Tell Me What You Did Today, And I'll Tell You Who You Are

In order for your brain to thrive, you need to continually give it higher quality information, which is often above your cognitive level. You also want to learn actively, which means you're taking notes and linking what you're learning in your memory through visualization.

Your memory is entirely based on connection and imagination. So when you're learning something new, you want to be very active and imaginative with that information. You want to link what you're learning with as many other things as possible. The more visual and exaggerated you are with how you approach new information, the more memorable it will be. As you change your memory, you change yourself. Thus, learning is not about retaining or storing information, but rather, it is about reframing your entire paradigm.

Thus, if you can make tangible progress in a desired direction every single day, you'll be living far more powerfully and intentionally than most of the population.

If you can add productivity and courage to your day, you can radically transform your whole life in a matter of a few short years.

For the remainder of this article, I'll cover:

Apparently, Ernest Hemingway would stop his writing sessions mid-sentence. He did this for a few reasons:

• So that his subconscious would continue chewing-on the idea
• So that when he started writing again the next day, he didn't have to start from scratch, but could continue where he left off (already with a sense of momentum...)

Your evening routine doesn't need to be long. But like Hemingway, it's good to know exactly what you're going to do when you wake up. It's good to have done even just a little bit of work so that you have somewhere to pick-up when you first get started.

Apparently, Ernest Hemingway would stop his writing sessions mid-sentence. He did this for a few reasons:

• So that his subconscious would continue chewing-on the idea
• So that when he started writing again the next day, he didn't have to start from scratch, but could continue where he left off (already with a sense of momentum...)

Your evening routine doesn't need to be long. But like Hemingway, it's good to know exactly what you're going to do when you wake up. It's good to have done even just a little bit of work so that you have somewhere to pick-up when you first get started.

There's one more side-benefit to creating a runway for your next morning. As Hemingway stated, your subconscious will then be able to focus on and make important connections while you sleep. Thomas Edison did this himself, which is why he was such a prolific and productive creative person (something rare, indeed). He actually had a process. In his own words, "Never go to sleep without a request to your subconscious."

Start with vision and focus and you'll be moving in a clear direction, rather than aimlessly moving without direction.

After you've put yourself into a peak and intentional state, it's good to begin working on the project you left undone or created a simple plan for the night before.

If you work on your most important work first thing in the morning and without distraction, you'll make progress daily. Over enough time, you'll have made HUGE progress. This is what Darren Hardy calls The Compound Effect . As he stated, "It's not the big things that add up in the end; it's the hundreds, thousands, or millions of little things that separate the ordinary from the extraordinary."

Start with vision and focus and you'll be moving in a clear direction, rather than aimlessly moving without direction.

After you've put yourself into a peak and intentional state, it's good to begin working on the project you left undone or created a simple plan for the night before.

If you work on your most important work first thing in the morning and without distraction, you'll make progress daily. Over enough time, you'll have made HUGE progress. This is what Darren Hardy calls The Compound Effect . As he stated, "It's not the big things that add up in the end; it's the hundreds, thousands, or millions of little things that separate the ordinary from the extraordinary."

"Wherever you are, make sure you're there." -  Dan Sullivan

If you're like most people, your workday is a blend of low-velocity work mixed with continual distraction (e.g., social media and email).

Most people's "working time" is not done at peak performance levels. When most people are working, they do so in a relaxed fashion. Makes sense, they have plenty of time to get it done.

However, when you are results-oriented , rather than "being busy," you're 100 percent on when you're working and 100 percent off when you're not. Why do anything half-way? If you're going to work, you're going to work.

"Wherever you are, make sure you're there." -  Dan Sullivan

If you're like most people, your workday is a blend of low-velocity work mixed with continual distraction (e.g., social media and email).

Most people's "working time" is not done at peak performance levels. When most people are working, they do so in a relaxed fashion. Makes sense, they have plenty of time to get it done.

However, when you are results-oriented , rather than "being busy," you're 100 percent on when you're working and 100 percent off when you're not. Why do anything half-way? If you're going to work, you're going to work.

"Wherever you are, make sure you're there." -  Dan Sullivan

If you're like most people, your workday is a blend of low-velocity work mixed with continual distraction (e.g., social media and email).

Most people's "working time" is not done at peak performance levels. When most people are working, they do so in a relaxed fashion. Makes sense, they have plenty of time to get it done.

However, when you are results-oriented , rather than "being busy," you're 100 percent on when you're working and 100 percent off when you're not. Why do anything half-way? If you're going to work, you're going to work.

"Wherever you are, make sure you're there." -  Dan Sullivan

If you're like most people, your workday is a blend of low-velocity work mixed with continual distraction (e.g., social media and email).

Most people's "working time" is not done at peak performance levels. When most people are working, they do so in a relaxed fashion. Makes sense, they have plenty of time to get it done.

However, when you are results-oriented , rather than "being busy," you're 100 percent on when you're working and 100 percent off when you're not. Why do anything half-way? If you're going to work, you're going to work.

"Wherever you are, make sure you're there." -  Dan Sullivan

If you're like most people, your workday is a blend of low-velocity work mixed with continual distraction (e.g., social media and email).

Most people's "working time" is not done at peak performance levels. When most people are working, they do so in a relaxed fashion. Makes sense, they have plenty of time to get it done.

However, when you are results-oriented , rather than "being busy," you're 100 percent on when you're working and 100 percent off when you're not. Why do anything half-way? If you're going to work, you're going to work.

"Wherever you are, make sure you're there." -  Dan Sullivan

If you're like most people, your workday is a blend of low-velocity work mixed with continual distraction (e.g., social media and email).

Most people's "working time" is not done at peak performance levels. When most people are working, they do so in a relaxed fashion. Makes sense, they have plenty of time to get it done.

However, when you are results-oriented , rather than "being busy," you're 100 percent on when you're working and 100 percent off when you're not. Why do anything half-way? If you're going to work, you're going to work.

To get the best results in your fitness, research has found that shorter but more intensive exercise is more effective than longer drawn-out exercise.

The concept is simple: Intensive activity followed by high quality rest and recovery.

Most of the growth actually comes during the recovery process. However, the only way to truly recover is by actually pushing yourself to exhaustion during the workout.

The same concept applies to work. The best work happens in short intensive spurts. By short, I'm talking 1-3 hours. But this must be "Deep Work," with no distractions, just like an intensive workout is non-stop. Interestingly, your best work - which for most people is thinking - will actually happen while you're away from your work, "recovering."

To get the best results in your fitness, research has found that shorter but more intensive exercise is more effective than longer drawn-out exercise.

The concept is simple: Intensive activity followed by high quality rest and recovery.

Most of the growth actually comes during the recovery process. However, the only way to truly recover is by actually pushing yourself to exhaustion during the workout.

The same concept applies to work. The best work happens in short intensive spurts. By short, I'm talking 1-3 hours. But this must be "Deep Work," with no distractions, just like an intensive workout is non-stop. Interestingly, your best work - which for most people is thinking - will actually happen while you're away from your work, "recovering."

In one study, only 16 percent of respondents reported getting creative insight while at work . Ideas generally came while the person was at home, in transportation, or during recreational activity. "The most creative ideas aren't going to come while sitting in front of your monitor," says Scott Birnbaum, a vice president of Samsung Semiconductor.

The reason for this is simple. When you're working directly on a task, your mind is tightly focused on the problem at hand (i.e., direct reflection). Conversely, when you're not working, your mind loosely wanders (i.e., indirect reflection).

While driving or doing some other form of recreation, the external stimuli in your environment (like the buildings or other landscapes around you) subconsciously prompt memories and other thoughts. Because your mind is wandering both contextually (on different subjects) and temporally between past, present, and future, your brain will make distant and distinct connections related to the problem you're trying to solve (eureka!)

The reason for this is simple. When you're working directly on a task, your mind is tightly focused on the problem at hand (i.e., direct reflection). Conversely, when you're not working, your mind loosely wanders (i.e., indirect reflection).

While driving or doing some other form of recreation, the external stimuli in your environment (like the buildings or other landscapes around you) subconsciously prompt memories and other thoughts. Because your mind is wandering both contextually (on different subjects) and temporally between past, present, and future, your brain will make distant and distinct connections related to the problem you're trying to solve (eureka!)

The reason for this is simple. When you're working directly on a task, your mind is tightly focused on the problem at hand (i.e., direct reflection). Conversely, when you're not working, your mind loosely wanders (i.e., indirect reflection).

While driving or doing some other form of recreation, the external stimuli in your environment (like the buildings or other landscapes around you) subconsciously prompt memories and other thoughts. Because your mind is wandering both contextually (on different subjects) and temporally between past, present, and future, your brain will make distant and distinct connections related to the problem you're trying to solve (eureka!)

Case in point: when you're working, be at work. When you're not working, stop working. By taking your mind off work and actually recovering, you'll get creative breakthroughs related to your work.

You can ensure that you're fully present in what you're doing by applying a concept known as "forcing functions." According to entrepreneur, Dan Martell:

Forcing functions are situational factors you put into place to ensure you succeed. In other words, you want to set up your environment so that your default and subconscious behavior is what you want it to be. You also want to set things up so that self-sabotage is difficult.

Case in point: when you're working, be at work. When you're not working, stop working. By taking your mind off work and actually recovering, you'll get creative breakthroughs related to your work.

You can ensure that you're fully present in what you're doing by applying a concept known as "forcing functions." According to entrepreneur, Dan Martell:

Forcing functions are situational factors you put into place to ensure you succeed. In other words, you want to set up your environment so that your default and subconscious behavior is what you want it to be. You also want to set things up so that self-sabotage is difficult.

Here are a few examples:

• When you're done with work, leave your phone at your office (this will force you to be present when you're home)
• Remove all unhealthy food from your house (make one decision that frees your mind from having to consciously control or suppress your behavior)
• Work at a library and leave your laptop charger at home (so you only have a few hours to work until your computer dies)
• Set short timelines ("To achieve great things you need 1) a plan, and 2) not enough time"  - Meg Jay TED talk )
• High investment - when you begin investing money into a goal, you immediately become emotionally committed

Here are a few examples:

• When you're done with work, leave your phone at your office (this will force you to be present when you're home)
• Remove all unhealthy food from your house (make one decision that frees your mind from having to consciously control or suppress your behavior)
• Work at a library and leave your laptop charger at home (so you only have a few hours to work until your computer dies)
• Set short timelines ("To achieve great things you need 1) a plan, and 2) not enough time"  - Meg Jay TED talk )
• High investment - when you begin investing money into a goal, you immediately become emotionally committed

Here are a few examples:

• When you're done with work, leave your phone at your office (this will force you to be present when you're home)
• Remove all unhealthy food from your house (make one decision that frees your mind from having to consciously control or suppress your behavior)
• Work at a library and leave your laptop charger at home (so you only have a few hours to work until your computer dies)
• Set short timelines ("To achieve great things you need 1) a plan, and 2) not enough time"  - Meg Jay TED talk )
• High investment - when you begin investing money into a goal, you immediately become emotionally committed

How you spend each day matters.

If you optimize for brain health, priority, and productivity, you can live a masterful life.

You can make enormous progress in all that you do.

You can create and achieve enormous visions.

Every day, your brain will change because you'll be learning new things and becoming a new person.

Enjoy this beautiful life. It's yours for the taking.

But you don't have to constantly be battling your fears. Actually, Darren Hardy has said that you can be a coward 99.9305556% of the time (to be exact). You only need to be courageous for 20 seconds at a time.

Twenty seconds of fear is all you need. If you courageously confront fear for 20 seconds every single day, before you know it, you'll be in a different socio-economic and social situation.

According to Wayne Gretzky, the best hockey player of all time, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

But you don't have to constantly be battling your fears. Actually, Darren Hardy has said that you can be a coward 99.9305556% of the time (to be exact). You only need to be courageous for 20 seconds at a time.

Twenty seconds of fear is all you need. If you courageously confront fear for 20 seconds every single day, before you know it, you'll be in a different socio-economic and social situation.

According to Wayne Gretzky, the best hockey player of all time, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Make that call.

Ask that question.

Pitch that idea.

Post that video.

Reach out to that potential mentor.

If you do one or even a few things daily that are outside of your comfort zone, eventually you'll be living a different life. Although most of your courageous attempts may not be successful, some of them will succeed. Sometimes, you'll catch a "lucky" break. And these breaks are what separate you from the masses.

Make that call.

Ask that question.

Pitch that idea.

Post that video.

Reach out to that potential mentor.

If you do one or even a few things daily that are outside of your comfort zone, eventually you'll be living a different life. Although most of your courageous attempts may not be successful, some of them will succeed. Sometimes, you'll catch a "lucky" break. And these breaks are what separate you from the masses.