By GAVIN NIRMAIER

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Be > Yesterday.  A word, a symbol, and a word.  So simple, yet so important; this should be the mantra of your everyday life.  By applying this mantra, you will be closer to achieving overall well-being.  Well-being is a complicated facet of life that is comprised of many subcategories.  This mantra, although simple, can transform the way you approach life and well-being each and every day.

When I was a senior in high school, my school hired a new basketball coach.  This coach immediately made an impact on us by bringing a fresh, organized, and educated approach to basketball.  On the first day of practice, he stressed the importance of continually having the motivation to improve on numerous aspects of our lives each day: striving to do well in the classroom, strengthening relationships with our friends and family, and to become better athletes.  Our task was clear: Be > Yesterday.  At the time, I thought about that advice, and did my best to heed it.  I did not realize how important this advice would be down the road.  Fast-forward to today.  Each morning, I wake up and look at my whiteboard, which simply reads: Be > Yesterday.

What does it mean to Be > Yesterday in terms of well-being? How can we strive to achieve this day in and day out, especially with hectic class schedules and numerous extracurricular activities?  I have developed an easy checklist to help you achieve greatness, and ultimately, come closer to achieving overall well-being.

1. Exercise: Physical activity is a vital part of achieving overall well-being.  Exercising for an hour a day will allow you to fend off the stresses that life as a student can bring.  Additionally, exercising releases endorphins into your body, making you feel happy, and in result, less stressed and happier with yourself.  Many options for exercise exist: hit the weights in the Wise Center, hop on the treadmill for a jog, shoot around on the blue courts, or take a hike through the trails at the outdoor athletics facility.  Exercising does not have to be a chore; it should become a habit that you should enjoy and look forward to.

2.Think of Others: Performing an act of kindness for another person will improve their well-being as well as your own.  This can be executed in many ways: hold the door for a stranger, tell your best friend why they are important to you, or call your parents and tell them how much you love them.  You do not know the circumstances of others’ lives; by performing an act of kindness, you may give them positive feelings on a day where their life seems to be spiraling in a negative direction.  Your kind act will also boost your sense of self-worth and well-being.

3. Quiet Time:  Set aside a short amount of time in your schedule each time to focus on yourself.  This time slot does not have to be long; it can be as short as ten minutes.  During this time, do something to improve yourself as a person.  Write down your thoughts, your goals, and your brilliant ideas.  Meditate to soothing music to ease the stresses of the daily grind.  Take inventory of your feelings, and what you can do to improve them.  By setting aside time for yourself, you will become more in touch with your own mind. When you turn this practice into habit, you will realize that you know yourself better.  Knowing yourself on a deeper level will lead to advancement in all aspects of your life.

Of course, many other avenues of self-improvement exist.  However, this checklist is simple enough to implement into everyday life.  By making this list a habit, you will be happier with yourself, become less stressed, and achieve a higher level of well-being.  What are you waiting for? Be > Yesterday.