The Daily Dozen (minus 2)

One of my favorite personal development speakers, Chris Brady, likes to ask, “20 years from now, what will you wish you had done today?” He talks a lot about how consistently productive daily habits, compounded over time, create success. He says that successful people aren’t lucky or blessed to be in their current situations, they just did the right things, consistently.

Chris recently gave a talk called The Daily Dozen in which he listed 12 habits that he thinks are important. This is post is modeled after that talk, but with fewer and different habits that I think are important.

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Habit #1 Read from your core book every day. Your core book teaches the difference between good and bad. It is the book where you go to find truth. It is where you find your fundamental beliefs. You core book might be different from mine. For many it is scripture. Whatever it is, spend time in it daily.

I am currently reading a book that is teaching me how to study my core book like you would do a document study. It’s been eye opening to me, and I have gotten a lot more out of my studies.

Habit #2 Exercise. This could mean a lot of different things for a lot of people, but I think the point is to get up and move every day. For me it means 20 minutes of cardio or strength or yoga every morning. Regardless of how much sleep I got the night before. Regardless of the weather. Regardless of my health. I get up with my alarm and exercise 20 minutes every day.

Habit #3 Read from a good book every day. Chris Brady says 30 minutes every day. That is ideal, but there are some days where I can only fit in 15 minutes. And even 15 minutes is a stretch. So my baseline is 15 minutes no matter what.

Habit #4 Stand Guard. In Chris Brady’s talk he labels this habit Watch what you Watch. His point is to be aware of what you allow into your home via social media, books, friends, entertainment and other distractions.

I love the talk by Julie Beck given years ago at a Women’s Conference at BYU. She says, “I have said lately that women are like lionesses at the gate of the home. Whatever happens in that home and family happens because she cares about it and it matters to her. She guards that gate, and things matter to that family if they matter to her. For example, if the lioness at the gate believes in the law of tithing, tithing will be paid in that family. If that family has a humble little portion of ten pesos coming in, that lioness will safeguard the one peso if tithing is important to her. If that lioness at the gate knows about renewing her baptismal covenants with God, she will be in sacrament meeting on Sunday, and she will prepare her children to be there. They will be washed, cleaned, combed, and taught about that meeting and what happens there. It isn’t a casual event, but it is serious to her, and it will be serious to them. The lioness at the gate ensures that temple worship is taken care of in the family. She encourages that participation. She cares about seeking after her ancestors. If the lioness at the gate knows about and understands missions, missionaries, and the mission of the house of Israel, she will prepare future missionaries to go out from that home. It is very difficult to get a lion cub away from a lioness who doesn’t believe in missions, but if the lioness believes in a mission, she will devote her life to preparing the cub to go out and serve the Lord. That’s how important she is. Service happens if she cares about it. Sisters, you are each like the lioness at the gate.”

Habit #5 Give thanks daily. I’ve talked about this before, but I’m a firm believer that successful people are grateful and can find something good in every situation.

Habit #6 Stand for Something. Figure out what your personal mission is and do something every day to further it. I learned from Oliver DeMille that I need to pick something that resonates with me and figure out what ways I can do “the right thing in the right way at the right time.”

Habit #7 Listen to something positive and uplifting every day. I like to listen to audios and podcasts that help me grow and be better in the various areas of my life—wife, mother, homeschool, business, myself, my faith, etc.

Habit #8 Do something uncomfortable every day. This is one I need to implement better, but I saw how powerful it was the other day at the pool. I typically hang out in the shallow end of the pool and don’t get my hair wet whenever we are near water. I decided this time would be different. I jumped off the diving board, went down the slide, had races, floated on my back, and had fun doing what I normally don’t do. It was uncomfortable for me to be without done hair, but it was good for my kids to see me get out of my comfort zone.

Habit #9 Take care of you. This habit can easily be taken too far. All I mean is making sure that your needs are met. For me this has always been being up and dressed with make-up on and hair done before the kids are up and quiet time in the middle of the day and a regular bed time routine.

Habit #10 Love. Love your spouse. Love your kids. Love everyone you come in contact with. Og Mandino in his book “The Greatest Salesman” says to greet each day with love in your heart. He teaches to address everyone with a silent I love you. The silent words will shine in your eyes.

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What habits do you think successful people have? What things do you do every day? 20 years from now what habit will you wish you had started and consistently implemented?