Today Matters

 

It never occurred to me to put much thought into my values, because I assumed they are part of my essence and it wasn't necessary to think about them. Since values guide my behavior subconsciously, it didn't seem necessary to know how to articulate them. However, after reading John Maxwell's Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrow's Success I can see a lot of worth in reviewing ones values to ensure all actions align with them appropriately. 

My daily routine currently includes a 5-Minute journal which includes gratitude and affirmations, as well as reflecting in the evening, but I think reviewing my values would be a perfect addition. A daily reminder of a strong foundation can only be a great help.

In Today Matters John Maxwell shares 12 areas of focus that he has developed over the years. He gives examples of what each value has enabled him to accomplish throughout his life and and he explains how each is foundational for him.

Here are the “daily dozen” and how one could incorporate them into life:

The Daily Dozen

1. Attitude

I always used to think having a good attitude was a pathetic attempt at a compliment when the person sucked at something, but kept trying..... I have since overcome this negative connotation and learned that we humans get to CHOOSE how we see things and having a positive attitude means that we interpret the world around us through a positive lens. All things being equal, having a positive attitude can make the life experience enjoyable and a negative attitude can make a person miserable. It's important to step back and notice this, especially with the stress of having young children. I want to do everything I can to enjoy these fleeting precious moments with my baby, so a positive attitude is essential. Removing negative words from your vocabulary is a great way to start! Today's ATTITUDE can give you possibilities.

2. Priorities

As David Allen said, "You can do anything, but not everything." You only have one life, how do you want to live it? If we never ask ourselves this question then we are passive and decisions are made for us and when we ponder the thought on our deathbed we could realize what the mark was and that we totally missed it. This happens very easily as the urgent is mistaken for the important. If you don't prioritize daily then what you ultimately desire won't magically happen in the future. It's easy to get into task mode and check off whatever comes in front of you to feel productive, but it only MATTERS if it's a priority for you. I've scheduled my day so that I go to work a bit later and have some quality time with my family to start my day. Today's PRIORITIES can give you focus.

3. Health

Ugh the eternal battle. I don't know why this one is so hard for me.... perhaps because I often don't enjoy it. I'm constantly racking my brain for a better meal plan and exercise ideas. Luckily my son gets breakfast at Early Ed, I do alright with packing simple nutritious lunches for him, and I have pretty much the same daily breakfast and lunch. The area that needs improvement is dinner- I'm constantly searching for nutritious, quick, and easy recipes. For exercise I've resorted to a daily goal of 10,000 steps on my Fitbit and have slowly become more consistent by slipping more steps into my day. I know I need to do some more for exercise, but haven't gotten there yet. I'm far from perfect, but I figure as long as I continue to try I'll do better than if I didn't try at all. I may never have this category fully sorted, but it's important and I think about how to improve regularly. Today's HEALTH can give you strength.

4. Family

When my husband and I started dating he told me once that he didn't like that he had to schedule time on my calendar in order to see me- OUCH! I had been single for a couple of years and didn't want to "give anything up for a man", but luckily that fiercely independent woman realized that she WANTED to spend more time with that man and volunteering on numerous boards that she wasn't passionate about wasn't as important. Family can easily slip to the bottom of your priorities if you let it because after all these are the people who love you no matter what..... but actually those relationships still need to be cultivated. Love and respect from your family is essential, so make sure you do what you need to to earn it. Today's good relationship with your FAMILY can give you strength to face the rest of the world.

5. Thinking

Most people don't think because it's hard work. It sounds simple, but to make the space and take the initiative to think can actually be quite difficult. If this isn't a regular practice it may be overwhelming, so frame it as reflection. Think about your values and goals and where you are and where you would like to be. Today's THINKING can give you an advantage.

6. Commitment

You must ensure that any promises you have made are being acted upon. Live up to the priorities and goals that you have set for yourself. Commitment is hard, so choose your commitments wisely. Today's COMMITMENT can give you tenacity.

7. Finances

Think through all of your daily expenditures and make sure they align with your resources and priorities. Money can't buy happiness, but not having enough of it can be truly miserable. I was lucky to be raised by parents who pointed out that you should never envy someone else's material positions because you never know if they're on their way to bankruptcy court and don't actually own any of it. Keeping up with the Jonses is a dreadful game that you should never choose to play. Do the best you can with what you have and be proactive! Managing today's FINANCES can give you options. 

8. Faith

I'm pretty weak in this area, but John advises to revisit and strengthen your belief system through quiet meditation and study. It's important strengthen your spiritual foundation so that there is meaning in all that you do. Today's FAITH can give you peace.

9. Relationships

Life is about relationships, we humans need relationships to be positive. When you know your values you can surround yourself with people who share them and you can build each other up. Today's RELATIONSHIPS can give you fulfillment.

10. Generosity

Take time each day to be grateful for what you have and think of how you can add value to the lives of others. Some days a random act of kindness can be a big boost. Oh and something that's often overlooked, ACCEPTING someone else's generosity can generate positive feelings because you're enabling them to have positive feelings. As Albee Pike observed, "What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." Today's GENEROSITY can give you significance.

11. Values

Review your core values daily and make sure that your daily activities align with them. Make sure you focus on what's important and meaningful to you. Today's VALUES can give you direction.

12. Growth

When we are young our bodies grow on their own and our parents and teachers consistently challenge our thinking so that we learn and grow. One day, when we're done with school and no longer live with our parents, the opportunities for growth are few and far between, unless they are specifically sought out. Taking initiative to learn about areas of interest will add meaning and dimension to you life! Today's GROWTH can give you potential.

In Summary:

Attitude - chose and display the right attitude daily. Priorities –determine and act on important priorities daily. Health – know and follow healthy guidelines daily. Family – communicate with and care for your family daily. Thinking – practice and develop good thinking daily. Commitment – make and keep proper commitments daily. Finances – make and properly manage dollars daily. Faith – deepen and live out your faith daily. Relationships – initiate and invest in solid relationships daily. Generosity – plan for and model generosity daily. Values – embrace and practice good values daily. Growth – seek and experience improvements daily.

A suggestion for implementing the Daily Dozen: Rank each of the 12 areas from 1-12, with 1 being the area most important to you. Select the top 2 to work on. John would advise that you select your top two strengths and improve on them even further. After 60 days reevaluate and see if those are still your top priorities and if you have made a habit of addressing them daily, select the next two down on your list to focus on while maintaining the previous two. You have the power to impact the outcome of your life! However, you will never change your life until you change something that you do daily.

What’s in your daily routine? Which of the daily dozen apply to your life; what do you think your top 3 of the above would be?