You can’t account for the chance encounters and ‘being in the right place at the right time’ moments that can completely transform your outlook and opportunities.
But there are lots of elements that are completely within your control through simple habits and this is what I want to talk to you about today.
Fine-tweaking aspects of your life can give you big returns, so let’s take a look at some of the most tweakable!
Cultivating stronger relationships
Having good relationships with people should be a given in any scenario and in any environment. Social bonds and connecting with others are part of what makes us human.
Feeling like you belong helps us to feel fulfilled.
You don’t need me to tell you how good it feels after a tough day at work to go for a drink with a friend and belly laugh about old times.
Strong relationships act as a form of protection when you’re going through challenging times. Your circle of relationships can give you support and inspire a resilience that’s difficult to conjure up by yourself.
[bctt tweet=”Social bonds and connecting with others are part of what makes us human.” username=”bryankramer”]
Being able to cultivate good relationships in your personal life can also help you in your professional life.
Exchanging ideas and finding collaborative solutions will serve you well. There doesn’t have to be an immediate transaction. Sometimes it’s just more important that you build strong habits on new relationships. Something as simple as making a good impression on someone can be very valuable.
Sleep.is.so.important!
It really can’t be emphasized enough.
The trouble is that with all of the articles that supposedly give an insight into the schedules of successful entrepreneurs.
I always seem to come across ridiculously unhelpful advice like ‘oh, I go to sleep at 11 pm and have a series of intermittent mini-10 minute naps until I wake up at 2 am, to the sound of whale music, ready to start my day’. To be frank, this advice is pure garbage and unhealthy.
A study of 10,000 British civil servants found that employees that reduced their amount of sleep from 7 hours to 5 or fewer were twice as likely to die from all causes, predominantly cardiovascular disease, than those that didn’t.
You’re also at higher risk of a whole range of conditions like depression, dementia, diabetes to name a few.
So, not only is it unhealthy to have poor sleep hygiene, but you can find yourself feeling disoriented, mentally foggy and sleepy throughout the day when you need to focus.
Making sure your room is dark, having electronic devices out of arms reach and reading before bed is just a few ways you can help update better sleep habits for yourself.
Learning all the things
Sometimes I stop and think jeez, how much has changed in the last 10 years?!.
If someone said, ‘yes, people will start to look at their phones when they’re out at dinner and people won’t find it rude anymore’ I’d have told you, you were insane! Internet culture has exploded with the rise of the smartphone and that little gadget holds the key to people’s online identity.
Learning new skills and habits makes it more possible to be agile and futureproof.
Learning new things isn’t just a good habit for your own mental health and wellbeing, but it puts you in a better position when everything’s changing around you too.
Building up a skillset that makes you more able to navigate new and developing industries can help if you need to have a career change or you’re being asked to do unfamiliar tasks in your current job.
And learning new skills has been proven to slow cognitive aging by promoting mental stimulation and expanding brain function like logic and reasoning skills.
Humor. Lots of it!
Life feels so freakin’ serious sometimes. Turn on the news and you’ll…turn it off 2 seconds later.
We can forget to focus on the funny, but the funny is just as important as the serious.
Humor helps us to relate to others, break down barriers and keep ourselves sane in an insane world.
Whether it’s putting on your favorite comedy show and having a good old chuckle or getting your friends together for a night of debauchery and dirty jokes – you should make room for humor because you’ll feel better for it.
And hey, it’s proven – laughter is an endorphin release, it helps form social bonds and thinking of jokes and trying to practice your razor-sharp wit (you totally have it) means your brain’s working hard and making connections.
Downtime
And breaaaathe. Setting aside time for yourself to relax is one of the best habits for success. Besides, busting a gut at work all day and having no time to enjoy your success starts to become a pretty hollow lifestyle.
Everyone’s way of relaxing is different – it could be going for a hike, curling up with your cat and a book cat or sitting in your pants watching Netflix. But what’s important is giving your life a healthy balance.
You’ll probably burn-out if you relentlessly work with no time off or relaxation time.
And if you don’t relax, you’re probably neglecting your relationships with loved ones and when you do see them, are you your best self?
Or are you ratty and stressed?
It’s not all about you, being present for other people in a positive and supportive way is super important.
Your mental health and wellbeing will be better if you learn to relax and enlist strategies that help you take a moment to breathe and take a break.
Want to talk this through with someone?
I'm Bryan Kramer. I coach executives and founders one to one, and I give keynotes on AI, leadership and human connection.