Aristotle –or his translator depending on how you look at it — said greatness is determined by what you do every day. In that spirit, I’ve been enjoying using the mnemonic “B.A.T.T.L.E.”  for a few weeks now. I write the word “Battle” vertically in my calendar then challenge myself to record something no matter how small next to each letter, as follows:

B = Bold/Brave. Do something every day that gets you out of your comfort zone. Maybe it’s trying something new,  admitting vulnerability, launching a new venture, contacting one of your heroes, etc.

A = Aid/Assist. Help at least one person a day. Maybe you offer to make a professional connection, maybe you do the dishes when it’s not your turn, maybe you mentor someone.  Helping others makes us feel good, improves our confidence and feeling of self-worth – not to mentions adds a bit of wonder and kindness to the world.

T = Think. Meditate! If you can’t find five minutes in your day, that probably means you need twenty! If you’re “not good” at meditating download an app, journal in your morning pages or try a walking/movement based meditation.

T = Thank. Make sure to intentionally and sincerely express gratitude at least once a day, preferably multiple times in a day.

L = Listen/Learn. Listen with the aim of understanding. There is no better way to express respect. Listening is also an excellent way to learn, but I’ve also snuck in this 2nd L because learning and growing make me happy!

E = Enjoy. Don’t forget to celebrate, and enjoy your success. We can get so caught up in the flow and the process we forget to express our wins! Practice celebrating your wins and honoring your effort! Take the time to appreciate and feel your successes!!*

I chose these things because I do them every day, they don’t take a lot of time (you can knock them all out in less than 1/2 hour), and I know they make me happy. If this doesn’t work for you – create a mnemonic that does.

*”E” is by far the hardest one for me to do. I have good self-care habits (sleep, exercise, meditate, chocolate). Still, I have struggled with reprograming my brain to savor and recognize success. My limbic brain screams “don’t rest on your laurels. never settle. always improve.” That part of my brain is kind of a stupid jerk — but like all jerks, it’s just a matter of getting to the underlying fears.

Image: from WikiCommons