6 Simple Rituals To Reach Your Potential Every Day BY AMBER RAE | DECEMBER 4, 2012 Becoming and staying productive

isn't about hard-to-follow programs or logging y our every move in an app. It's about self-care. Here are daily to-dos to get you started. 1 / 7 Click through for six tips small enough to fit on a Post-It note, but big enough to change your life. Flickr user Charlie Stinchcomb It s Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. Two San Francisco entrepreneurs are pitching their ventures to potential investors today. They d both agree that this is one of the m ost important days of their lives. This is the story of Jane and Joe... Jane was up until 4 a.m. putting the final touches on her deck. In fact, she spe nt the entire weekend fixed in her apartment, preparing the presentation. This m orning, she woke up late and rushed putting together her most investor-worthy atti re. She slammed a shot of espresso, grabbed her computer, and ran out the door f eeling hungry and tired. She arrived right on time but felt anxious and flustere d about the events of the morning. Joe, on the other hand, went to sleep last night at 11 p.m., as he does most nig hts of the week. His presentation was ready Friday afternoon, after seven revisi ons thanks to feedback from advisors. He spent the weekend in nature connecting with friends. This morning, he woke up at 7 a.m., had a glass of water, ran two miles, meditated for 15 minutes, and drank a smoothie. He put on the outfit he p icked out the evening before, grabbed his bag, and walked out the door. He arriv ed 10 minutes early, feeling confident, calm, and eager to share his vision with potential investors. Which entrepreneur would you bet on? And, which entrepreneur most closely resembles you? Jane and Joe are fictional characters but having been immersed in the world of s tartups in both New York and San Francisco, I see a lot of Janes. They work 16-h our days, seven days per week, and wonder why they aren t getting the results they r e looking for. The truth is, results don t come through hours spent. Great results often come by doing less and working smarter. This past weekend I had the opportunity to speak with my friend Mike Del Ponte, who resembles the character of Joe. Today he launches a Kickstarter campaign for his company Soma, which aims to revolutionize the water industry using sustaina ble design. (It s awesome. Check it out.) Surprised by how cool, calm, and collect ed Mike was so close to launch, I asked him what his secret is. Every day I need physical energy, mental clarity, and emotional balance to tackle everything that comes my way, Mike said. Self-care is the secret to performing at the highest level. Here are the six simple rituals he uses to perform at his highest, which you too can begin implementing right away: 1. Drink a glass of water when you wake up. Your body loses water while you slee p, so you re naturally dehydrated in the morning. A glass of water when you wake h elps start your day fresh. When do you drink your first glass of water each day?

2. Define your top 3. Every morning Mike asks himself, What are the top three mos t important tasks that I will complete today? He prioritizes his day accordingly and doesn t sleep until the Top 3 are complete. What s your "Top 3" today? 3. The 50/10 Rule. Solo-task and do more faster by working in 50/10 increments. Use a timer to work for 50 minutes on only one important task with 10 minute bre aks in between. Mike spends his 10 minutes getting away from his desk, going out side, calling friends, meditating, or grabbing a glass of water. What s your most important task for the next 50 minutes? 4. Move and sweat daily. Regular movement keeps us healthy and alert. It boosts energy and mood, and relieves stress. Most mornings you ll find Mike in a CrossFit or a yoga class. How will you sweat today? 5. Express gratitude. Gratitude fosters happiness, which is why Mike keeps a gra titude journal. Every morning, he writes out at least five things he s thankful fo r. In times of stress, he ll pause and reflect on 10 things he s grateful for. What are you grateful for today? 6. Reflect daily. Bring closure to your day through 10 minutes of reflection. Mi ke asks himself, What went well? and What needs improvement? So... what went well to day? How can you do more of it? Whether you more strongly resemble Jane or Joe, these six rituals will help you up your game, taking your performance to the next level.