How to improve every day? Ugh, a bit heavy isn't it?

No worries. With a little effort, we can tackle this one.

Sometimes we just have to dumb it down and ask the right question. A question that will lead us to the result we want. Let's have at it!

“What would happen if we acted as if every day could lead to only one of two results? – Progression or Regression.”

Think about it; how conscious of our behavior would we be if we acted as if we were in a continual process of progressing or regressing our professional competencies, intellect, communication skills, social behaviors, and personal development?

Well…we are!

For better or worse, we’re simply not the same when we go to bed at night. This is such a simple but empowering principle to live by, and it has personally changed my life.

We’re not just “doing stuff” as we move through our day, we are moving towards a daily result. Whether we intend to or not, by the end of the day, we WILL have moved toward or away from what and who we want to be. It’s important to realize that in every given moment, we are deciding which way we're going.

If we're not paying attention, we can let our days turn to months, years or even decades without realizing we've shaped our lives with daily decisions that we weren't even paying attention to. We can fall prey to the dreaded “today was fine” lifestyle. That's not going to cut it.

If we're going to improve, we must intentionally push the meter.

I've often heard this argument…

“But I'm not progressing or regressing, I do the same thing every day.”

Sorry, you're still literally changing.

Even if our actions are similar every day, we have succeeding in strengthening those behavioral habits, and our habits either lead toward progress, or away from it. The tricky thing about habits it they often result in us mistakenly believing that what we do is a result of “who we are” instead of realizing they are simply a result of what we’ve been conditioning ourselves to do.

The good news is, we can choose to change our habits.

We're also exposed to information and experiences every day. We absorb these exposures as we choose to observe and interact with people, information sources, media and entertainment outlets. Over time, these exposures make a huge difference in our long term results.

Time of exposure matters! Don’t believe me? Ask anyone who’s stayed out in the sun for too long, or forgot that dinner was cooking in the oven. The longer you expose yourself to something, the greater the effect it will have on you.

This begs the question, “Are we exposing ourselves to the people and content sources that are helping us improve?”

Each day, our cumulative choice of actions, inaction, and selection of who and what we interact with literally shape our lives. By the end of the day, we either experience a day of progression or regression toward our personal and/or professional improvement.

Before I go any further, I need to let this out. — Enjoy life!!

I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't read fiction, watch TV, movies, or cut everyone out of your life that isn't an over-achieving optimist.

Personally, I'm a movie junkie, and have been reading Stephen King novels for over 20 years! But neither of these enjoyments are my daily priority. I also don't find it necessary to cut-off friends or family just because they hold differing perspectives or standards for themselves.

Sure, we should be very cognizant and intentional about who we spend the majority of our time with. However, I also believe we should be leading by example. If we're completely cutting people out of our life, who will we lead?

Be an asset to everyone who knows you. Enjoy every day while remaining conscious of what you're regularly feeding your mind. Make progression your normal state of being as opposed to an occasional thought.

So, how do we monitor our daily progression or regression? To be honest it's pretty easy, and the more you start paying attention to your actions, the easier it gets. Before long you'll automatically be noticing little things as you move through your day, and will instinctively ask, “Where is this leading me – Progression or Regression?”

The first time that question pops into your head is the absolute best. It's the moment you realize you've actually taken control.

So, how to begin? A great way to determine which type of day you had is to ask yourself some simple questions at the end of the day (..if you're not journaling already, start today).

As you answer these questions, you'll know which type of day you had…

• What did I learn today that will positively impact my business, personal development or family?

• What action(s) did I take toward achieving my professional or personal goals?

• How well did I communicate with my coworkers, friends and family?

• Did I engage in social behavior that was beneficial to me and the people I interacted with?

• How much time did I spend watching TV today? What did I watch?

• How much time did I spend reading today? What did I read?

• Did I spend time being angry at someone or something today? If so, how much time did I spend being angry, and did I any take action to resolve the problem?

• Did I hug someone today? Who?

• Did I tell someone I love them today? Who?

• Did I do or say something kind to a complete stranger today?

Finally, the most important question…

• What area of today’s performance do I most want to improve upon tomorrow?

You can certainly change, add or delete any of these questions to make them more relevant to the personal or professional goals that you have. The purpose is improvement as defined by YOU.

Starting today, decide that progress will be your daily standard.

I hope you find some value in today's talk. Let me know your thoughts and results by leaving a comment. Most of all, share this with someone!

We’ll chat soon — Until then, as always, I’ll be cheering you on.