During a busy day, it’s tempting to just focus on improving skills that are directly related to your job. Highly successful people, on the other hand, know that improving themselves outside the realm of their career can be just as, if not more, important. Even if the skills don’t seem earth shattering or have a direct impact on their current role, they find some time during the day to learn things that can improve their lives for the better.
Here are some of those very simple skills that will improve your life in a big way. Sprinkle these into your daily routine, and see just how far they take you:
Scheduling around your energy
Studies estimate that social media has cost us trillions of dollars in lost productivity. So if you’re one of those people who’s tempted to check Facebook during the workday, you’re not alone.
But rather than attempting to avoid social media (and other distractions) completely, science says you should learn how to schedule around your energy instead. Quite simply, no one can completely avoid distractions during a busy day. The better option is to harness that finite focus you have towards maximum productivity.
For instance, Dr. Travis Bradberry suggests doing around 50 minutes of work followed by around 15 minutes of rest. Even if you don’t want to follow his schedule, being aware of and prioritizing around your times of maximum productivity (and avoiding the infamous afternoon slump) is a vital skill to learn.
Thinking of your time as money
Warren Buffet once said, “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.”
It’s a big misconception that successful people say “yes” to everything. While being a positive opportunist is a plus, viewing your time as valuable is even more important. To start using this skill learn when to delegate a task or say “no” rather than do it yourself. By doing this, you won’t only stay sane, but you’ll see your wealth pile up in the process.
Meditating and winding down
It might seem odd that getting skilled at not thinking or doing anything is critical for your success. But let’s face it, we’re not robots. Even Oprah Winfrey and Sheryl Sandberg have spoken about the importance of meditating and winding down during their busy workweeks. Plus, there’s a slew of science backing up the benefits of meditation.
Even if you don’t want to meditate, you need to get skilled at relaxing and knowing when to wind down during those hectic days. The few minutes or so spent slowing down are always worth the investment.
Planning everything in advance
“As all entrepreneurs know, you live and die by your ability to prioritize. You must focus on the most important, mission-critical tasks each day and night, and then share, delegate, delay or skip the rest.” said Kiva Co-founder Jessica Jackley.
Even if you already have a to-do list, you can improve this skill by prioritizing the day before. President Obama, for instance, wakes up knowing exactly what and when to do tasks because he plans at night. By improving this skill, you’ll have all your ducks in a row while the rest of the world is still stumbling around Starbucks.
Shout out your skills
Do you have any simple skills you’ve developed to improve your life? We want to hear them. If you’re looking for even more improvement, get some tips from The Tribe too.
