Question to build a bright future:

What is one positive decision you can make to improve yourself today?

This Reddit post that hit me hard...

It has a powerful lesson on self-improvement:

Contrary to what you may believe, self improvement is not about cold plunging at 4am, lifting weights for 6 hours, running 100 miles per week, or going into "monk mode" for 6 months.

Self improvement is about SELF improvement. It is about you. About your baseline, wherever you are coming from, and beating that version of you from yesterday.

Stop comparing your day 1 to everyone else’s day 1000. Stop allowing the highlight reels on social media to hold you back from improving yourself.

What is one tiny positive decision I can make to improve myself today?

Make it. Then make another. Then another.

That’s self improvement.

To anyone out there making those tiny decisions today: I'm with you, and I salute you!

Quote on the power of delayed gratification:

"Be careful not to compromise what you want most for what you want now." - Zig Ziglar

Delayed gratification is the key to the life of your dreams.

Embrace it.

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Framework to assess your friendships:

Leaves, Branches, & Roots

Actor Tyler Perry—portraying his wise Madea alter ego—once shared a brilliant framing for thinking about your relationships.

There are three types of people in your life:

• Leaves: These are the people that are only around from time to time when the weather is good. They blow around as the winds change. They provide shade during the summer, but as soon as winter comes, they fall off the tree and disappear.
• Branches: These are the people who are more present and stable than the leaves, but they aren't permanent. They look strong, but if you try to stand on them or pull yourself up from them, they may break under your weight.
• Roots: These are the people who are permanent. They are deep and wide. They are there in the summer and the winter, they are unperturbed by the changing seasons. The leaves and branches may come and go, but the roots are there forever.

I love this perspective.

There's nothing wrong with having leaves and branches in your life. When times are good, these people can bring joy to your world. But never make the mistake of thinking they will be there during the bad.

The most important question: Who are your roots?

Who are the people who will be there through good and bad? Who are the people who will sit in the mud with you?

Find them. Cherish them.

Chart that will make you laugh out loud:

This chart made the rounds in a few of my group chats last week and cracked me up every single time I saw it.

It shows a comparison of Americans vs. Britons in terms of confidence of being able to beat a type of animal in a fight.

I have so many reactions, but a few that jump out to me:

• Americans are way too confident in our hand-to-hand combat skills.
• Less than half of Brits think they could beat a goose?!
• The 8% of Americans who seem to think they could beat a Gorilla, Lion, and Elephant in a fight (and the 6% who think they could beat a Grizzly bear)...I have no words.

Too funny. Send this image to your group chat and enjoy the laughs.

Article to rewire your brain:

​I Hate Running. I Trick My Brain Into Doing It Anyway.​

Good article with a few mental hacks to get going on a workout routine. While the article is specifically about running, the hacks apply to all forms of exercise (or really, anything that's good for you that you don't want to do).

The hacks covered:

• Reward Bundling: Attach something you love (a favorite podcast or show) to the thing you hate (the hard workout or exercise). Give yourself the reward while you do the hard thing.
• Take Breaks: It's ok, even advisable, to take breaks during a hard bout of exercise (or focus work, for that matter). Stick to the plan and give yourself periods of rest within the period of activity.
• Get a Dog (or Friend): Having a training partner to go through the hard things with you is essential. The article recommends a dog, but I think a friend is usually easier to come by (and they shed less).

Worth a read for anyone trying to build an exercise routine this spring and summer.