10 things you can do today to start thriving during the crisis

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Before this pandemic, if you would have asked me...

"How would you do if you were forced to be in your condo for 2 straight weeks?" 

...I would have had a pretty negative answer.

But surprisingly, after 15 days and counting of self-quarantine, I feel really good.

That is directly related to this list of 10 items I hope you consider using for yourself and your students over the next several weeks.

With less commuting, less program and club meetings, less social gatherings and potentially less schoolwork, this is an amazing time to focus on improving our lives and the lives of our students.

10 things you can do today to start thriving, not surviving

1. Consider this an incredible opportunity

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At first, I panicked. I was worried everything would come to a halt and I'd be sitting inside, bored and with nothing to do.

Then, I realized I was overreacting. Things were gonna be ok. I'm fortunate to have my basic needs met, and with the internet I can get most of my work done.

Finally, I realized I have even more control over my time.

I could use this self-quarantine as an opportunity to move faster and further on my digital marketing projects I'd been putting off.

We realized we could help schools and programs inside and out of our community by making our online leadership course available for free.

We've connected and reconnected with so many people, and it's amazing to see the number of students now using the course.

The key was flipping my mindset from managing the situation to seizing the opportunity.

Questions to ask yourself:

• What do I have time for now, that I always say I'd do "if I had more time"?
• Can use this extra time to further develop my passions and skills?
• Can I actually set bigger goals during the crisis?

Check out the remaining items for some examples and suggestions.

2. Stick to a schedule

Even though a big theme of this post is that things are not normal right now, sticking to a normal schedule has helped me get as much or more done every day than I normally would.

Tips:

• Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day
• Have structured "Work/Learning Time", "Passion Time" and "Play/Relax Time"
• Have rules during "Work/Learning" and "Passion" Time (no tv, no web surfing, news or social media, etc.)

3. Learn, practice and grow

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One of my greatest passions is learning, so I've been taking advantage of the extra time to read more, learn more and grow more.

Some examples:

• Reading Marketing Made Simple, by Donald Miller to rework our website and the way we talk about our company
• Refreshing my Spanish using Duolingo
• Taking The Essential Man course on men's fashion, by Peter Nguyen

Some are relevant for work, some aren't. But the learning and growing keeps my mind sharp and me having fun even while I'm required to stay inside.

Tips:

Could you use this time to:

• Take our free Leadership Course?
• Pick up an instrument?
• Practice cooking?
• Read that book?
• Learn to meditate?
• Watch that documentary?
• Start writing and journaling?
• Develop a new hobby?

4. Connect with people

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Usually, 80% of my working days are spent developing products, writing and doing creative work.

During this crisis, I've had a lot more video calls and contact with people than normal in and out of our community (which has been great!). 

Many people are in the same boat right now: they have more time on their hands than usual.

Tips:

• Can you connect with people that you normally wouldn't, whether inside or outside of your organization?
• Can your students make a connection with someone in their dream field?
• Can they use technology to stay connected to you, their teachers and their peers?

5. Exercise

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This is by far one of the most impactful things I've done every day.

Without being able to go to my gym, I've still been getting my rear end kicked doing these zero-equipment Athlean X workouts from Jeff Cavaliere.

With so many gyms closing, a lot of them are also offering free classes you can stream from your home.

Tips

• Plan your workout schedule (and specific workouts) before the week starts
• Pick workouts you like, but that challenge your fitness
• Try to walk, stretch and work on your posture as it's easy to get stuck sitting all day

6. Eat healthy food

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I don't know about you, but the more sedentary I am, the more I want junk and unhealthy food.

They key for me has been to not have any of that food in the house. Since I can't just go into the kitchen and grab it, I've been eating really well.

Tips:

• If you can, resist the temptation to stock up on unhealthy food just because it's cheap and keeps longer
• Don't use the crisis to justify a bad diet
• Focus on whole foods with a balance of protein, complex carbs and healthy fats
• For the most part, avoid simple carbs and sugars

7. Sleep

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Normally I wake up at 6am, but I'm taking this opportunity to get an extra hour of sleep each night.

In addition to extra protection from getting sick, it's been awesome to wake up with more energy and sustain it throughout the day.

Tips:

• Don't be afraid to get more sleep, but make sure to formally incorporate it into your routine
• Don't let the opportunity for more sleep justify staying up late or getting off schedule

8. Stop consuming news

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I noticed a direct correlation to increased happiness when I started avoiding 99.9% of news.

Most news is negative, extremely biased and designed to capture your attention for as long as possible.

I still keep up on government orders and virus data from scientific sources, but I unsubscribed from news emails, stopped watching tv news and disabled the Apple News feed (swipe left) on my iPhone.

9. Stay in touch with friends & family

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Even with all of our technology (or because of our technology), it's easy to feel disconnected right now.

I've tried to make it a priority (and will be doing so even more) to stay in touch frequently with family, friends and peers via text, phone, email and video chat.

Tips:

• If you're isolated with other people (family or friends), schedule a dedicated period each day where technology is not allowed so you can be present and connect on a deeper level
• Host a virtual dinner party or similar gathering with loved ones over video chat
• Send a text to someone you haven't talked to in a long time telling them you're thinking about them
• Send a thank you note to a person or mentor that has had a positive impact on your life

10. Relax and enjoy!

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After sticking to my work schedule and getting things done, I have no guilt in also taking advantage of this opportunity to kick back with my fiancée, play Mario Kart Battle and watch new shows and movies.

Tips:

• If you stick to your schedule, relaxing and enjoying yourself is important. But stick to your schedule.

We're offering our flagship online course, The Leadership Course, for free to support your students during the crisis.

Click here to get them enrolled today.