What Are Your 5 a Day?

You only need to do 5 productive things, every single day, to be successful in this thing we call LIFE. That’s a pretty bold statement, but I think it might actually be an accurate one. But it sure does make you wonder…what are those five things?!

Recently I was able to hear John Maxwell, the leadership guru mastermind genius (my description, but probably slightly different than his official bio), speak live. And he was a HOOT, y’all! I mean, really. Who knew that a genius who has written over 80 leadership books would make you laugh over and over for an hour?!

He spoke on many things, but one thing he spoke on really stood out to me – because I think we all try to make life harder than it really is. We make up a million rules and lists we have to follow – when the truth is, only WE have put those rules on ourselves.

When asked: John, how have you been able to write 80 books (so far) in your lifetime?! His answer? “That’s easy. Every day I think, every day I read, every day I file, every day I ask questions, and every day I write.” Every Day.
On Christmas? Those five. On vacation? Those five. But what about when you’re not feeling well? Yup, those five.

That really stuck out to me because I am a list maker – but I’m not always super intentional about my list. But, I am now.

I spent several days thinking about what success means to me. For me, I’m focused more on a successful business with this exercise, but maybe your focus is on something else: Homeschool, marriage, homemaking, etc.

No matter what, you can apply the 5-A-Day to your life.

I know what it takes for me to win – so I wrote those 5 things down on a sticky note and I placed them with my calendar, LAMINATED. Because, I’m THAT serious. 

Now on my daily to-do list, I have an entry for “My 5.” I know that means I need to make sure my 5 get done today…and every day. 

I want to give you MY 5. But guess what? Your 5 will be 100% different. Because it’s YOUR life, not Stacy’s. Look at your end goal – what are the 5 things you need to do daily to get there?

1. Bible time, prayer, and affirmations

I HAVE to spend time in the Word. If I don’t, my day is crap. I HAVE to spend time in prayer. If I don’t, my day is crap. I tend to say untruths to myself, so saying Biblical and positive affirmations out loud to myself is a HUGE deal for me and it sets the tone for my day. I have to speak truth so that I live in truth.  

2. Make a new friend

I used to think I could live life alone, but now I’ve realized I NEED PEOPLE. I love to meet new folks, so my goal is to daily chat it up with someone new. Every day. It might be online. It might be in the grocery store. It might be the new couple at church. It might be the UPS man. But every day, I”m being intentional about making a new friend.

3. Check in with my people

This goes with #2. Sometimes I can get busy with work and house things and my friends fall by the wayside. It’s important that I check in with my people every.single.day.

4. Read

If I don’t write this down, I make excuses to not read. But for me, personal development is key. If I don’t have it, I don’t grow. I HAVE to read to learn. Leaders are readers. 

5. Teach

This. This is the thing that fills my cup. I might teach in person. I might teach online. I might teach in a small group setting. I might teach to someone on Marco Polo, or Facebook Messenger, or even on Instagram. But every day I pour into someone else? I consider that a win.

If we don’t use the talent we have, more won’t be given.

And friends, those are my 5. My 5 I do every day. We all get 24 hours and each one of them matters. What are you doing to make the most of yours?

What are YOUR five?