Blake Snow, GUEST WRITER
Writer for Fortune 500
companies
June 10, 2018 4
min read
Humans are easily distracted. Smartphones,
gossip, social media, substance abuse, endless email, mindless web browsing,
too much TV, video games, unnecessary meetings, bargain hunting. When done in
excess, these activities zap you of energy, productivity, a willingness to
serve and ultimately, fulfillment.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are five
ways to rig your environment for greater success and happiness:
1. Avoid passive screen time.
Many, if not most, of us use computer
screens to get work done. I’d call those active screens, in which we’re
contributing, rather than taking from, the world. On the other hand, passive
screen time reinforces the idea of “letting things and life happen to me,” as
opposed to actively seeking out an doing things that that are important to you
and your family. For maximum success and fulfillment, avoid passive screen time
unless it’s something that truly excites you -- like a blockbuster movie,
high-stakes competition or niche medium that gets your heart racing.
2. Keep a journal.
Research shows that doing so increases
gratitude, and that alone can make you happier. But keeping a journal also lets
you know yourself better, which in turn will help you make better choices in
the future. Since keeping a journal several times a month, I’ve been able to
turbocharge my decision-making and learn from mistakes faster than I used to.
3. Say “no” to invites that don’t
resonate with you.
More specifically, that could be declining
things that don’t interest, excite or speak to you individually. Obviously
this could be a bad thing for people with fear and confidence issues or those
who don’t already volunteer their time to help those in need. That group should
probably say yes more to opportunities. But for everyone else, saying
no more usually means saying yes to yourself more,
which results in greater success and more oxygen to improve and maintain your
own health so you can better help others. Moral of the story: be strategic with
your availability.
4. Declutter your mindshare.
I am a devoted minimalist for several reasons
-- thrift, better speed and less Murphy’s Law chief among them. On top of that,
however, being a minimalist creates an environment were you
literally have less to think and worry about -- fewer thoughts to distract you.
That’s a powerful thing to both our productivity and mental well-being. This
isn’t to say you shouldn’t reward yourself or splurge on things you love. You
totally should. But only do so when you truly love something, as opposed to
merely liking it or feeling peer pressure to love or like something that
society suggests you should.
5. Play more.
Unstructured play time is as healthy for
adults as it is children. The act of play lets our mind wander, which activates
it in new and sometimes innovative ways. Of course, more play doesn't always
lead to greater inspiration, but more work certainly doesn’t either. In fact,
too much work has been linked to burnout and stale thinking, both of which can
frustrate our productivity, efficacy and contributions to the world.
Although it sounds counter-intuitive, more play results in greater success and
fulfillment.
If you’ve read this far, chances are you’re
already hoping to change, improve or inspire your current trajectory for
the better. For that, I commend you. But I also leave you with one of my favorite
quotes on finding the courage to change. It’s been attributed to a variety of
modern leaders and is a superb mechanism to instill self-mastery. “If you
always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always got.”
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