Create a Binding Agreement With Yourself, Just for Today, and Defeat Complacency Ready to give it your all? Put it to paper and keep yourself to it.
By Matt Mayberry Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Imagine how much you would be able to get done if you had an agreement with yourself that you had to produce to the best of your ability and give maximum effort -- just for today. If you didn't accomplish the core basis of what was in the agreement, that particular day counts as a big loss. No one likes to lose.
You see, so many people put off living their absolute best life and putting forth their best effort because there is always the thought of, "I always have tomorrow." That mental attitude is a recipe for mediocrity.
Related: The 10 Biggest Motivation Killers and How to Fix Them (Infographic)
Think about this for a second. Why is it that a professional athlete will get the big multi-million dollar contract and then lack urgency, focus and production compared to when he didn't have the big payday? On the other side of the spectrum, why is it that a Wall Street broker approaches each and every day like it's their last?
The reasoning is simple. When an athlete receives a big payday, more times than not, that money is guaranteed. That creates a sense of security. A Wall Street broker is only as good as their last trade. There is no guaranteed 10-year stay with a particular company. You have to produce every single day and maybe, just maybe, you might have a future with the same company. However, that's only if you produce day in and day out.
A wonderful book I just finished reading is the One Day Contract by the University of Louisville's well decorated basketball coach Rick Pitino. In the book, he describes a one-day contract he created for himself and his team before the start of their championship season last year. I thought the idea was terrific.
The whole purpose of the one-day contract is to add value to your life every minute of every day. Even though I don't call it the one-day contract, I have been incorporating something similar into my own life for the past five years with the same concept in mind.
The benefit has been substantial. The binding agreement I have with myself is geared towards helping me to think about maximizing my potential and life just for today. When you truly begin to focus all of your energy, effort and focus into making this very day a masterpiece, the results will completely blow you away.
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I see it all the time. I walk into a corporation and see employees slacking off, chatting with their colleagues, and surfing the Internet without a care in the world. There is no urgency. They have their salaries. They have health insurance. There is a sense of security for them that creates an atmosphere of complacency.
Don't get me wrong, this doesn't just happen in corporations. This happens in the government, school boards, professional sport teams and every job market you can think of. A very small percentage of people are approaching each new day with a mindset of "all or nothing."
The binding agreement with yourself not only creates a fierce sense of urgency to spend your valuable time working on high-valued tasks, but takes motivation levels to a completely different level. Here is an example of a binding agreement with myself:
(Today's date)
I, Matt Mayberry, abide by the terms of this contract. I vouch to give my very best towards everything I put my hands on. I will uplift and encourage everyone I encounter. My time will be spent wisely while directing all of my focus and energy on my most important tasks. Everything that is placed on my "things to do" for today will be done passionately and quickly. I will learn something new and grow somehow, someway. Just for today, I will be great.
Have some fun with yours. Mix things up and explore different methods. There is no right or wrong way of doing this. The only thing that matters is that you create something powerful for yourself that will prompt you to live like today is your last day here on earth.
Create a sense of urgency to get moving on creating the life of your dreams!
Related: How to Create a Personalized Motivational Manual to Boost Productivity
