most valuable and unreplenishable resource and they are focused on attention not time management. They don’t allow themselves to become futile busy.

Don’t be managed by your email

Email is there to help us become more efficient and max out our time. it’s one of the best tools for keeping us on top of communication and allowing us to create flexible working. BUT… it is also the devil in our productivity toolbox because too many of us are led through the day by email. The temptation to check and recheck, to have it open and popping up with notifications is a strong one. However, let’s think about this in human terms. How would it feel if someone was constantly tapping you on the shoulder to show you something new, to whisper in your ear, to distract you and confuse you? You’d soon tell them to go away, move your desk or ask them to schedule time to see you. That’s exactly how you should treat email – schedule it! Choose 3 or 4 times a day when you will focus on email and use systems such as the 4ds process – Do – Delegate – Defer – Delete so that you manage email and don’t let it manage you.

Manage the voice in your head

People who max out their day understand that they have an inner mentor and an inner critic both  vyingfor attention.  Too often it is the critical harsh voice which shouts the loudest. It’s this voice we then follow without thought of the true impact on our effectiveness, attention and time. Learn the difference between your inner voices. Then assess whether the action you are taking is being led by judgement, negative perceptions and fear, or whether it is with wisdom, love and rational thought. It will help you say no more often than yes. Be more focused and prioritise the right things.

Maxing out your day means you are more likely to achieve more of what you want really from life. You know those things called enjoyment and balance! Consider how you can start to lead yourself more effectively. How you can start to shift yourself from where you are today to where you want to be.

Need some help in finding confident Self-Leadership get in touch today and book a Free discovery consultation and let me help you max out your day, career and life.