things I do daily to be successful

Recently my husband Jeff pointed out an interesting blog post to me on the things we do in life to be successful. The idea was for bloggers to write a post about the 5 - 10 things they do daily to be successful. The end result is a wonderful compilation list of the many things people do to be successful.

Now, I know I'm a little late in the game, but here is my list (in no particular order):

1. Spend time with people important to me. I spend time with my husband learning and growing together and even though my best friend lives across the country we talk on the phone regularly to encourage one another.

2. Allow myself "down time" to rest and rejuvenate. Because my job can be pretty intensive emotionally I give myself time each day to nurture myself and rest. I am a big believer in the importance of rest.

3. Read. I love to read and I read daily. Reading not only allows me relaxation time, but I am constantly learning and experiencing new things through the books and characters I spend time with.

4. Journal/meditate/pray. I combined these into one because that is how they work in my life. When I don't take the time for these things I find myself acting much less than the person I want to be.

5. Take care of my body. This includes things like getting enough sleep, going for walks, drinking a lot of water, eating fruits and veggies, and taking vitamins.

To read the compilation list of the top things folks do to be successful click here. I found it quite interesting.
What things do you do daily to be successful?

start with the end in mind

I haven't been blogging as of late because I was out of town recently visiting my family in Southern California.

My grandma Harriet is 91 years old. My grandpa Warren is 89 years old.

Both have lived long full lives and do not appear afraid to die. They will leave legacies of an active faith and love for others. Spending time with my grandparents got me thinking about the shortness of life and the futility of so many of the things we spend our life doing.

I am asking:

What do you want people to remember you by?
What do you want your life result's to be?
Are you spending time on the most important things?

And so I am wondering what will be my legacy?

What will be your legacy?

social skills poll and FREE gift book givaway

A little poll:

What is something you do regularly to help you get along with people and make friends?

- smile and look approachable

- listen well

- be interested in others

- ask good questions

- I don't do anything to get along with people

- I'm new here, what was the question?

- Something else not listed here

And just to make it interesting, everyone who comments will be entered into a drawing to win a FREE copy of the classic text How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Drawing will conclude on Friday, June 12th at 8pm eastern standard time. So make sure to comment now.

how to win friends and influence people

In the last post I mentioned famous people skills trainer and author Dale Carnegie. His book How to Win Friends and Influence People is a classic for those interested in bettering their social skills and I recommend it for folks struggling with dealing with people.

I found some basics from How to Win Friends and Influence People on wikipedia:

Fundamental Techniques in Handling People:

1. Don't criticize, condemn, or complain.
2. Give honest and sincere appreciation.
3. Arouse in the other person an eager want.

Six Ways to Make People Like You:

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a man's Name is to him the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in the terms of the other man's interest.
6. Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely

If you don't have time to read his book this is a great summary, although I still recommend reading the whole book. It will give you a lot more punch and examples for why the skills are important. Click here.

Remember to Stay Positive

It's easy to be negative when dealing with people. After all, when in social settings, it's not hard to notice people's flaws and critique them. But when you are negative a couple things can happen:

1. You might keep yourself from friendships because you are being overly critical.

2. You might find that people don't want to spend time with you, because your negativity is draining.

The famous author of How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie had this to say about staying positive:

“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.”

Wow. I love that quote.

An important skill in dealing with people is remember to stay positive.