19 hard things you need to do to be successful

The simple truth about how ordinary people accomplish outrageous feats of success is that they do the hard things that smarter, wealthier, more qualified people don’t have the courage or desperation to do. Do the hard things. You might be surprised at how amazing you really are.

You have to do the hard things.

• You have to make the call you’re afraid to make.

• You have to get up earlier than you want to get up.

• You have to give more than you get in return right away.

• You have to care more about others than they care about you.

• You have to fight when you are already injured, bloody, and sore.

• You have to feel unsure and insecure when playing it safe seems smarter.

• You have to lead when no one else is following you yet.

• You have to invest in yourself even though no one else is.

• You have to look like a fool while you’re looking for answers you don’t have.

• You have to grind out the details when it’s easier to shrug them off.

• You have to deliver results when making excuses is an option.

• You have to search for your own explanations even when you’re told to accept the “facts.”

• You have to make mistakes and look like an idiot.

• You have to try and fail and try again.

• You have to run faster even though you’re out of breath.

• You have to be kind to people who have been cruel to you.

• You have to meet deadlines that are unreasonable and deliver results that are unparalleled.

• You have to be accountable for your actions even when things go wrong.

• You have to keep moving towards where you want to be no matter what’s in front of you.

You have to do the hard things. The things that no one else is doing. The things that scare you. The things that make you wonder how much longer you can hold on. Those are the things that define you. Those are the things that make the difference between living a life of mediocrity or outrageous success. The hard things are the easiest things to avoid. To excuse away. To pretend like they don’t apply to you.

(Source: Business Insider)

Five morning rituals to keep you productive all day long

Most of us work long hours: 40, 50 or even 60 hours each week. But chances are, given distractions like online entertainment, office snacking habits and ill-designed time management, we're only churning out high-quality work a portion of each day.
Here are five practical steps to incorporate into any morning routine to optimize your time at the office and maintain productivity all day long: 

7 minutes of exercise. 
Why? It's short enough that it won't impact the rest of your morning routine and long enough to shake off any residual sluggishness from the night before -- including that extra glass of wine. There are endless fitness routines to turn to, but the one I like best is called the 7 Minute Workout (and yes, there's an app for that). In just seven minutes, it works all major muscle groups with 12 total exercises.

Start your day out green. 
Sure, we've all been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it's pretty easy to reach for a bagel, bowl of cereal, egg sandwich or cup of yogurt to get your metabolism going. While all of these options are fine choices once in a while, you'll be shocked at the morning lift you can get from a green smoothie. And healthy juicing requires less time in the morning than toasting a bagel and slathering it with low fat cream cheese. I go quick and easy, blending (for about a minute): one apple, one banana, one orange, a handful of spinach, half of a cucumber, any juice or coconut water on hand, a few cubes of ice and some flax seed. It's cheap, easy and energizing.

Pick 3 wins for the day. 
While you're waiting for that smoothie to blend, get ahead of the evening's conversation with your significant other; you know, the one that starts, "How was your day?"
Decide on the three things that you'd like to accomplish in the next 12 hours in order for you to feel like the day was a success. Sure, not every day will be an epic win, but strategizing in this way will help to move the ball forward. 

Block your calendar to achieve wins. 
One of the most common mistakes people make at the office is not turning to-do lists into time-bound, effective project lists. I've found that people who have mastered this hack are far more likely to deliver tasks on time. It's simple: For each of the big things on your list, block off the amount of time on your calendar that you estimate the task might take; and then add 33% more time just to be sure. If a project is multi day or has dependencies, break it up into digestible chunks. Use one block to plan and a second or third block to accomplish. This simple method will help hold you accountable and immediately help you refocus on the tasks you've prioritized when you do get distracted. Too often, we let one distraction steamroll an entire morning; now you don't have to let that client email derail you from your winning plan for the day.

Power up after lunch. Take the 15 minutes right after lunch to refocus on the day; a kind of professional meditation. Get away from your computer, turn it off, go sit in a conference room and determine what you have on tap for the rest of the day. Think about how the list you set in the morning is shaping up. Are you ahead of schedule? Behind schedule? You'll find that these 15 minutes help you identify how you got derailed, what's causing you distractions and help you to rediscover a rhythm to be productive all day long.
Give this simple formula a try for a week and I think you'll be pleased with the results. 

(Source: entrepreneur)