This post is a one-two punch highlighting two critical factors for success (and enjoyment of the journey) that we were discussing in our recent mastermind sessions. Punch one is at the high level, to do with your big picture focus. Punch two is at the day to day level, to do with your habits.
PUNCH #1: Gaining Clarity
What is your vision for what you want to be/do/have in 3-5 years? These will likely be the more tangible things that you can dream up in your mind and visualise ie the house, the family lifestyle, the business, the bank balance, the material things…The bit that requires some real brainwork however is to get clarity on WHY you are doing it. There is so much truth in the quote, “if your why is big enough you will figure out the how’. That quote has been attributed to many different people I don’t know who actually said it but regardless, please take it on board, because it’s true.
Having clarity on what you want for your life will give you a filter through which to decide what you give your attention to. It will prevent overwhelm and distraction because here’s the thing that we all know but often forget – everything you say ‘YES’ to will force you to say ‘NO’ to something else. So if you say yes to a 9am informal meeting, you are saying no to your first head down focus session working on a priority project.
For me, a step change in my clarity came from reading the book ‘The Values Factor’ and spending a full weekend with the author Dr John Demartini. That experience several years ago helped me identify my highest values. The wonderful thing about understanding your highest values is that once you do, it enables you to tune into them and live in alignment with them. If that sounds a little abstract, don’t worry it’s actually quite a simple concept, I recommend you at least start with reading the book, audible is easier, and take it from there. In the meantime though, here’s something very straight forward you can get started with now if you are interested in gaining more clarity.
This is a simple little framework to help you think through and craft your vision and give you more clarity, it will essentially be your definition of success.
*WHAT do you want to be doing?
*WITH WHO?
*HOW do you want to be doing it?
*FOR WHOM do you want to be doing it, ie serving who?
Being really clear on what we really want gives us the inner strength and confidence to protect that want.
PUNCH #2: Morning Routine
I’m guessing that most people have heard about or currently have a morning routine.
You may wonder, ‘Why have a morning routine?’ Again you need to start with some clarity..
Why start with why? Well, put simply, if you don’t know why something is important then it is unlikely you will be compelled to do the hard work necessary to change your behaviours.
If you are in any doubt about why have a morning routine, here are 4 big reasons I borrowed from Darren Hardy:
#1 Having a predictable morning routine grounds and stabilises you
- You want to be operating from your best self, not your reactionary self and this routine quiets the mind from the fight, flight or freeze reactions that can come from yourself up to phones alerts or email first thing.
- Give yourself the gift of at least the first hour of the day without the phone on.
#2 The morning is when your brain is scientifically proven to be at its best
- The circadian rhythm of cognitive strength and will power is at its best first thing in the morning, and most vulnerable at night.
#3 The way you start almost anything is the way you finish it
- You want to train yourself to start the day strong and give yourself a competitive advantage to also finish the day strong, because you feel a sense of accomplishment rather than spending the day on back foot reactionary mode.
#4 Too much of society has become soft
- We are losing our grit and discipline in favour of distraction, entertainment and escapism.
- It’s not easy to get up early and stick to a morning routine, but if we don’t put in the hard work we’ll continue to have a hard life.
- Sticking to a morning routine re-asserts your discipline, in fact it makes discipline easy by automating it into a habit.
I’ll wrap this up with a wonderful quote from Darren about the morning routine,
“It gives you a foundation to build your dream, and the stronger, wider and more solid that foundation, the higher and mightier your dreams can be.”
If you’re looking for guidance on how to structure your morning routine, the book of choice would be ‘The Miracle Morning’ by Hal Elrod.
The great thing about a morning routine is that it really doesn’t matter what is in it, only that you have one. You don’t need to be prescriptive and try to fit into exactly what someone else does, don’t get hung up on what a superstar celebrity does. Instead, take inspiration from what you read and figure out what works for you. Most importantly keep it simple so that it’s something you will do every day without fail.
Who’s committed to gaining clarity and implementing a morning routine?