How do you make tomorrow better than today?

Last year, when I came home after a bad day, I’d mope around and feel defeated. The next day, I wouldn’t feel like going back to work or returning to whatever project had been a challenge. Not surprisingly, my low expectations often led to another less-than-thrilling day.

But this year is different. I’m bouncing back from defeat far more quickly. I’m maintaining a positive attitude most of the time. And I’m excited about where my family will be in five years.

So what’s made the difference? I’d chock it up to the following 7 choices and commitments. Read them, try them, and see if they don’t just make your tomorrow better than today.

Figure Out Your Strengths.

I never knew how to best invest my time until I figured out my gifts. Take some personality inventories (Myers-Briggs, DISC, Strength Finders, etc.) and ask people who know you well what they think you’re good at. Think back on your life, and recall the activities and experiences that you enjoyed and that came easily to you. Find and focus on your strengths. You’ll experience more success and happiness when you do work that’s in harmony with your gifts.

Keep Learning.

I’ve signed myself up for automobile university. Instead of listening to the radio while I drive, I listen to a book on a subject of interest. I’m constantly chewing on new ideas I can use to make tomorrow better.

I’ve made time to read at least 30 minutes most days. We’re so blessed to live in a time when we can learn from the greatest thinkers who ever lived whenever we want. Jim Rohn pointed out that people have spent their whole lives researching, studying, and writing on specific subjects. We can learn from them whenever we crack open a book.

I use to complain about not having time to read. But I’ve never failed to find time to eat or sleep. It all comes down to priorities.

Guard Your Inner Circle.

Choose your friends wisely. We eventually think and act like the people we associate with.

In middle school, I watched a trashy movie that I still can’t get out of my head because of the friends I chose. But I married my awesome wife largely because of the guys I lived with after college. The wisest man who ever lived said, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20).

Make Tomorrow Better with a Vision.

Who do you want to be in five years? Where do you want to be? What gets you excited? When today’s over, will you be more enthusiastic tomorrow because you’re inching closer to your dream, or are you just getting older?

At the start of last year, I took Jonathan Milligan’s advice and mapped out a vision for the next few years. I described what I’d be doing, where I’d be living, and who I’d be with. It got me excited and motivated me.

Some friends of ours just sold a few apartments and bought a forty-unit apartment complex. They’ve been living and working intentionally to realize their dreams. It goes without saying that, for them, every new day is sweeter than the last.

Check Your Attitude.

Hard times are going to come your way. You can bank on that. But they don’t have to get you down if you check your attitude. A great attitude will make tomorrow better than today!

In The Difference Maker, John C. Maxwell makes it clear that anyone can train himself to see challenges as opportunities to learn, grow, and develop character. Decide to develop your problem-solving skills. Look for the positive in every situation.

Many great inventions and products have come from obstacles people have faced with the right attitude. Steve Siebold says, “The great ones know that money doesn’t come from an occupation; it comes from solving people’s problems.”

Tell Yourself the Truth.

We’ve all got an internal tape. It’s either actively building us up or tearing us down. And “You cannot consistently perform in a manner that is inconsistent with the way you see yourself,” says Dr. Joyce Brothers.

One of the biggest contributors to the way you see yourself is your self-talk. You can change your self-concept, outlook on life, and character by thinking positive thoughts. That’s a big reason why the Apostle Paul told the Phillipian church, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

Build Rock-Solid Habits.

Habits will either make you or break you. As John C. Maxwell observed in Make Today Count, your success tomorrow is completely dependent on what you do today. And today’s success comes down to your habits.

William James observed that “All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits.” Build good habits – exercise, continual learning, spending time with family, and so on – and they’ll drive you toward your goals. But bad ones will drag you in the opposite direction.

If you want a tremendous resource on habit building, check out The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. It’s hands down one of the best books I’ve read this year. (Andy Stanley, the pastor of North Point Community Church, paid his kids to read it!)

What would make tomorrow better than today for you?