Grind.

“Achievement is not always success, while reputed failure often is. It is honest endeavor, persistent effort to do the best possible under any and all circumstances.”—Orison Swett Marden

Be your best today; be better tomorrow. To be better tomorrow suggest that there is always room to grow. “Success” is an elusive goal—an asymptote. If this is so (and I believe it is), we “fail” more often than we “succeed.”

In exercise science, we talk of “progressive overload”—for a body system to adapt, it must be challenged to a level greater than that to which it is accustomed. Persistent effort. Best today. Better tomorrow.

Achievement comes with progressive challenges. The grind. It is not a gift or an inheritance. It requires “persistent effort to do the best possible under any and all circumstances.”

Expect and accept failure as part of the path to success. Learn from it. Grow from it. Be grateful for it. (Grattitude.) Know that falling forward is still progress.

Pursue success with a sense of Purpose. Work and welcome failure as achievement. Fail today and be better tomorrow.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Sleep Well.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow. This is one of my daily mantas. I can be neither my best today nor better tomorrow. Without adequate sleep.

Sleep is more than 7-8 hours in bed. The phrase “sleep hygiene” (i.e., good sleep hygiene) entails the habits surrounding quality sleep. Research has shown that regular sleep habits—a regular sleep and awake time is as important (if not more important) than the hours of sleep.

Here are some effective habits for good sleep hygiene:

Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Consistency helps regulate your body’s internal clock.

Ensure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool. Consider using earplugs, an eye mask, or a white noise machine, if needed.

Use a comfortable mattress and pillows. Bedding should be cozy and supportive to promote good sleep posture.

Reduce exposure to bright light in the evenings and increase exposure to sunlight during the day. Consider using blackout curtains to block out light.

Limit screen time (e.g., phones, tablets, computers, TV, etc.) at least an hour before bed. The blue light from these devices can interfere with the production of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone.

Eating heavy or rich foods within a couple of hours of bedtime can cause discomfort and indigestion. Limit fluids to prevent frequent bathroom trips during the night.

Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that can interfere with sleep. Avoid them (don’t smoke period), especially in the late afternoon and evening.

Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night. Try to exercise at regular times during the day and avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime.

Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or yoga to manage stress. A calm mind can help you sleep better.

Engage in relaxing activities an hour or so before bed, such as journaling, reading a book, taking a warm bath, or listening to soothing music. Avoid watching the news or reading materials that can excite the brain.

Limit yourself to short, 20-30 minutes naps, if you nap, and avoid napping late in the afternoon.

Strengthen the association between bed and sleep by avoiding the use of your bed for activities like working, eating, or watching television.

Avoid alcohol before bed. Alcohol might help you fall asleep, but it can disrupt your sleep cycle and lead to poor-quality sleep.

Spend time outside during the day. This helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exposure to natural light.

Consider sleep aids carefully. I learned recently that melatonin has a half-life of about two hours. This means that, though it can help you fall asleep, it won’t help you stay asleep. Consider a supplement that is time-released (e.g., Sleep Relief™ from Nutritional Biochemistry, Inc., https://www.nbihealth.com/sleep-support/).

Sleep is one of the most important activities we can do to support physical and brain health. Consider your sleep habits—sleep hygiene—and….

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

Better Than Just The Better Side of Mediocre.

Success is individual. Unfortunately, we often measure our success against the (perceived) success of others. The intent of this book is not to define success for anyone. Success is for the reader to define. Frankly, I find the concept of success is a bit nebulous. So, where does one draw the line? Is success a dollar amount in the bank? Is it a specific occupational title? Is it celebrity? Is it professional respect? If it is respect, then, from whom? What, precisely is success? Most importantly, what comes after success?

There is no doubt that we should all set out to accomplish “great things” in our lives. We should dream big. We should be (extra)ordinary. But….

Andrew Carnegie once said: “There is little success where there is little laughter.”  Success, however, as it is defined, is worthless if it comes at the cost of happiness. All opportunity comes at a cost. Doing great things requires effort, and effort comes at the expense of other aspects of one’s life. Education, building a successful business, training to become an elite athlete, etc. will have to draw energy away from something. These cost time with family, time spent on personal health/well-being, and so on. Of what value is success in one area of life if it leads to failure in other areas? True success adds value to others and to the other areas of one’s life.

Occasionally, I have days when I wake up feeling a bit tired of being on the successful side of mediocre. I suspect we all have days like this. These are days when we feel like we just haven’t accomplished as much as we are meant to accomplish in our life.

There are several ways to approach this feeling. One would be to get down on oneself and feel unaccomplished. Another would be to say: “Meh. I am doing okay.” and keep chugging along, staying the course. The best approach, however, is to make new efforts in the direction of (extra)ordinary.

I don’t like being on the successful side of mediocre. I trust you don’t either. The successful side of mediocre is just north of average and not far from the unsuccessful side of mediocre. I feel it is true that, overall, I can say I am successful—by the standards of most, quite successful, but to be just this side of mediocre is a statement that “I have worked just hard enough and took advantage of just enough opportunity to stay ahead of the next guy.” I don’t find this is to be acceptable. We all want to make our mark on the world and add significant value to the lives we touch—shouldn’t we, of course?

We should always strive to be better. We need to set goals, and we need to expect increasingly more of ourselves. The challenge, however, is to not beat ourselves up and feel as though we are failures because we are not living lives of wealth and fame. The world doesn’t need more billionaires and celebrities as much as it needs parents, teachers, coaches, and ordinary people who have (extra)ordinary impact on the people around them.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!!