By Karen Post, on February 12, 2012

This past week one of my favorite guys and myself celebrated a birthday. I’m happy to report that I’m the younger one. In fact, Abe Lincoln is 203.

For those of you who know me well know I’m not a holiday girl. Don’t get me wrong, I love to celebrate, I just believe that everyday you are above ground is a celebration and special, instead of making a big deal about the traditional Hallmark days.

As I added another year to my timeline this week, I reflected on some of the most meaningful threads that make up my fabric. I put together 52, and yes there is a reason for that number, I hope you enjoy.

These are not in order of priority.

1.) I used to think the number one factor in success was cash flow, this is a myth, it is self-confidence.

2.) Guilt, regret and worry are by far the most unproductive mind trips.

3.) More self-responsibility by everyone will improve the world. The government, your boss, your partner, your job, your clients and the next moron you encounter at the gas station can suck and impact a nice day. OK, what part of that situation can you control?

4.) Life is short. Live like it was your last day.

5.) I have over 10-deceased friend’s contact info in my iphone.

6.) Nobody or no thing can really make you happy.

7.) Peoples’ behavior, cash flow and things can definitely alter your mood.

8.) I can’t tolerate whiners, racists or people who don’t wear deodorant.

9.) Patience is not one of my virtues.

10.) Listening to music, playing tennis and winning are three of my top favorite past times.

11.) My all time favorite book is “ The Pocket Pema Chodrom”. 2nd favorite Brand Turnaround and a close tie StraightForward: Ways to live and lead.

12.) Hair color is by far one of the most important inventions in history.

13.) Unless you buy lottery tickets and win, delegation is a critical skill for success.

14.) If you give crappy instructions, you will get disappointing results.

15.) Awards are exciting, but the journey is where the riches are.

16.) Friends and relationships should add to your life. If they don’t, they are useless weights that should be dismissed.

17.) Design is really important. The elements of beauty, emotion and ease of experience make life better.

18.) If you don’t have a strong sense of humor, you won’t be strong in personal relationships.

19.) Spelling is important to many people. I’m not one of them.

20.) I wish dogs and other animals could talk.

21.) I wish some people would talk less.

22.) I hate mushrooms, phone trees (when you call for help hit #1 for this, hit #2 for that) and bureaucrats.

23.) Three of the biggest fashion crimes: men wearing too much jewelry, women wearing panty hose with sandals and long fingernails on both.

24.) There are way too many unproductive meetings held everyday.

25.) Thoughtful agendas and a meeting marshall can fix this.

26.) “Play up” in everything you do. This means hang with people and companies that are more accomplished than you and play sports with athletes who are better than you.

27.) Invest in you. Attend workshops, hire expert coaches and treat yourself often.

28.) Don’t always believe your mind. Sometimes it thinks up really stupid and damaging thoughts.

29.) Do follow your gut. It knows a lot more than you might expect.

30.) Appearance matters. Youthfulness, fitness, grooming, your teeth and wardrobe make a difference in business.

31.) Exercise is the best medication going. It sharpens your brain, provides more mental bandwidth and wards off evil stress.

32.) Self-promotion is not a bad thing. Anyone who tries to convince you otherwise is likely not too successful.

33.) The art of leverage is among the most important skills a successful person should master.

34.) No risk. No reward. Period.

35.) Bad fruit never gets better. You can fire clients, friends, spouses and brands. If they do not add to your happiness, get rid of them. NOW!

36.) Casting blame is often an action of a loser. Even train wrecks require willful passengers to pick the car, track and place it’s headed.

37.) Optimism is a virtue. I am an eternal optimist.

38.) The only person you can control or change is yourself.

39.) Don’t trust too soon. Don’t trust everybody and don’t harbor the past. But do file away any deceptive players in your experience cabinet.

40.) Market research has its place. However, it is not a crystal ball. Just ask Coke-Cola.

41.) You don’t have to like everyone. But you do need to respect everyone and their unique beliefs.

42.) When drinking wine or other adult libations cell phones, ipads and computers should not be present. In other words, communicating while under the influence of mind altering substances can come with risks.

43.) The past only matters if you choose to live there.

44.) Pole-vaulting to conclusions and writing the future can cause physical and mental anguish. Let life happen. Live in the present.

45.) Failure is the fastest way to success. And Failure is a temporary event.

46.) It’s never too late to start something, change something or be a better person.

47.) I like and enjoy breaking rules and I get annoyed by people who can’t go there.

48.) Often, I love acting my shoe size instead of my age. Playfulness, being spontaneous, independent and free to choose everything are a few of my driving values.

49.) I still don’t understand why our creators created cellulite, any moles or facial hair on women.

50.) My single greatest achievement: being a happy entrepreneur and controlling my destiny.

51.) You do not need to master everything. But what you do love doing—make it a masterpiece.

52.) Be the joy you want to experience everyday and life will never disappoint you.

By Karen Post, on October 5, 2011

Like I mentioned the other day, I have aged a bit since jumping into the world of being an entrepreneur. In fact, almost thirty years have whipped by me. Many things remain the same, but some things have changed.

My entrepreneurial traits that remain:

• I’m still very fearless in business.
• I still fear a few things like: being struck by lightning, being hit by a flying baseball, hockey puck or golf ball and I still hope I never meet a snake.
• I still have a strong sense of humor, love comedy and gravitate toward people who make me laugh.
• I still believe personal responsibility is a big deal. And when people don’t take responsibility for their actions and blame others for their fate, that’s not a laughing matter, it’s a character flaw.
• I still love my work, in fact so much that most of the time it doesn’t feel like work, but extremely satisfying play.

Some new human conditions that recently have shown up:
While my mind and passion for business and entrepreneurship remain high and are still on the “GO track”, my body has been signally some new trends. Most of which I’ve managed to fix, like gray hair – there’s hair color for that, some new facial geometry – there’s Botox® for that and even my true age – you can lie about that. But the next one I’m still working on and can’t say I’ve found the fix yet. But as an optimist, I’m confident a solution is near.

I’ve been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis. Just hearing the name creeps me out because it sounds like a very old person’s disease. Well, it turns out it’s not. Osteoarthritis can affect young people and active athletes too and most people will get some form of this condition as their bodies’ age – or we can say ‘mature’.

My case makes me feel like I’ve been hit by a Mac truck every morning. Throughout the day I get very shifty and my neck stays pretty pumped with pain. This started about a year ago. I went to a doctor just recently and she told me after reviewing my x-rays that I’ve likely had this bad boy, Osteoarthritis, for over five years.

Well, I’m not going to let some lame disease slow me down, even though there is no cure, there are things one can do to minimize the pain and I’m all about that. So this past month I embarked on a full throttle, super-sized, manage-this program.

Yes it was extreme and expensive, but I need my body in sync with my mind and saying GO! Not NO! After all, I may be aging a little but I’m not turning in my serial entrepreneur card and I have many big goals that I’m determined to reach.

So for any you that may share my pain, here’s what I did and what I believe is working.

• I hired a stretching coach for three days a week.
• I got regular acupuncture treatments and took a bunch of Chinese herbs that tasted like what I can imagine eating incense tastes like. If you are in Tampa, I highly recommend Dr Jiang.
• I got a massage every week.
• I started taking a non-addictive muscle relaxer at bedtime.
• I started taking Advil daily.

I can’t say all the pain is gone. But my neck is more flexible and less sore. My body is still pretty tight and hurts in the morning. I play tennis 2-3 times a week and for some reason when I’m in the tennis zone and playing well my pain is completely gone.

So my move forward plan is:
I ended the stretching coach. Once I learned the stretching moves, I wanted that hour back for myself. With any coach, small talk is required and that stressed me out, especially when my work plate is really full. I need that time to think and fix stuff. The stretching coach investment was worth it because not only do I now know the exercises, but my coach also introduced me to a couple of stretching tools like my big fitness ball.

and a Real-Ease Neck and Shoulder Relaxer.
Real-Ease Neck and Shoulder Relaxer (See all Massage & Relaxation Products)

So from here, I will continue to stretch throughout the day. This means: no more 6-hour long writing sessions, remain disciplined and keep moving around whenever possible. I’m also going to maintain the massages, acupuncture, muscle relaxer and Advil.

The big message to my fellow aging entrepreneurs–stay loose, keep moving forward, have fun and take care of what hurts.

By Karen Post, on February 22, 2011

This week, Oddpodz shares the reality of keeping a business together while getting ready for an important trip. If you missed last weeks wrap up, click here.

1 – I’m going to Saudi, join me! Get the inside scoop of marketing, communication, travel & cultural lessons.
2 – Blog breakthrough – What does it really take? And what is the magic move that turns pondering into reality?
3 – How to get unstuck on a writing project – 10 ways. Learn to practice what you preach in a stress-free way.
4 – Forgive me, I’m using an excuse card tonight. Use these funny excuses if you’re having an off day.
5 – A road warrior’s check list, so the journey is a joy. What to pack when you’re always on the go.

For more on-the-road lessons view:
Networking in the sky. How to turn a seat mate into a good connection.
5 inspirational ideas and 2 revelations from an adventure to Chicago
What I learned from going to see Oprah

By Karen Post, on February 12, 2011

It sure can. Research shows that people who are happy are healthier and wealthier. Think about how much more energy you have when you feel great, you got a big new client, you are in love, you accomplished something difficult, it’s better than two shots of B12. And happy people experience less stress and attract other happy people which create a domino effect of momentum.

Identity small things that make you happy and do them  often. You will see a difference in your business, your support team and your life.

Here are a few things that make me happy.

• Going to an awesome movie.
• Hearing one of my favorite songs.
• Feeling the sun.
• Endorphins from exercise.
• Winning a tennis match.
• Smelling garlic cooking.
• Completing a tough project.
• Getting a massage.

The cool thing is, I can make all of these happen.

What are some small things that make you happy?
Now go make them happen.

Also, be sure to check out: Celebrate love being an entrepreneur everyday.

By Karen Post, on January 30, 2011

Running shoe is by Newton.

I’m still in Houston and today is the Chevron Marathon. Thousands of ambitious runners are headed for the finish line as they run, walk or crawl 26 long miles. Achieving this goal after months of training and preparation is huge.

The day will be painful, challenging, rewarding, joyous and emotional for most. Sounds like a day at the office when you are entrepreneur. I’ve recapped 26 steps that these runners have taken and you can apply to reach your goals.

1.) Start. Set your goals.

2.) Create a simple, doable plan – how will you get to your goal?

3.) Develop a working schedule that covers: research, training, execution and anything else that needs to be done.

4.) List out all your smaller milestones that are needed to meet your big goal. Make sure you set accountable measures and deadlines.

5.) Design a wellness plan that includes diet, exercise, supplements and stretching rituals.

6.) Re-think your sleeping zone, your bed, the noise and the lighting so you can sleep for 7-8 hours every night.

7.) Relearn the importance and practice of breathing often and in a full cycles.

8.) Research and buy the best equipment you need to achieve the ultimate performance.

9.) Decide who your positive support network will be including business associates, friends and vendors.

10.) Kindly lose any negative, non-achieving friends, business associates and vendors from your world.

11.) Exercise your mind by using both sides daily. From crossword puzzles to something creative like doodling.

12.) Hydrate daily with water, not wine. Wine can be consumed in moderation, but water needs to be drank at least 6 times a day.

13.) Establish daily learning rituals from reading the WJS, to listening to podcasts and watching webinars and practice what you’ve learned.

14.) Work on improving mental toughness every hour. Shake off mistakes and disappointments. Believe in the power of your mind.

15.) Push yourself beyond what you think you can do.

16.) Identify a handful of people that inspire you, follow them and learn from them. Whether you know them or not.

17.) Carefully assess your competition, their strengths, and weaknesses.

18.) Seek out legal advantages that will accelerate your journey to the finish line.

19.) Keep your eyes and ears wide open for potholes and flying objects.

20.) Practice, train and be disciplined everyday.

21.) Recover, refresh and revitalize often.

22.) Show gratitude and appreciation to people you know and people you don’t know.

23.) Visit, read and recite your goals every day.

24.) Affirm in writing what you believe and can achieve. This is your story that you own, read it out loud everyday.

25.)  Stay laser focused on your goals and dreams.

26.) Don’t waste emotions on feeling guilt, worrying, dwelling on the past or things you can’t control.

Bonus step

27.) Be proud everyday of every little step you’ve taken.

For more on entrepreneur list-styles, view:
Celebrate loving being an entrepreneur everyday.
Can being happier change your entrepreneur results?

By Karen Post, on December 6, 2010

Tiger Woods knows what this feels like. Sunday he was so close to turning the tide and winning again. He and fellow golfer Graeme McDowell were tied, in the hunt and Tiger failed again. He came up short. It’ been 378 days since Tiger experienced a major golf victory. That’s a long, frustrating dry spell.

The Carolina Panthers football team haven’t seen but one W since the 2010 season started and they have a whole team to help avoid the dreaded defeat zone. The list of athletes and entrepreneurs who experience being a loser every Monday is nothing new. Statistics indicate for every winner there are multiples of many losers. Being a Monday morning loser does not mean you are lazy, lacking talent, or don’t deserve to win, it does mean that you have work to do.

Whether you are an athlete or an entrepreneur, here are seven steps to changing the loosing story.

1) Shake it off, yesterday is history.
2) Review game film, the events, the processes in the activity and talk to others who witnessed it.
3) Re visit the equipment used, the uniform worm, and all the components that were part of the failing short.
4) Make adjustments, this could mean with the team, the routine behind the preparation, adding something, lessening something. Changing something.
5) Believe that you are a winner. Affirm there is no reason why you can’t be the victor.
6) Focus, focus. focus.
7) Don’t get discouraged. And don’t give up. If you do, you are are just guaranteeing your spot as a loser.

Tiger will taste victory again and so will the Carolina Panthers. And if you’ve felt defeat recently you will too.  Athletes are in business, entrepreneurs are athletes.

Stay competitive. Preparation is vital. See and feel the result, it’s up to you.

Don’t forget to check out: Forgive me, I’m using an excuse card tonight.

By Karen Post, on November 30, 2010

As entrepreneurs, we all want to move our businesses forward, score the next big goal and take the next prisoner. We often look to outside advisers and coaches to help carry some of the load and guide us.  Whether it’s because of their specialty expertise, their connections or their commanding accountability stature—the investment needs to deliver a solid return on cash out laid—or we are not happy and feel let down.

It’s always a scary thought to spend or not to spend on a real expert. They are usually not cheap.

Can this person make a significant difference? Or are they just a rockin sales person and you are feeling desperate and grabbing for any breathing person that seems like they can save you from your pain?

In the 30 some years I’ve been in business there have been times that I was feeling desperate and I searched to find a “save my ass expert soul”. They’ve ranged from experts and coaches on pricing, comedy, fund raising, story telling, performance and business planning,

I’ve worked with a lot of smart hired guns, coaches and consultants and a few great sales people that didn’t know much else, and what is consistent in all of these arrangements is they, the consultant or coach are only 50% of the power behind the results. You, as the buyer, must carry your load too or you are guaranteed to fail. You must provide them what they need, you must be able to carry the torch after they provide a sound road map and you must demonstrate leadership and excellent delegations skills too.

Do you shell out the investment or fly alone? Answer these questions.

• Will spending $5,000 on a new business commando get you $15,000 in new revenues?
• Will investing $10,000 on an HR adviser help find you that superstar next staff member?
• Will buying some education tool for $500.00 add to your bottom line?

I’ve not met many advisers or coaches with magic wands, even if their bio may convince you other wise. Here are a few pointers to getting the most with a coach or adviser.

1) Check references, not the ones they give you, but the ones they list on their web site.

2) Be clear on what the adviser’s role is. Get it in writing, are they biz shrinks and can they listen to a vent for hours? Will they deliver work product (something you can hold)?, or is their role more like a sports coach to push you and empower you to deliver? Or are they a pure consultant, providing how-to and then you need to execute? This is very important to know.

3) Make sure you have the time to spare. Coaches and adviser relationships take time. Can you allocate the needed hours to the cause? Ask them upfront, what will be required from you.

4) State and share with them what your expectations are from this investment. Tell them what you think success/results will look like in three specific bullets.

Examples:
-Find a strategic partner with a following of 10,000+ customers
-Increase sales by ____%
-Cut your operating expenses by 20%

5) Unless you can find a robot, they are human and they need positive feedback too. When they are adding to your success, tell them. And tell your friends and make referrals.

Hiring an expert coach, adviser or consultant can be gold. But without you actively participating in the process, executing on the advice they dish out and providing them the support they need to do their job—your result will be  limited to a pile of cheap tin.

We recommend you also check out: Get organized, professionally

By Karen Post, on October 9, 2010

This week, our team has produced 7 articles for your success. For those of you who might have missed them – some of us are busy as hell during the week! – here is your weekly OWW-UP:

1 – In Liar Liar is your brand on fire, Joe Melle digs into the evolution of advertising over the past 50 years, focusing on infomercials. Joe wonders how marketing professionals look at their peers’ work. He also questions the extent to which Ethic impacts infomercials messages and he challenges every one of us to think twice about the way we communicate about our products? See Joe’s post here.

2 – In Leadership: the quality of your presence, Thomson Dawson highlights how leadership is an effect of a quality presence. He tells us why determined people are time-oriented and how they get to the next step. See Thomson’s post here.

3 – In Business Requirements Doc & Website Dev RFP Example, Karen Post follows up her last week article How Two Websites Almost Killed a Baby. Our CEO tells us what Oddpodz has learnt in IT adding some insights from Allen Clary and Brian Burridge

See Karen’s post here and download Business Requirements and Oddpodz Request for Proposal as examples.

4 – In Why you should master the art of “downloading people”?, Kenji Crosland develops the concept of “downloading people” – or how to get as many pieces of information from anyone as you can. Among the tips Kenji gives us: don’t focus on narrow objectives and remember that everyone has valuable information. See Kenji’s post here.

5 – In If it ain’t broke, break it…, Jocelyn Rings gives us 7 lessons she implements while brainstorming. Through the story of the successful startup SeamlessWeb, Jocelyn’s advices make a lot of sense for those of us who live through a continuous brainstorming mode! See Jocelyn’s post here.

6 – In How QR barcodes make it easy to attract & keep new online friends, Lauren Angrick shows us a Japanese way to communicate through mobile devices which is going worldwide at the speed of light! See Lauren’s post here

7 – Lauren brings it back in A little known way to spruce up your Facebook page for free. In this post, she adds up a great tool to the Oddpodz FREE biz findz blog with Facebook TabSite. A website that allows you to create for free a tab within your Facebook pages. See Lauren’s second post of the week here

Seven days, seven posts! The O-team has given its best for your success. Which insight has been the most helpful for you this week?

By Karen Post, on September 10, 2010

I have always enjoyed cycling. I saw the movie Breaking Away as a child and wanted to be a bike racer. Those plans were deferred as I spend twenty plus years as a competitive equestrian which is an extremely time consuming pursuit. Recently, I traded in riding horses for riding bikes and it has become my new passion. This past Sunday, I rode in the Savannah Century (103 miles, to be exact). The course started over the Talmadge Bridge and went into South Carolina, then wound through rural southeast Georgia before heading back to downtown Savannah. The event was well organized, the weather was relatively mild for the southeast and the camaraderie was awesome. I did not ride as part of a team, so once I’d logged 30 miles and the crowd started to thin out, I had a large chunk of 5 plus hours on the bike to take in scenery and think. I learned a few things about cycling and myself and found that they are applicable to business.

1 ) Preparation is key. This is true of a Century, or any business event in life. I was a bit nervous at the start of the morning, because I had not logged as many training miles as I had hoped this summer. Our hot southern summer kept me off the road for a few days and other commitments chewed into my training schedule. However, I did have a good level of fitness and was able to perform well despite not sticking to my originally planned regimen. Sometimes, you can get by with less preparation than you would have liked. I did think about skipping the event, but I am glad I didn’t. So, even when you think you haven’t put in 100%, just go ahead and do it. If you come up short, you know how much you need to do next time.

2 ) Those that talk the most have the least to say. I sat quietly with my bike waiting for the SCMPD to close the bridge so that we could get on our way. I heard lots of people around me bragging about performances in other events and on training rides (long distances, high speeds). I thought I would be at the end of the pack and dropped by every group out there based on what I was hearing. Once we got out on the road, I saw several of the self-proclaimed speed demons drop back and even turn off the 103 mile course to ride the 37, 56 or 69 mile routes. The quietly confident riders performed the best.

3 ) Watch out for road hazards, and be polite and warn those around you. When riding in a large group, you have to watch out for things on the road and the other people around you, much like you would if you were driving a car. Stay focused. And, when you see something, tell those behind you, as someone ahead of you warned you.

4 ) You will encounter unexpected obstacles, and you’ll just have to find a way to get past them. As we approached a draw bridge with a metal grating, the entire group slowed down. The organizers of the event warned us that we should walk our bikes over the bridge if it had rained and the surface was wet. It was sunny and 90 degrees, so I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Perhaps people were just erring on the side of caution and walking across the rough surface. However, we were, in fact, slowing down to get past a 6 foot gator in the roadway. We had been warned about road conditions, but no one expected a gator to cross our path. We all slowed down and communicated to one another to slow down and to pass with care. The entire group (that I could see) got past the gator with no casualties.

5 ) Know your limits, but push through them. I knew I could not keep up with people traveling upwards of 25 mph, but I also knew that I could move out of a comfortable pace and challenge myself by keeping up with a group that rode slightly faster than I rode alone on training rides. At about 85 miles, with my bike computer temperature gague reading 107 degrees, I felt pretty tired, but I knew that after traveling that far, I could make it the last 15 miles.

6 ) Going it alone is tough. I did not ride from the start with a group, so I didn’t have anyone to work with to share the burden. I have a friend who is an elite cyclist and competes in events all over the world. He always says that after a big climb, he never wants to find himself riding in a flat valley to the next climb all by himself; it’s just tough, it’s much easier to have at least one rider to help keep a quick pace. I rode by myself for the first 40 or so miles until the my first stop at the third rest stop. I tend to enjoy working alone, but it is a challenge. I realized how much easier it was to ride in a paceline where one person pulls the group along for a while, then moves to the middle or back of the pack to recover while the others take turns leading.

7 ) There are nice people out there. I passed one particular group a couple of times, but working together, they always caught me. After the third time, one member of the group asked me if I’d like to join them as they rode by. I said, “Yes, thank you!” It was much easier to reach the end with a group willing to share the work. And, you find yourself pushing yourself harder when you are in front and want to help everyone along. I rode stronger and faster when I was in the group. Granted, this was not a competitive event, but I was really impressed and inspired by the camaraderie and helpfulness. People at the rest stops were helpful and people that rode by at faster paces would shout words of encouragement.

8 ) Be a productive member of the team. For a while in the first part of the ride, I found myself with a riding partner for about 8 miles or so. Over my left shoulder, I saw a shadow. I looked back often and saw that person constantly. He was drafting and by riding behind me he could ride faster with less effort. I gestured for him to move in front a few times, but he would not. It was irritating. So, if you are in a group, doesn’t matter if it is two or twenty two, don’t hang at the back letting everyone else pull you along. Pitch in. Even if you can’t stay in front for as long as some of the other members, get up there and do your best. If people see that you are doing your best to help, it will be appreciated.

9 ) You can do more than you think you can. Mind over matter is for real. At mile 87, we were departing the last rest stop and the sun had reemerged. I looked at the computer on my bike and it said the temperature was 107 degrees. I was hot and tired and when I went to the front of the group, I looked down and my pace was slowing. I thought I was done, but I found something in some reserve somewhere inside and I picked my pace back up and powered through the tiredness and burning quad muscles. My body really would have liked to have stopped, but the mind kept it going.

10 ) Finish lines feel good. As soon as the finish line was in sight, the pain, lactic acid and bad feelings melted away. It was amazing that the feelings of accomplishment and pride demolished the yucky ones. I was riding for personal reasons and proud of myself for finishing, but there was someone waiting for me at the finish line who was proud of me, too, and that made crossing the finish line that much sweeter. So, you always have to keep your eye on the prize while you are in the path to your goal. Finally, make time in your busy life to put time into building friendships and relationships. Having those people in your life to share in your victories make them that much more rewarding.

Don’t forget to view: Outdoor advertising – effective tool? Dangerous distraction?

By Karen Post, on August 22, 2010

5 convincing reasons rituals can put you on a winning track.

Rituals are one of the most important tools you can use to achieve balance, mental toughness and your goals. Repetition of habits creates an awareness of your values and what’s most meaningful. Disciplined patterns of thinking and acting can enhance your ability to respond to pressure, recover from mental and physical depletion and concentrate on your goals.

In Jame E. Loehr’s New York Times bestselling book, Stress for Success, Jim works with and interviews top Olympian athletes, business leaders and people with extreme pressure cooking careers. He noted they all follow daily routines or rituals, enabling their health, happiness and performance to go to a new, higher level.

Studies show that rituals:

1. Help us shift gears to oscillate between stress and recovery.
2. Increase personal control and facilitate living a life consistent with our deepest values.
3. Bring order and structure to chaos and change.
4. Stimulate past emotional states by activating sensory memory.
5. Help us execute complex tasks with perfection—mentally, physically and emotionally.

I’ve always had rituals. You probably have some too. But I’ve recently created a list of them and consciously go through them daily. I’ve found in doing this my productivity has significantly risen and I’m feeling a lot less stressed and much more fulfilled.

Below is my daily list. I’ve thrown it in a chart and actually mark off the rituals as I do them everyday. And when I think about blowing a ritual  off, I ask myself, what would Michael Phelps, Madonna or whoever I admire do? The answer is they would do the ritual, and that’s why they have been so successful. When I have a big event to do,  give a presentation, speech or tennis match, I add other items that are specific to those situation. For instance, when I speak, I practice a number of times before the gig, and imagine a room with a standing ovation. For tennis, I perform mental and physical exercises before I walk on the court and talk to myself and tennis ball.

What are your rituals? Have you had any experiences that you can share?

Also view: 4-simple habits of champion goal-getters.