In the words of Thrive’s Arianna Huffington “There’s nothing wrong with aiming big – but we make real changes to the course of our lives by starting small”. At MitoQ, this is our ethos: to create a positive ripple effect in life, you’ve got to start small. Everyone has different goals and commitments in life – but what we all have in common is the ability to optimize our daily actions so that they better align with the lives we want to live. If you’re looking for ways to optimize your life, we encourage you to take it one step at a time – here's how.
How to optimize your mindset
To optimize your life, you’ve got to start with your mindset. A positive life is never going to come out of a negative mind. Luckily, there’s plenty of research available on how to optimize your mindset. Step one = “visualization”. If your first thought is that visualization sounds a bit too “new agey” for your liking, stay with us. It’s a practice that elite athletes have been using for decades.
As Insider published in 2015, one study has reportedly shown that athletes who prioritize mental visualization over physical practice within their training are more likely to perform the best. It’s a study that is believed to have influenced the US Olympic Committee to significantly increase the number of full-time sports psychologists on staff. Experts say that, by visualizing a desired outcome, you can improve your confidence and train your brain to know “what to look out for”.
A team of researchers from the Queen Mary University of London agree that mindset can help you achieve your goals. In 2020, they published their findings on how our thoughts influence how motivated we will be to reach our goals. They concluded that there’s a two step process involved. First, you need to consider how much effort will be needed to achieve your goal, so you don’t get overwhelmed when the hard work begins. Second, when the hard work does begin, focus on what the reward will be when you reach your goal – it will help you to remain motivated.
How to optimize your time
Of course, there’s more to life optimization than just visualizing the end goal: it also takes planning and action. Once you know what your goals are, it’s important to put steps in place to achieve them. In this busy world, it can be difficult to find space within your schedule for the things that are important to you: this is where Princeton University’s research-derived time-management tips come in handy. Some of their top tips?
1. Multitasking doesn’t work
When you multitask, you lose time because you’re constantly shifting and readjusting your focus to new tasks. Focusing on one task at a time is much more time effective.
2. Only put tasks on your to-do list that you can commit to
You only have so many hours in a day. Focus on what you know you can achieve and leave the rest off your to-do list.
3. Get into a routine
When good habits are part of your routine, it’ll be easier for you to make your way through the day without interruption or distraction. Make work, fun, goals and your wellbeing part of your daily routine. These small, consistent daily steps can lead to life-changing results.
How to optimize your day
Begin with a positive morning routine – research shows that the mood you start your day in is likely the one you’ll keep with you for the rest of the day. Coming up with a consistent routine that will help you kick your day off right is a crucial step in creating a positive ripple effect for the days, weeks, months and years ahead.
Next, figure out whether you’re a morning or a night owl. According to the productivity specialists at Doist, 80% of the world’s population experience an energy and mood lift in the morning, which makes them “morning people”. But for the other 20% - AKA “night owls” - energy and mood tend to be at their highest in the late evening and early morning. So, figure out when your mood and energy are likely to be at their best and try to schedule tasks that require high productivity in these times.
Finally, don’t forget to schedule breaks into your day. Research has shown that regular breaks support health, prevent “decision fatigue”, restore motivation, improve productivity and enhance learning.
How to optimize your health
In the words of MitoQ co-founder Mike Murphy, “If your cells are healthy, you are healthy”. Looking after your cells is one of the simplest things you can do to look after your healthspan. Experts believe that a decline in cell health is directly linked to the stress that your cells are put under throughout the aging process. The solution? Fight cell stress. Until recently, it wasn’t really possible to do this. The antioxidants made within your cells naturally decline with age, and it’s very difficult to get any new antioxidants in. But MitoQ can. It’s attracted to the mitochondria within your cells and easily gets inside where it can fight cell stress – it's been scientifically proven to do this.
Learn about some of the research behind MitoQ.
In recent decades, researchers have made huge developments in learning about what lifestyle factors impact our healthspan. One major study carried out by Harvard University over 80+ years found that happy relationships play a huge role in our long-term health. In a TED Talk, the study’s director Robert Waldinger says, “it wasn’t their middle-age cholesterol levels that predicted how they were going to grow old, it was how satisfied they were in their relationships. The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80.”
Finally, we’re lucky to live in an age where there are hundreds of apps available that enable life optimization. Some of our favorites include:
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