I recently watched a clip of Mike Tomlin walking into one of his team meetings and greeted everyone with the phrase, “Hello great day creators.” I love the power in the simplicity of his greeting.

Yes, this is the same Mike Tomlin that after 19 years of coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers has decided to step aside for a new era of coaching. While Tomlin will no longer be walking the Steeler hallway, based on the respect and gratitude former and current Steeler players openly share for Tomlin, his passion and leadership will be cemented in the walls long after his departure.

I’m sure Tomlin has a very specific way he looks at the term great day creator, but what was your first reaction to this term? How would you shape your own definition on what it means to be a great day creator?

When we hear to the term great, many of us will gravitate towards thinking it must be something grandiose and spectacular to meet the requirement of greatness. If it’s a great day it must be this extraordinary day filled with incredible moments of success and fulfillment. But let’s be realistic. How many of these extraordinary and grandiose days do we really have in our lives? Some may make more of these days than others, but what the idea of great day creator really gets at is whatever path lies ahead for you today, we have the choice to make the most out of each opportunity.

It may not be some grandiose moment or one of those days you’ll remember forever, but each day presents an opportunity to keep building towards who we’re striving to be. To push forward even in the smallest of ways regardless of the circumstances makes you a great day creator.

The word great within great day creator brings a lot of subjectivity. Sometimes our definition of great may be surviving an escalation at work to find a way to keep the train on the tracks for a client or project. Other days may involve caring for a sick child or a struggling elderly family member and making the most of a tough time kind of day.

Some days may be filled with adventure on an incredible vacation or a fun night out with friends celebrating. Other days may involve an epic story you may tell for years to come.

Each day life presents us with an opportunity. Tomlin’s phrase of be a great day creator calls to those that understand life will take us through the peaks and valleys but in all those days along the way, we have an opportunity to create each day as a great day in its own unique way. It may not fit our stereotypical definition of what a great day is, but it captures the importance of mentally making the most of the peaks, valleys, and everything in between along our journey.

Great day creators don’t live in some magical world where everything goes right. Great day creators adapt to the turbulence of our journey and find the opportunity in each day we are blessed with. Not an easy thing to do but love the challenge each time I wake up to be a great day creator.

Take your step: consider the next couple of days spending 3-5 minutes in the morning and 3-5 minutes in the evening reflecting on this great day creator concept. In the morning utilize the 3-5 minutes to explore what a great day creator looks like for you on this specific day. It may be a hard or mundane day or a ton of exciting opportunities ahead, so what does great look like today. At night utilize those 3-5 minutes to reflect on how you made the most out of opportunities today along with acknowledging where opportunities may have been lost to learn for tomorrow. Go be a great day creator.