Common wisdom has it you should plan out your career in detail otherwise you set yourself up for failure. So why should you do something as crazy as setting fire to your detailed career plan? Here’s why:

1 . The Most Successful People in the World Often Don’t Have a Detailed Plan

I’ve read loads of biographies of the most successful people of the last couple of hundred years and about 80% of them followed their bliss – not a detailed plan. The formula is this: Outrageous Goal + Action Habit = Score!

But then what will you do with each day? Well, Jerry Seinfeld once said something about how he never had any plans to become the most successful comedian ever, all he did was work hard at the one thing he was passionate about, come what may. I am sure you’d like to be as successful as Jerry (or even partially) and of course you can because your future is unlimited – so there’s your answer – just pursue your passion relentlessly.

And for those who are worried about spending too much time on irrelevant tasks. Well, surely you have enough intelligence to recognize a complete waste of time when you see one? Always be doing the next thing you can do that will move you closest to your goal.

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Whenever I went camping as a Boy Scout, they would always tell us to “Leave this place better than you found it.” Some people would visit the campsite and leave plenty of trash behind, but not us. Not only would we take out everything we brought in, but we’d pick up some of the trash that other people had left. We always left the campsite better than we found it.

Now, what if we took that idea and expanded it? What if every time we came in contact with another person, we decided to leave them better than we found them? Meaning that not only would we not add to their troubles, but we’d make sure that they’d walk away feeling better than they did before. Imagine if everyone resolved to do that! And it’s really not hard.

How to not bring trash in

Last year I was reading an article about how much people complain every day, and I decided to do a little experiment. I was going to see how far through the day I could go before I heard someone complain. I didn’t even make it to work before it happened! I got on the elevator with a coworker, who started off the day by complaining about four ridiculous things.

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It seems like every sleep expert has reduced the fascinating topic of sleep to a boring set of rules:

• Keep your room dark.
• Take a warm bath.
• Keep the bedroom for sleep and sex only.
• Avoid caffeine x hours before bedtime (where x depends on who you ask).
• Don’t drink alcohol.

Et cetera, et cetera, yadda, yadda…

Sleep is much more interesting than that. Now don’t get me wrong, the above points are valid. Some of it is great advice.

But it isn’t the half of it.

Obtaining super-quality sleep has become a (somewhat nerdy) passion of mine, and I personally don’t think the standard set of rules like the ones listed above really do justice to the nuances of better sleep.

Sleep is no doubt a critical ingredient in a healthy lifestyle. If I sleep poorly, I feel like an irritable, unproductive, unmotivated, unhappy, sick, deprived zombie.

But if I have “10 out of 10″ sleep, I feel like superman. My consciousness becomes crystal-clear. I feel more self-aware. And I get more creative work done than I would as a sleep-impoverished drone.

In this article I will describe five “unusual” sleep tricks that can give you that “10 out of 10″ super-quality sleep.

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“I am an old man and I have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened” -  Mark Twain

What Is worry? Worry is a very strong feeling of anxiety. It’s fear of the unknown – the thought that the worst will happen.

We may become overly concerned with future events. We may engage in repetitive negative self-talk with all the worst case scenarios. A lot of our thoughts will begin with …

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There’s no denying that our friends have a tremendous impact on our lives. Good friends make the good times even better, and the bad times more bearable. We learn and grow by sharing our thoughts and experiences with them. You could say that a life without friends is no life at all.

And yet, our need for friendship also creates a big risk. By befriending the wrong people, we invite chaos and confusion into our lives, possibly derailing our personal growth. Remember that you need to choose your friends carefully, allowing the good people into your inner circle while keeping your distance from those who would be harmful. Here are some important traits to look for in a good friend.

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Our time is a precious commodity that we can’t afford to waste.  It is a finite resource that is used up whether we like it or not.  If we don’t choose to spend it in a particular way, the world around us will choose for us.  WE CAN’T AFFORD TO LET THIS HAPPEN!

Here are 15 simple, yet essential ways that you can live your life more deliberately and stop letting your destiny be decided for you.

1. Choose your work

This may sound overly simplified, but it is relevant none the less.  How many of you are doing what YOU want to be doing?  There may be some of you who are exactly where they want to be, but I suspect that many are not.  Whether you hate your job, like it but wish you were doing ____ or just don’t like your daily routine, it is up to you to actively change your circumstances.

I think that many of us have been burned in the past when we attempted to land our ‘dream job’.  We might feel as though we’ve ‘given it our all’ and just can’t do it.  Well I’m here to tell you that if you settle now, you will feel stuck and unsatisfied the rest of your life.  This is not to say that ‘if you don’t do ____ you will never be happy’. Instead I am just sharing a truth of the human heart.  We are passionate beings that need to satisfy our visions of who we want to be and if we settle for a version of ourselves that is below this standard, we will always live in regret.

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There’s nothing better than knowing you’ve made someone happy – especially if you can do so in some simple, thoughtful way. Here’s ten easy ways to make someone smile today: I guarantee you’ll be smiling too!

I’ll start with the most straightforward and work up to ideas which need a little bit more planning

1. Write a note to say “thank you”

This is such a simple thing to do, but can mean so much. Write a note today to say “thank you” to someone who has helped you or done something for you. It could be to a parent, a child, a colleague, a friend, or even the helpful assistant in your local store.

Bonus points: Post or hand-deliver your note – don’t just send it by email.

2. Set a fun screensaver or desktop on their computer

If you’re in an office, why not switch a colleague’s screensaver for something fun while they’re away from their desk? Or at home, sneak into your partner or parent’s office to set up a new desktop background for them. Make it something that you know will raise a laugh.

Bonus points: Find a screensaver or desktop picture from their favorite TV show or movie.

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“No regrets!”

It’s a popular stance to take, an uber-cool Hollywood cliché – but I don’t buy it. Just sounds like they’re kidding themselves to me.

Ask yourself this: can you honestly say that you have never done anything that in hindsight you don’t regret?

What about when you lost it at your partner and said something really hurtful that you didn’t really mean? Or the carefree way you racked up thousands of dollars worth of credit card debt when you were overseas?

Obviously these specific scenarios might not apply to you, but surely you can see what I’m getting at right?

You can say “no regrets” but I don’t believe you.

And anyway, what’s so uncool about regret? Why do people see it as some kind of badge of honor to take this stance?

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Why are some couples happier than others? What is the “secret” for a great relationship? With certain couples it is clear there is something about the way they interact that makes it obvious they have a unique and genuine connection.

Even if you’re in a good relationship, you can’t help but wonder: What do they know that I don’t? And if you’re single, you might look at these couples and attribute it all to chemistry or destiny. But it turns out that people in great relationships live by a few basic rules and they make these rules a priority in their day-to-day lives together. Consider these habits that can help you create a strong, nurturing relationship.

• Great relationships are based on realistic expectations
• Great relationships take work and thoughtfulness every day
• Great relationships need communication know-how
• Great relationships turn negatives into positives

Great relationships are based on realistic expectations

Forget what you see in the movies or on television. In other words, real relationships aren’t anything like what you see in the movies full of non-stop romance, candlelight dinners and whirlwind trips to exotic locations.

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I believe if something is important enough to remember, it’s important enough to write down.  This doesn’t just apply to random to-do tasks or events to put on your calendar.  I write down goals, ideas, what I spend money on and useful thinking points from books.  The reason to write isn’t to keep records, but to be more aware.

In the popular productivity bible, Getting Things Done, Dave Allen suggests writing everything down on a notepad so you won’t forget.  The purpose, according to Allen, is to take the burden off your memory.  While I think this is important, it only touches on one of the reasons to write things down.

Writing Keeps You Aware

Writing focuses your thinking.  When you write something down, you aren’t just creating a paper record, you’re changing the way you think about it.  Writing down a goal changes a whim into a conviction.  Writing down your expenses changes excessive spending from a bad habit to a conscious choice.  Writing down your idea turns a vague suggestion into a clear concept.

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