Whether positive or negative, we are heavily influenced by our immediate surroundings. We are complex, dynamic creatures that often mirror actions, thoughts, and emotions. Have you ever noticed how you behave around a certain group of people, and then behave differently around another group just minutes later? Have you ever noticed how you feel inspired in certain situations, but saddened in others? Have you ever had a specific smell or certain song evoke a strong emotion?

Our senses are continuously sending signals to our brain to process. What we see, touch, hear, taste, and smell have a direct affect on how we think and feel. Especially influential are the people that surround and interact with us. Our neural pathways are constantly firing to transmit data and adjust our state of being accordingly. Sometimes we are conscious of these changes to our state of being, while at other times the changes go unnoticed. Though be sure, changes are always taking place.

By grace, we have been endowed with logic and intuition. If we harness these powers, we can become more aware of how a certain atmosphere is influencing us. And if we have awareness, we can be proactive in either embracing the atmosphere if it is positive, or guarding against the atmosphere if it is negative.

We have many choices in life, and the atmospheres that we choose to inhabit will be some of the most important choices we make. They will affect our health, happiness, and overall well being. Hence, maintain constant awareness of your immediate surroundings, and especially the people therein. Empower yourself to make changes as needed to be your best self. Choose to reside in your optimal personal atmosphere (YOPA).

Remove everything. Start with nothing. Then add back in only the essential components.

Simplicity is the natural power of this strategy. The application of the strategy does not have to be complicated in any sense. All we need to do is take a deep breath, re-center mentally, and evaluate a situation in the simplest of terms possible.

Step 1. Remove everything. No matter what you are working on, just take everything away. Do not sort things or over complicate this step. Simply remove without thought or analysis.

Step 2. Start with nothing. After executing Step 1, you should logically arrive at Step 2. However, it is imperative that you get to nothing before proceeding any further. A state of nothingness is key.

Step 3. Add back in only the essential components. Since you are starting with nothing, you can now more easily identify what is important and what is not. When deciding what to add back in, remember less is more.

This strategy can be applied to almost everything in life....to do lists, cluttered closets, daily routines, relationships, problem solving, and the list goes on. Repeated application of the strategy typically yields better results, not to mention a sense of inner peace and control. Suddenly, your personal universe will begin to feel orderly again.

Albert Einstein is generally credited with the phrase that goes something like "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." This very true statement applies to almost every aspect of life. If we keep doing something the same way, chances are we are going to get the same results. Hence, if we are not satisfied with the results we are getting, we need to change the way we do things.

I find it very useful to apply such "do things different" logic to solving problems. Instead of looking at a particular situation like normal, I try to take an opposing view. In other words, I flip it upside down or go about it in the opposite way that it has been done to date. By starting from an opposing vantage point, I question the norm and more rapidly find a solution that yields the results I desire.

The first question I typically ask myself is, "Why am I doing "this or that" in the first place?" Is "this or that" necessary? Does "this or that" offer a benefit to me or others that is important enough for me to spend time on improving it?

If the subject matter is worth my time and effort, then I proceed with identifying what the "normal" mode of operation is. Then I think of the exact opposite approach. Would the exact opposite approach yield better results? If not, I keep adjusting my approach from there. In time, I eventually find a better way and better results.

Try this approach on any aspect of life you endeavor to improve...relationships, finances, health and fitness, work, hobbies, unrealized aspirations, and the list goes on and on. In summary, do the following to achieve better results:

1. Why is this important, and is it truly worthy of my efforts?
2. What has been the normal approach until now?
3. Flip it, and try the opposite approach
4. Adjust your approach as necessary
   

Lack of sleep can quickly cascade into a long list of ill effects that build upon each other. For example...

Low will power which leads to giving into temptations that you otherwise would not.

Food cravings that lead to eating unhealthy foods and/or too much food.

Feeling tired, cranky, and uninspired which leads to interpersonal conflicts, less productivity, and less happiness.

Simply missing one or two hours of sleep on any given night can and will lead to many undesired outcomes. I rationally think that for every needed hour of sleep that I miss, it may take several hours off my overall lifespan. Missing crucial sleep also makes it much more difficult to achieve the happiness and sucess that I aspire to in life.

There is a much easier path in life, and that path involves resting the mind and body every night. So be rational and disciplined in your sleep habits. Know that getting a full night's rest, every single night, is essential to your short term and long term wellbeing. Good sleep is at the foundation of it all.

After college, I began reading non-fiction books on a regular basis. I wanted to learn anything and everything about happiness and success in life. I worked hard and earned a steady income, so I had the money to purchase book after book. Since I owned the books, I figured I could highlight and mark them up as I desired. Books then became like "work books" to me, and I began using them to their fullest potential.
After decades of devoted reading, following is the advice I offer to others for getting the most out of a book:
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• Keep a pen in hand while reading
• Underline, circle, or otherwise mark important concepts
• If an entire paragraph is important, mark a vertical line next to it
• Write notes in the margins
• Keep a note card or paper in the book to identify key pages, concepts, etc. The notecard will serve as a quick guide when you refer back to the book in the future.
• Once you complete the book, immediately thumb back through it and review your marked passages and notes
• After some time has passed, if the book is important to you, go back and review it again. This habit is crucial for really absorbing and incorporating the knowledge into your life. And as an added bonus, I always find a new nugget of information that I missed before, each and every I refer back to a book.
• Share what you learned from the book with friends and colleagues. Verbally summarizing key concepts will help you memorize and incorporate them into your life.
• Keep your books in a special place where you will see them on a regular basis. I am often reminded of a key concept just by seeing the spine of a book on my shelf.
• When it comes to magazine articles or other writings that catch your attention, tear out pages, make a photocopy, or jot down a quick summary on a notecard. Keep such items in a folder with your books for easy reference

A well populated book shelf is like a medicine cabinet for the mind. As problems arise in life or inspiration is needed, a quick look to the book shelf can be just what the doctor ordered. I encourage you to start populating your personal book shelf today, no matter what your age or condition. Your life will be much richer and happier as a result.

It is common practice among productive people to make "To Do" lists. No doubt, identifying and writing down important tasks is a key to getting things done. It also makes a person feel good to check things off a "To Do" list. Crossing something off a list provides immediate satisfaction that you are moving forward and accomplishing what you set out to do. This sense of momentum builds confidence.

However, knowing what not to do is as important as knowing what to do. A wise ship captain knows to avoid the large chunk of dangerous ice hidden beneath the visible tip of an iceberg. The tip of the iceberg sticks out and seems manageable to navigate, but a much larger mass lurks below. The hidden ice must be avoided if the journey is to be completed safely. Likewise, if you want to complete your most important "To Do" tasks, you must avoid the ever present and plentiful list of things "Not To Do".

Are the items on your "To Do" list truly important in terms of yielding results, or are they simply busywork? If a specific task cannot be clearly tied to a desired result, then it is busywork...a waste of time and effort. Busywork will distract you from accomplishing your goals in a timely manner. Instead, put such tasks on your "Not To Do" list.

What about bad habits, common interruptions, and other things that commonly lead you down a path of distraction and inefficiency? You know...that tendency of yours to help any and every coworker who comes to your office door, no matter if their request relates to you or not. And that tendency of yours to check email multiple times while you are trying to focus on something else more important. The list of potential pitfalls is long, so one needs to identify and guard against them appropriately.

I find it helpful to avoid busywork, bad habits, and distractions by creating a "Not To Do" list when writing out my "To Do" list. The act of thinking about and writing down what not to do helps me steer clear of such traps. I then stay better focused on what I really need to be doing, and behave in more congruence with my ideals.

When you make your next "To Do" list, try making a "Not To Do" list as well. Write down anything and everything that you think will keep you from focusing on and completing your most crucial tasks in a time effective manner. This simple exercise could help you accomplish your goals in less time with fewer frustrations, while building ever increasing positive momentum.

So what will you not do today?

It is imperative that you make time to think. Yes...be deliberate, and set aside quiet time periods on a regular basis so you can simply think. Good thinking is key for improving your life and being your best self.

Making time to think leads to good thoughts. Good thoughts lead to positive actions. Positive actions lead to a great life!

When conducting a thinking session, there are no rules per se. You can focus on a specific topic, or think about anything and everything that comes to mind. Some sessions may be just a few minutes, while other sessions may be hours on end. You may find time to think while driving, sitting on your back porch, walking at the beach, while having your morning coffee, or just about anytime and anywhere you can find peace and inspiration. Each session will be different, but developing the habit of thinking is crucial.

Think about what is going good in your life. Think about what is going bad. Think about who/what you want to be, where you want to go, and how you would like to get there. Dream of the future. Reflect back and learn from the past. Be present in the moment. But foremost, know that you have the innate ability to think and therefore create your own unique life experience.

I find it useful to have a pen and paper with me during my thinking sessions. I write sentences, I jot down a few words, I make diagrams, I underline, I use exclamation points, and I capture whatever else flows out of me via ink. Other times, I capture my thoughts by typing on my iPad or computer. Sometimes though, I deliberately do not capture my thoughts, and instead let them float in and out freely. I find that the best ideas stick with me for a bit, which I can then write down at a later time. What can you do to make your thinking sessions a productive and enjoyable event?

To summarize...all great things begin with a thought, so you have to get your thinking right first. Develop the habit of quiet contemplation and use it as a foundation for ever improving your life.

Do you yearn to be happier and more productive in all that you do? The good news is, you have the power to do it. So how do you do it? Well there are many components in life that make one happy and productive, but one of the best steps you can take is to identify and routinely create YOPA... Your Optimal Personal Atmosphere.

Everyone's YOPA is a little different, but atmosphere is everything when it comes to happiness and productivity. And depending on what you want to specifically accomplish, your YOPA will vary. For instance, if need to study for an exam, you may want to get into some comfy clothes, turn on some Mozart, and sit down at a quiet desk at the library. Or if you want to relax, you may want to wear some shorts and flip flops, sit by the beach, get a cold drink, and turn on some Jimmy Buffet. If you want to power through your email inbox or some office paperwork, you may want to close your office door, grab a hot cup of joe, and turn on some Van Halen (...Okay, maybe this is just me...). If you want to pray and contemplate, a quiet sanctuary is the place to be.

Thomas Edison was famous for his workshops where he created his optimal atmosphere for experiments and inventions. It is said Mark Twain would escape to his sister-in-law's farm to work on some of his most famous writings. And some surgeons routinely play music in the operating room during the most delicate of surgeries.

Requisites for creating YOPA are....
- the atmosphere helps you focus on the task/goal/occasion at hand
- the atmosphere makes you feel safe, generally happy, and in control
- the atmosphere is free from undesired noise/distractions/interruptions/visitors
- the atmosphere is motivating and inspiring
- have the tools you need at hand

So what are you waiting for? Start to think about your optimal personal atmosphere(s), work on creating it each and every day, and leverage it to do more, to be more, and to be happy. As the famous song by the Village People goes, "It's fun to stay in your Y-O-P-A, it's fun to stay in your Y-O-P-A...." Now put your hands in the air people...!