“Figure out where these areas are for you and commit to learning a new pattern,” he urges. “For me, that meant buying a book and relearning how to type using a two-hand method. Yes, learning new patterns can initially be tedious and laborious. But once they’ve taken hold—often in three weeks or less—they’ll speed up your performance, streamline your effort, and lower your stress. By putting in some thought about ‘problem areas’ now, you’ll save yourself from having to think about them later. Eventually, this method changes once-tedious tasks into automatic, ‘I don’t have to think about it’ behaviors that save you a lot of time.”
Fill up your energy bank account so you can make withdrawals when you need them. Throughout life, circumstances arise that are beyond our control. You may experience a major illness, lose a loved one, or be forced to relocate. You may have to occasionally work long days and go without sleep. The list goes on. It’s because of these out-of-our-hands circumstances, says Core, that we must all focus on controlling what we can.
“What I mean is, know your needs and capacities and try not to exceed them on a regular basis,” he says. “In other words, get enough sleep. Eat nutritiously. Exercise when time permits. That way, when you do find yourself needing to push the limits, you’ll have a healthy margin of energy, motivation, or whatever to draw on. One night of burning the midnight oil doesn’t have to make you feel like a zombie—and tank your productivity—for the whole week.”
Forgive yesterday so you can work on today. Core says most successful, hardworking people are often hard on themselves to an unproductive level. They are their own worst critics and spend valuable time lingering on mistakes and slip-ups. Long after the event—whatever it was—is over, they beat themselves up relentlessly instead of spending their time in a more productive state.
“Treat yourself with the same compassion and generosity you’d extend to another person who’d messed up or fallen short of a goal,” urges Core. “If it helps, follow the two-hour rule I learned from one of my past coaches: When you have a bad performance or make a mistake, you have two hours to pout, scream, cry, wallow, or do whatever you think will help you deal with the disappointment. But when 120 minutes have passed, it’s time to start moving forward again.
“Remember, nobody is perfect,” he adds. “We all make mistakes. What sets Thrivers apart is the fact that after a fall, they forgive themselves faster, get back up, and continue the journey forward. This summer, make it your goal to not let regrets haunt your otherwise-perfect evenings.”
“By making small changes in how you approach your day, you can begin to take back your to-do list and accomplish the big goals that will really help you thrive,” Core concludes. “It’s time to stop allowing your quest for success to leave you feeling tired, stressed, and disillusioned. So, how will your tomorrow look different from your today? What is one small change you can make right now to start rewiring the patterns that define your life? It has been a long, cold winter. Let this summer be the fresh start you’ve been waiting for!”
