10 Steps to Improving Your Living
By John Richardson for www.successbeginstoday.org

1. Take A Different Route To Work: See something new, turn a different corner, and see a different neighborhood. They say that variety is the spice of life and taking a new route actually stimulates your brain. Researchers find that doing this routinely helps the mind stay active and actually helps it learn and remember better.

2. Walking: Turn your walk into an effective interval aerobic workout. When walking outside on the street, walk to the first light pole, then run or jog to the second. Again walk to the third and run to the fourth. Keep this interval up and you’ll keep your heart rate up with a minimal impact on your body. You’ll burn 30-40% more calories with this simple twist.

3. Reduce Caffeine: Next time you go to Starbucks or other coffee shop order a half-caff instead of a full strength coffee. After a few more trips order a third-caff and continue that for a few days. Finally wean yourself to straight decaff. This will allow you to get off caffeine without the usual headaches. Tuning your caffeine intake is a good thing to do every few months.

4. Reduce Carbs & Calories: One of the easiest ways to reduce both carbohydrates and calories at a meal is to eat your sandwich or burger open-faced. Just remove the top bun with all the high calorie mayo and throw it away (or take it home for your dog). Enjoy your burger open faced or bend the bottom bun in half and make a burger “taco” or “gyro.” You’ll reduce about 1/3 of your calories and actually have a tastier sandwich.

5. Get Up Earlier: Set your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier tonight and enjoy more productivity tomorrow. As the days go by, slowly set the alarm clock earlier and earlier in 5 minute increments. You’ll soon find you have an extra hour to get things done.

6. Set Goals Today: Download our free goal setting toolkit and write down some achievable short and long term goals Today. Don’t wait until tomorrow… tomorrow never comes (when it does come it’s actually called today). Keep these cards on your desk or in your car where you’ll see them on a daily basis. You’ll soon find that the act of writing them down is probably the hardest thing you’ll have to do to achieve them.

7. Drink More Water: When you get up tomorrow morning, start the day with a large glass of water. Have another large glass with each meal throughout the day. This will give you at least four glasses per day out of the recommended eight. Adding more water to your diet will help you naturally lose weight and you’ll feel better if you are properly hydrated.

8. Call A Friend: Download our deliberate actions card-set and print out a page on Avery business card stock. Break the cards apart and write down a few names on the individual cards. Make a deliberate goal to take action on one of them today. The easiest is the phone call or e-mail card. Pick someone you haven’t talked to in a while. You’ll be amazed how this simple action will make your day.

9. Play The Productivity Game: If you are trying to get things done around the house you might find it helpful to play the productivity game with a spouse or other family member. Put some money on the line and let them draw a card. In fifty minutes you’ll see some real progress. It’s a fast and fun way to get going on a lazy Saturday morning.

10. Weightlifting: If you do weight training as part of your regular exercise routine try this little trick next time you work-out. Count one to five on the upward stroke and one to five down. This motion keep you going smoothly and slowly. You’ll find you get a lot more workout for your time spent.