1- Consistency: The Key to Personal Success

You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do; get up early, leave your comfort zone, and you don’t have to challenge yourself. But if you don’t, you won’t have the results you want and you won’t get that satisfying feeling of winning on those days. The most satisfying part of achieving a result you want or have wanted for a long time is knowing how hard you worked for it, knowing that YOU did it. It wasn’t handed to you and it didn’t happen overnight.

Personal success is all based on consistency. It’s about building those little daily habits that lead to long-term success. In Dave Rafuse’s piece on “The Long-term Benefits of Consistent Exercise” (link back to blog post), he talks about burning almost 127 thousand calories within 251 workouts in 2021, averaging over 500 calories per workout, resulting in approximately 3/4 of a pound per week. The importance of consistency is clear: if he hadn’t kept those consistent lifestyle and fitness habits, he would have only lost 36 pounds in the year.

Consistency is important in more than just fitness and exercise, it’s also crucial for your mental health. Too often, we put the time to strengthen our mindsets on the back burner. Confidence may come and go, some have more than others, but most of us have it in certain areas of our daily habits. I’ve seen incredibly talented athletes who are terrified to walk through the gym doors, and personal training experts who are afraid to share their views with others because they may be questioned.

For me, I love helping and speaking to others to change their lives, but I’m terrified of public speaking and to even speak to a camera. However, I do it because it helps me leave my comfort zone, and every time I do it, it becomes easier. Building confidence starts with leaving your comfort zone, not by leaps, but by steps. Each step you take expands your comfort zone, and things become easier and easier. Start something new today.

2- The Power of Owning Your Morning

When that alarm clock goes off in the morning, you have two options. You can get up and start your day, or you can hit the snooze button again (and maybe a few more times) before waking up in a panic and missing your morning routine, workout, breakfast, and having to grab a coffee on the way to work to calm your anxiety before the day even starts. Clearly, the first option is the better choice to achieve personal success.

One of my favorite books is “The 5 AM Club” by Robin Sharma. I know, when you hear “5 AM,” it can make your eyes roll or your stomach turn. But it’s not my favourite book because it makes you get up earlier in the morning. It’s my favourite book because it talks about “owning your morning” and how, if you own your morning, you can win your day.

The first hour of your day can be your first few accomplishments or habits. Those hours set the tone for the rest of the day. Usually, one task completed leads to another, and another. To own your morning, we need to refer back to consistency. It doesn’t have to be at 4 or 5am, but it needs to be consistent. In my opinion, the earlier you can accomplish it the better. If you find yourself rushed in the morning, that probably means you should try to start things a little earlier.

Your morning routine should consist of three things: something for the body (light to moderate physical activity), something for the mind (journaling, goal setting/review, or some form of self-expression, like gratitude writing), and something for the soul/something to learn (reading, listening to a podcast or audiobook). This may seem like a lot, but it can add more structure and purpose to your day.

By owning your morning, you’re in control of your daily habits and you set the tone for how the rest of it will go. So, instead of hitting the snooze button, get up and take control of your day. You’ll be surprised at how much more productive and satisfied you’ll feel.

3- Start Now

Don’t wait for the perfect moment to start. The perfect moment is now. You don’t need to have everything figured out or have all the resources you need. Just start and figure out the rest as you go along.

The hardest part is always starting, but once you get going, momentum will build and things will start falling into place. Don’t let fear, uncertainty, or the possibility of failure hold you back. Embrace the journey and the challenges that come with it. You’ll learn and grow along the way.

I recommend that you take that first step today. Every small victory, no matter how insignificant it may seem, is a step closer to your ultimate goal. Don’t let yourself get discouraged or demotivated. Keep pushing forward and trust in the consistency on your journey to personal success.

Remember, if you do what is easy, life will be hard, but if you do what is hard, life will be easy. Start something new today and see where it takes you.

1- Journaling

You could simply start with gratitude writing. It may sound silly, but I encourage you to give it a shot before you write it off. By practicing gratitude, you can change your approach to the day, improve your mental health and even help your relationships with the people around you. All it involves is simply sitting back and reminding ourselves what we have and what we are truly grateful for. 

For those prone to writer’s block or forgetting important tasks, why not make the most of their morning coffee or tea by taking a few moments for review? Not only will this help organize one’s day and remember what needs to get done throughout it, but also prevents that panic moment just before bed when you suddenly realize something has slipped through the cracks. A little time in the mornings invested with your steaming beverage can go a long way towards helping keep on track all-day long!

Another approach to journaling could be to ask yourself two daily questions:

1. What good can I do today?

2. What good did I do today? 

This can be things for yourself or things for others. Reflecting on your day both before it starts, and when it’s coming to an end can be beneficial to find out things that you can improve on as the days move forward. There are so many ways to journal from self-expression, gratitude writing, or simply writing down reminders to yourself to avoid having everything build up at the end of the day.

There is no personal development without addressing your self-awareness. This alone should be a great reason to start a journal or some form of self-expression. My favourite reason for the journal is the mental results it gives me that help the way I live my everyday life.   

2- Meditation

People often think that meditation is getting spiritual, being in a quiet place, or being secluded from everyone or everything so they can focus, however, Meditation can be done in any way, anywhere, at any time. During the meditation process, you focus your attention on yourself. This allows your to simmer the thoughts in your mind that are crowding your ability to think clearly, and causing you the most stress.

When work piles up and begins to feel overwhelming, allow yourself a pause. Take some time for your own mental health by stepping away from the task in front of you – close your eyes if possible – take three to five full breaths, focusing on nothing but each breath itself. When done with this quick break and recharge, return invigorated and ready to tackle that mountain of tasks at hand!

3- Your Me time

Last but certainly not least (maybe even the most important), we are going to talk about “me time”. If you are stressed out because you are feeling overwhelmed and underproductive, maybe this means it’s time to take a quick step away, relax and have some fun. How can you be productive when you are burning the candle at both ends? Me time is one of the most important things someone could add throughout the week to help those coping with stress.

Taking time for self-care and self-love can change and improve not only your mental but your physical health. Most of us get so overwhelmed and stressed because we are running around doing everything for everyone else, but we are forgetting to remember one important thing. You cannot pour from an empty cup. How can one expect to help, love, and care for everyone else if you can’t help, love and care for yourself? Me time can be an hour to yourself every couple of days, to do things that you enjoy!

This can look like a skincare routine every night or morning, or it can be your time in the morning when you sit out on your porch and enjoy the smells of the outdoors while enjoying your morning coffee.

For some people, it could be as simple as just sitting back on your couch and breathing, or even taking a nap. It can be a form of self-expression of artwork, drawing, reading, or writing. At the end of a long day, take time to do something you love and reflect upon it. You’ll be surprised at how much more efficient this can make your life! 

If you are coping with stress in your everyday life, and let’s be honest we all deal with stress to some capacity, try these out and even if one helps, I will consider that a win. This is not an overnight fix, these are things you can and should implement into your weekly routines. Enjoy. 

Stress is a modern-day epidemic, but there are many ways to proactively manage it before you feel overwhelmed. Practicing healthy habits like exercise and relaxation techniques can make all the difference in your mental health – so don’t let stress take control of your life! Taking that extra step towards taking care of yourself will benefit both body and mind for years to come.

Here are a few different ways to manage and attack stress before it has a chance to creep through the seams of your life.

Strategies to get ahead of your stress

1- Planning

How can we do anything before planning first? Many of us use the excuse “I would but I don’t have the time.” The truth of the matter is, we all have the time. It’s about finding it and prioritizing what is important and what is not.

Planning is a way to get out in front of your stress before it has a chance to take control. Many of us say yes to too many things, things that are not at the top of our priority list. Saying yes to something less important could mean saying no to something important. Remember, if we fail to plan, we plan to fail. 

Successful weeks start with the planning process. Put that pen to paper and get scheduling! Fit in work commitments, meetings with clients or colleagues and schedule regular workouts. Don’t forget family time too – those connections keep us feeling happy and energized! Plus there’s always room for some ‘me time’ – taking even an hour out of your week can help restore equilibrium after busy days. Once you have it all down on the calendar, surprise yourself at how much extra capacity you may find when everything is mapped out properly.

Dealing with what’s for dinner can be an irritating and expensive weekly problem, but it doesn’t have to be! How often do you get home from work going back and forth about “what should we have to eat?” ..until you end up ordering out? With just a bit of advanced planning you can save yourself from the stress that comes along with ordering take-out or trying to come up with meals on the fly. Put some thought into your week ahead so when hunger strikes at home, success is already on the menu!

2- Activity and Fitness

Fitness is incredibly important for our health for multiple reasons. During exercise, your body releases multiple neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. Dopamine is beneficial to our bodies as it helps to regulate our mood, emotion, sleep, and appetite- all things directly related to managing our stress!

Endorphins are your brain’s “feel good” neurotransmitters, which can lower the body’s cortisol levels- also known as “the stress hormone”. The post-workout bliss you feel is thanks to two key neurotransmitters. Serotonin and endorphins team up, working together to give your body a sense of relaxation while also regulating sleep cycles and encouraging healthy eating habits – it’s no wonder we love that satisfied feeling after exercising!

Fitness doesn’t just mean lifting heavy weights, bodybuilding, or doing an intense workout. There are so many ways to get your activity in throughout the day, from skiing to mountain biking, to even just getting out for a walk in the fresh air daily. My mother and my neighbour get their walk-in every night, usually rain or shine. They don’t do it because they have to, they do it because it’s something they enjoy doing.

Find something you enjoy doing and get out there and do it. If you struggle to hold yourself accountable, try consulting with a coach or a personal trainer.

3- Water,  Nutrition and Sleep

Let’s talk about water. Most of the time when I ask people “how much water do you drink”, the answer is either “not enough” or they think they drink enough-which ends up being only a couple of glasses a day. Water makes up 60% of our body and most of us drink enough to service, and not enough to thrive. Studies have shown that dehydration leads to higher cortisol levels – there’s that stress hormone again – making it more of a challenge to deal with everyday issues.

If you don’t like drinking plain water, try carbonated water like bubbly, or add a sugar-free sweetener like Mio or crystal light to help you get a few more glasses in per day. As a rule of thumb, an active person should aim for 1L for every 50lbs of bodyweight and someone with more of a stationary lifestyle should aim for 1L for every 75lbs of body weight.

Moving on to nutrition – the way you eat has a direct relationship with how you are going to feel. If you eat poorly, you are going to feel poorly. When you feel poorly, your work ethic and motivation might not quite be there, you might fall behind in work, and skip that workout, which then leads back to the vicious cycle of feeling poor. However, if you eat quality food, you will feel more healthy, and more energetic, leading to a positive feedback loop of feeling great and getting ahead of that stress.

Sleep is often overlooked, but it’s one of the most important aspects of our health. We commonly hear “I’ll catch up on sleep later”, but do they ever? Most likely not. Forgo electronics in bed and instead get into a regular sleep routine to give your body time to recover, regulate moods better, and increase overall alertness throughout the day.

Make sure you switch off all tech at least an hour before settling down for some shut-eye; use this pre-bedtime as an opportunity for gentle stretching or meditation that’ll relax both mind & body – leaving you ready for a great night’s rest!

Managing stress is one of the most important things we can do for our overall health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, stress has become a modern-day epidemic. However, there are many ways to proactively manage it before you feel overwhelmed. Practicing healthy habits like exercise and relaxation techniques can make all the difference in your mental health – so don’t let stress take control of your life! Taking that extra step towards taking care of yourself will benefit both body and mind for years to come.