Twice a day I will take a short break and either do some deep breathing or take a walk around the block (weather permitting) where I will really try to quiet my mind.

Between 10:00 and 10:30 am and between 3:00 and 4:00 pm every day. I will create a reminder in my phone for these times to help me remember.
If I have a meeting during these times, I will take the break immediately prior to or after the event, to insure that I still get some renewal.

I will return to my work feeling refreshed and renewed.
Sometimes the change of scene will stimulate a new perspective on whatever I am concentrating on at the time.

If I am tempted to "power through" and feel like I'm "getting things done", I will reflect on the importance of renewal for sustained high performance..

I will tell a colleague about my plan and ask them to hold me accountable.

See actions.
If I get behind, I will shift the early days to back-up days of Wednesday and Friday.

In the short term, I will feel more alert and rested on the days following my earlier nights. In the long term, it will help me to establish a healthier sleep pattern.

If I am tempted to stay up later to have more fun doing other things before bed, I will remind myself that sleeping more gives me the energy to enjoy and appreciate all that unfolds the following day, while being sleepy leaves me grumpy or frazzled.

For breakfast I will eat a high-protein yogurt or two eggs.

I will make sure to have these foods stocked and readily available to me at home.

I will eat breakfast every morning within 30 minutes of waking up. I will place healthy snacks in my briefcase as well as in my desk at work, so that if I do skip eating breakfast at home, I can eat one on my way to work or as soon as I arrive.

It will replace an unhealthy breakfast or no breakfast at all and ensure that I have the appropriate physical fuel for the day ahead.

I may be tempted to skip breakfast and jump into my to-do list to feel "on top of things and in control". If this happens, I will remind myself that without physical fuel, I will be less in control of my responses and performance.

I will tell my spouse about this ritual and ask for support in implementing it.

Each night before I go to sleep I will list at least three things that went right for me that day.

I will buy a small journal and place it on the night table next to my bed.

Each night when I get into bed. If I miss a night, I will jot notes in the morning.

Identifying the positive events of the day will help me to go to sleep in a positive frame of mind. It will build a record of positive events that will make me feel more positive about myself and my situation when I review it from time to time.

If I am tempted to skip it because it feels harder than just "vegging out", I will remind myself of how good I feel after I do this and how much more resilient I am in the face of emotional challenges.

I will ask my roommate to support me in this.

The timing will depend on how often I feel anxious or irritated.
However, I will check with myself as I walk to my car each day to check on whether I did this ritual, and if not, I will schedule a reminder in my phone to increase my awareness.

This process will interrupt the cycle of growing irritation or anxiety reducing my stress level and helping me to find a more effective solution to the underlying problem. Where my anxiety or irritation is reflected in my behaviour with others, it will also improve my relationships.

If I find myself simply not doing it because it's hard, I will envision the benefits of responding more skilfully to strong emotions - such as more effective reactions and better relationships with others - and re-commit to this practice.

I will ask a colleague to check in with me on how this is going once a week.

I will begin my day every Monday by writing one letter of appreciation to someone who has done something for which I feel grateful.

I will buy several boxes of note cards to place in my desk drawer so that they are always readily available.

I will do this first thing on arriving at work on Monday morning. If I forget or am unable to complete the note on Monday, I will do it first thing on Tuesday morning.

I will receive a positive emotional charge from this action and so will the person who receives the letter. It may have the additional benefit of improving the quality of my relationship with the individual. The process of choosing the individual to write to may convince me that I have many people to feel grateful towards and to feel well-disposed towards people generally.

If I am tempted to skip the ritual because I am feeling stressed and want to try "getting things done", I will remind myself how a reservoir of positive emotions will increase my resiliency in the face of stress and improve my performance.

I will ask a colleague to support me.

I will ensure that I have two one-hour sessions per week work on high-leverage activities such as long-term projects, creative thinking, or strategizing. I will not attend to any "urgent" issues during this hour.

I will alert my staff and colleagues in order to establish new norms and expectations - letting them know that I will not answer email, voice mail, or have meetings during this time.

I will schedule one hour between 12-1 on Mondays and Thursdays.
If I fall off somehow, I will immediately re-schedule an hour for this activity later in the afternoon.

Strategic thinking will bring more focus and clarity to the projects that I am involved in and will also help me to identify which of the "urgent" issues are important and which are not.
Some of the "urgent" issues will resolve themselves while I am concentrating on high-leverage activities.

If I am tempted to attend to more expedient tasks to mitigate my stress and feel more in control, I will remind myself about how strategic thinking helps me bring focus and clarity to projects.

I will ask my assistant to support me.
See also: clear the route.

I will find a room where I can sit and meditate.
I will explain to my supervisor and colleagues what I am doing and why - and invite them to join me, if they care to.

I will schedule three 15-minute counting meditation sessions, on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, from 2:00pm to 2:15pm.

I will gain more control of my mind, be able to focus better, and thus produce better quality work.

If I am tempted to skip the meditation because it is unusual in my office and I don't want my colleagues to think I'm "weird", I will remind myself that I could be setting an example, and focus on the benefits of gaining more control of my mind.

I will ask my supervisor to support me in building my focus.
See also: clear the route.

I will alert my colleagues and key clients to call me directly if something needs immediate attention.

I will only check and answer emails between 8:00-8:30, 13:00-13:30, 17:00-17:30.

I will be able to focus more sharply on the tasks I choose to work on, with less distraction, thus ensuring higher productivity.

If I am tempted to check email at other times in order to combat anxiety around mounting demand, I will remind myself that I am actually more effective and productive when I am focused and do one email at a time, in dedicated sprints.

I will explain what I am doing to 2 key colleagues and ask them to support me.

Twice a week I will leave the office early in order to have dinner with the family.

I will block off my calendar from calls or appointments after 5:30 on these days to minimise the chance that I will be delayed in leaving.

I will leave the office 45 minutes earlier than I normally do on Wednesdays and Fridays.

My personal wellbeing and my performance will get a positive boost by addressing one of my core values.
The quality of family life will improve through my additional presence.

If I am tempted to stay later to work on projects with colleagues, I will remind myself of how positively my performance will be boosted when I align my behaviours with my core values.

I will ask my assistant to support me in taking on this ritual.
I will ask my family to hold me to account.

My partner and I will spend from 3:30-5:00 pm every Saturday afternoon together to catch up on events of the week or engage in an activity we enjoy.
It is our time to reconnect and talk about things other than the logistics of family life.

We will tell the children we are unavailable - except for a true emergency - and we will turn off cell phones during this time.

From 3:30-5:00 pm every Saturday afternoon.
If there is a conflict, the backup will be Sunday morning from 7:00-8:30 am, before the children are awake or active.

Catching-up on the events in each other's lives will make us more aware and better able to support each other.
Having fun together will remind us why we are together if we need reminding.

If we are tempted to break this commitment for any number of reasons, we will reflect on the special energetic boost we get from being together.

We will support each other in keeping this commitment and each ask a friend to hold us accountable.
See also: clear the route.

I will personally reach out to community program organisers to let them know about my interest.
I will sign up to receive the electronic newsletters about upcoming opportunities to volunteer.
I will let my family know of my desire and try to enlist their participation, although my participation will not be dependent on theirs.

Once a month as opportunities arise.

This will make me feel more engaged with my local community and provide a new sense of purpose outside my immediate family and work environments.

If I am tempted to skip this activity in order to do other activities, I will reflect on the power of purpose to fuel my whole life.

I will partner with another colleague to support our own involvement.
See also: clear the route.