In Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam, translator Edward Fitzgerald writes:

“The moving finger writes; and, having writ moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.”

The bottom line is yesterday is gone forever, and tomorrow is no guarantee. But today is yesterday’s tomorrow and it is all we have.

In my recent book, Make Today Your Masterpiece, I share a concept John Maxwell uses. I have adopted the concept to measure my masterpiece for today. It is called The Daily Five.

Here is how it works: identify five daily activities you are willing to commit to.
I’m not referring to appointments, meetings or presentations; obviously, your day as a leader will be filled with these types of activities. The Daily Five is at a higher level.

When you achieve all five in a day, you will be fulfilled, optimistic and grateful for the opportunity to serve and make a difference. The Daily Five is personal. They are activities you are passionate about achieving. They will determine your masterpiece that day.

I have been asked if the Daily Five ever changes. The answer is, of course, they change. In my case, I am no longer the CEO of an organization with all the responsibilities that come with that. My Daily Five is reflective of where my life is now.

I am an advocate of applying the Daily Five to your day. I challenge you to use it for 30 days. You may form the habit. And that is not a bad thing.