John C. Maxwell is undeniably a profound author. Make Today Count, a New York Times best seller, is not only a 'book' but a handbook. I call it this, because I find myself carrying this small treasure with me throughout my day, and I'm sure I'm not the only one to ever do so! This small find is not a manual of who's pages you can dip into and pick up on the high points. Like myself, you may find yourself not only meditating on many ideas offered, but reading it's entirety time and time again.

This framework is not meant to encapsulate the handbook by any stretch of the imagination. Rather, it is my endeavor to wet your appetite in hopes that you may purchase the masterpiece, for any summary would fail in capturing the secrets stored within the pages.

Given that this read is filled with profitable enlightenment, it can also be a bit overwhelming. My thoughts on posting one of the Daily Dozen each day for the next twelve days, is that you may take each idea to heart and integrate it into your day, adding one new idea each day. My hope is that I provide you with enough information to take away the main idea from the book so that you are able to improve in such areas in your own life, but I truly encourage you to make a small investment in the book, if you haven't already. Truly, it is a piece of work.

Make Today Count: John C. Maxwell

The Daily Dozen:

1. Attitude: Choose and display the right attitude daily
2. Priorities: Determine and act on important priorities daily.
3. Health: Know and follow healthy guidelines daily.
4. Family: Communicate with and care for my family daily.
5. Thinking: Practice and develop good thinking daily.
6. Commitment: Make and keep proper commitments daily.
7. Finances: Make and properly manage dollars daily.
8. Faith: Deepen and live out my faith daily.
9. Relationships: Initiate and invest in solid relationships daily.
10. Generosity: Embrace and practice good values daily.
11. Values: Embrace and practice good values daily.
12. Growth: Seek and experience improvements daily.

Attitude

- Many people in this world mistakenly believe their attitude is set. It has become such a habit for them that they believe it can't be changed. They see it as one of the 'cards' of life they have been dealt, such as height or a history of cancer in the family.
- Your attitude is a choice. If you desire to make your day a masterpiece, they you need to have a great attitude.
- Take responsibility for your attitude: If you want today to be a good day, you need to take charge of the way you look at it.
- Decide to Change Your Bad Attitude Areas: If you want to have a better day, then you need to go after those areas.
- Think, Act, Talk, and Conduct Yourself Like the Person You want to Become: If you desire to change yourself, then start with your mind. Believe you can improve, that you can change into the person you desire to be. If your thinking changes, then everything else can follow.
- Place a High Value on People: One of the secrets of maintaining a good attitude is valuing people. You can't dislike people and have a good attitude at the same time. Your interaction with others sets the tone of your day. It's like the music of your life.
- Develop a High Appreciation for Life: John Wooden said, Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. The place to start is with the little things. If you can learn to appreciate them and be grateful for them, you'll appreciate the big things as well as everything in between.
- Recognize that Your Attitude needs Daily Adjustments: Like any discipline, your attitude will not take care of itself. That's why it needs to be attended to daily. The stronger your natural inclination to be pessimistic or critical, the more attention your attitude will need. Begin each day with an attitude check, and watch for red flags signaling that your attitude might be in trouble.
- Find Something Positive in Everything
- Find Someone Positive in Every Situation: The world is filled with negative people; in fact, they often flock together. But positive people are everywhere, too.
- Say Something Positive in Every Conversation: Include positive comments in every conversation with others. Sincerely compliment, praise, acknowledge, bolster, raise up, and reward people whenever you can.
- Remove Negative Words from Your Vocabulary: You - or someone you enlist - can be on the lookout for negative words in your vocabulary so that you can eliminate them. If you continually look for and embrace the positive and eliminate the negative, you'll help yourself to begin to think more positively every day.