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When I started the Life Transformation Program, I came up with 3 easy things I can do everyday that would eventually transform my life: exercise, meditation, and writing. It was working great…until January.

January found me adding a host of activity to meet my goals for the year and losing sight of the core program. I finished the month with 31 days of meditation, 26 days of exercise, and 27 out of 27 days of writing (31 minus 4 rest days). While the numbers look great on the surface, I feel like I unravelled at the end of the month.

So for February, it’ll be back to basics. The objectives everyday won’t be to check my stats, comment, get to work on time, connect with board members, or talk on the phone with friends. The objectives everyday will be to write, meditate, and exercise. You see, when I do those 3 things, everything else falls into place. The benefits are endless. For starters, it keeps me sane, and clear, so that I can be present in every other activity. Don’t get me wrong, all of those other things are important, but they follow naturally when I write, meditate, and exercise everyday.

The moral of the story: Do the 20% that gives 80% of the results…FIRST. Make sure they take priority, not in a “have-to” way, but in a way that creates a space for them, like eating or breathing. No one says I don’t have time to breathe, and while you might be able to defer a few meals, you can’t go too long before feeling compelled to eat something. The 20% is like air. It should be part of your rhythm.

Do you have any anchors in your day that help the rest of your life run smoothly?

In Spirit,
Nneka