At the end of every year, I always wonder if my life has changed for the better. I have come to understand that any positive, lasting change is a result of intentionality on my part. I must seize each day and use my time for a purposeful end. If not, my days will continually be devoured by random, unproductive activities that ultimately add up to a lot of wasted time, which can eventually result in a wasted life.

Therefore we must invest regular amounts of time into important activities of life. Neglecting these important activities can lead to a vicious downward spiral that can bring a great deal of pain and disappointment into our lives.

And remember, in the most important areas of your life, you cannot make up for lost time. Please recognize that the most significant areas of your life require regular deposits of time as the years go by. If you miss these opportunities they are lost forever.

So I challenge you, as we enter a new year, to consider how you can invest in yourself. In 2013, I wrote a book titled, A Life of Excellence. In the book, I suggest twelve small changes that can help you develop yourself. In this blog I share six of them with you.

1. Fifteen Minutes – Unless you’re already an early riser, I urge you to consider waking up earlier during the five-day workweek. I suggest you start by getting up fifteen minutes earlier. At the end of six weeks, move the alarm clock back another fifteen minutes. Continue this until you reach a reasonable wakeup hour that you can sustain. Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington Carver all attributed rising early as a key factor in leading a productive life. Franklin was serious when he said “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” Remember, you are creating additional time for productive use.
2. Trade Bad for Good – Seek to replace a bad habit with a good habit. For instance, if television absorbs too much of your time, then I suggest selecting a good book and go down to a local coffee shop or some other desirable location to read for an hour or two each evening. I recommend reading books that will impact your spiritual life, your marriage and family, or your career. Frequently I have more than one book going at any given time. You will find that eventually reading a book is far more enjoyable (and beneficial) than watching television.
3. Work the Memory – The research is clear, if you do not use your mind, it will lose clarity and sharpness as the years go by. One of the best ways to exercise your mind is through memory work. Consider memorizing important quotations, Bible verses, new vocabulary words, or other important information that relates to your work. In fact, if you have a college education, and learn three new vocabulary words each week (which takes about 10 minutes a day), in five to seven years you will master the English language.
4. Selective Multitasking – Consider performing two tasks at the same time. Take a long walk and do memory work, or listen to an informative recorded message on your iPod. Ride a stationary bike and at the same time read a book. Personally I like to walk and pray.
5. Use the Right Tools – Technology has enabled us to listen to a variety of high-quality presentations and messages that increase our knowledge. These can easily be downloaded and listened to while exercising, driving in your car, flying, or using mass transportation. Our website features over 70 recorded messages. www.thecenterbham.org. Other excellent learning websites include: www.ted.com and www.coursera.com.
6. Think Big, Start Small – Very often we face large tasks which need to be tackled, but appear to be so overwhelming that we have a hard time getting started. I suggest you begin by working on the task 30 – 40 minutes a day. Once you begin to see progress, you will be motivated to complete the task much sooner than you initially expected.

I pray that 2026 will be a most blessed year for you!

Richard E Simmons III is the founder and Executive Director of The Center for Executive Leadership and a best-selling author. Richard references A Life of Excellence in this blog. It is available on Amazon and our website.