Improvement: You can only plan things so far — let it go completely after that point and prepare for eventualities.
Motivation: For example, when you can’t find a train station immediately next to your destination just take a train to the nearest one then walk with your eyes open in the general direction. Who knows what you might see along the way?
Improvement: Hear, don’t listen. See, don’t watch. Speak, dont talk.
Motivation: It goes without saying that one should always be mindful — be careful to process carefully while doing any of the above actions.
Improvement: Never ever use guilt trips as a motivational tactic.
Motivation: Guilt trips crush the human spirit (both yours and theirs). If more than a blunt command or request is required, rather than guilt tripping give a rational line of reasoning. If you want to be very nice, you could alternately appeal to the interests of the person you are motivating.
Improvement: (via my uncle) Variety is the spice of life — there is nothing like a change.
Motivation: Rearranging the furniture, learning something new, trying a different way can all unlock new thoughts, inspiration, and leave you feeling refreshed.
Got a bit behind, so here are an awesome foursome of daily improvements.
#13 Improvement: (via my father) What most clearly separates successful business people is their careful, loving use of time.
Motivation: Time is a resource everyone has a limited amount of, but has absolute freedom to use as they see fit. Wake up every day and prioritize your time to get the most important things done.
#14 Improvement: (via my father) The most important ten minutes of your day is the last ten minutes when you make tomorrow’s to do list.
Motivation: A. You can go to sleep because you know what you have to do tomorrow. B. When you wake up you are ready to get started and don’t have to waste an hour figuring out exactly where you left off. “Thanks dad!”
#15 Improvement: When travelling especially, be sensitive to the resources and restrictions of others.
Motivation: Despite not considering yourself particularly wealthy, everyone’s situation is different — it’s best to avoid comparisons or statements about wealth altogether.
#16 Improvement: Before plugging electrical equipment in a foreign country’s sockets double check the power handling on the device and the output from the wall.
Motivation: Save some money and don’t burn out your gadgets like we did with a nonpower switching wifi router brought over from the U.S. to spain. As a general rule specifically portable gadgets like laptops and cellphones have switching power supplies that just require a passive adapter.