FEATURE-Mark Of A Leader - Make Every Day Count!

By Timothy A. Edward

In life, the past is gone, and we cannot change it. Even the laurels we wore yesterday will fade away. The future remains uncertain. The only thing we possess is the present moment. Real leaders learn to make the most of the “now” moment, and they transform each day into a masterpiece, by making it count for them, for others and for their communities.

Our goal, too, should be to turn each day into a masterpiece, filling it with moments that matter. How can we achieve this?  If we train ourselves to follow some of the simple steps shared below, then our actions will bring a lot of happiness to others, and we too will end up making every day count.

Cultivate Positive Attitudes 

Life throws challenges at us, and people often carry heavy burdens. In the midst, maintaining a positive attitude is crucial. The mind-body connection is potent; negative attitudes not only affect our environment but also corrode our inner peace and joy.

Find something positive in every situation, in every person and in every circumstance. Say something positive in every conversation. Pull back on the negative words tempting to pour out of our mouths and turn them to say something positive.

Let us value people and appreciate life. Find positivity in every situation and express gratitude daily.

Prioritise Wisely

Poet Carl Sandburg said, “Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you.”

Truly, time, like a precious coin, slips through our fingers ever so quickly without our knowledge. So, focusing on our top priorities is vital. The Pareto principle reminds us: focus on the vital 20 per cent to yield 80 per cent results. Prioritise our energies toward what truly matters, ensuring the highest returns.

Daily Self-Development

Growth defies gravity - it requires effort. Each day, invest in self-improvement. Read a chapter from a valuable book, listen to a TED talk, or spend time with experts to enhance your knowledge and skills. These small steps elevate us.

Live by Your Values

Create a list of values you admire and live by them consistently. Put these values into action daily. Evaluate your actions daily based on these values and reflect on how well you have aligned with them and keep moving forward.

Live to Give

Generosity transcends wealth. It is about adding value to others' lives. Understand their needs, appreciate their uniqueness, and serve them in various ways. True generosity extends beyond money, it is a mindset.

Harness Different Thinking Styles

Intentional thinking does not happen by chance. In a sense, what a person achieves or fails to achieve greatly depends on the results of thinking. We all have our innate styles of thinking. Some are good at drawing the big picture whereas others are good at strategic thinking. Then, there are a few who are masters of creative thinking. In fact, the list of ‘thinking hats’ is quite lengthy. There is focused thinking, realistic thinking, possibility thinking, reflective thinking, bottom-line thinking and so on. So, wear your thinking hat that you are gifted with, and set aside daily some time for thinking, thinking the right positive thoughts, since thinking produces ideas and when you keep at it, you will end up with some great, positive, winning ideas that will benefit humanity.

Research suggests that we are wired differently, according to our DNAs, life-work experiences, associations, and academic backgrounds etc and all this contributes to our main thinking orientation or the way in which we are geared to think.  So, if some among us are good strategic thinkers, others might be good at different forms of thinking.  But, what we need to understand is that we might not be good at all the different ways of thinking all the time.  So, rather than master all forms of thinking, it would be practical for us to improve in the area of thinking where our strength lies and surround us with other forms of thinkers, who are good at their own different types of thinking, so that, in the end, we will have diverse thinking types working in a given scenario and giving us the best output.

Keep in mind, our thinking shapes our reality. So, recognise and embrace your unique thinking style and surround yourself with thinkers who have diverse perspectives. Combine various forms of thinking for better outcomes. Let your ideas flourish, for intentional thinking leads to positive ideas that benefit humanity.

Finally, remember, each day is an opportunity to create a masterpiece!  Life's canvas awaits our strokes of genius!  Are you ready to take on the challenge?