I’ve recently realized just how powerful the act of “action” is. I’m sure we’ve all experienced a time and place when we’ve set a goal or started a project and began taking the necessary steps to complete it. In those moments the actions we take build momentum and propel us forward. Along the way, we make changes through feedback loops and ultimately pivot, twist, turn, all the while continuing to move forward towards our goals. I think we can all agree on this, granted everyone’s situations are different. I think what might be a limiting factor in taking action is not fully setting your mind to the action. We tell ourselves, I’ll give this a try and see what happens versus saying I’m going to DO this and regardless what happens I will make something work. Subtle difference, but powerful in its intent.

Do. Or do not. There is no try. – Yoda

I have been recently playing around with my morning rituals/routine, trying to fine tune it to all me to be the most productive during the day. As of now, I feel like I’m on to something good that primes me for the day.

Wake Up
– Glass of water

Start Morning Routine
General Mobility: neck, shoulders, arms, torso, back, hips, legs
Calisthenics/Core Circuit (M/W/F Routine 1, T/Th/S Routine 2)
Wim Hof Breathing x 5 min
Meditation x 5-10 min
Hot to Cold Shower x 5 min

The mobility work starts off standing and then progresses to the ground for prone and supine work. The main emphasis is to target areas which I have problems with and also address overactive muscles that tend to tighten up from sitting for long periods of time.

The volume of the calisthenics changes each day and accumulates over the weeks. I think my main goal for this would be to do something every day so that if I get too busy and cannot make the gym, I at least feel I have accomplished something.

I have been playing around with Wim Hof’s breathing exercises and plan to build up my time each week and try to deepen the experience

I like to follow the Wim Hof breathing with meditation because I feel that I am in a more grounded state and have primed my body and then can calm and set my mind.

The hot to cold showers are the final touch that brings me out of the calmness of the meditation and primes me for the day. I feel refreshed and energized.

My goal is to consistently carry out this routine with slight modifications for 6 weeks and then assess where I am at and if I want to make any changes.

Think about your own morning routine. What could you add, or even remove, to prime you for your day and everything that comes with it?

Something I’ve been pondering lately…

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Which road will you take, and more importantly, will you be able to trust your decision and not look back?

I feel that a majority of my life I have been a “glass half-full” kind of guy. I think part of it came about by developing resiliency throughout previous life experiences that shaped my perception of my current state. What I have noticed lately is how negative people are throughout their days. I’m not saying I don’t have days when I’m down, but when I do, I try to do some deep work and reflect and get to the root of it. I feel that others just ruminate without introspection and then assume this “woe is me” mentality. These people are what Jon Gordon calls in his book Energy Bus “energy vampires.” They can literally suck the energy out of your day and change your mental state if you let them. Be more cognizant of these people, and have the courage to call them out or remove them from your circle so that you can continue to thrive and pursue your goals.

Do you ever have days when you sit down to write and you realize you don’t know what to write about? I know this is part of the process of developing my writing skills, but still, it can be a bit frustrating. I would like to think that I have a lot to talk about. At least in my own head, there’s tons of topics I would like to discuss but what I find is that I have a hard time putting them down on paper. I’m curious if its because I don’t fully understand the topic or if its a matter of this unfamiliar medium of transferring thoughts to paper that holds me back from expressing myself. I think verbally I would be able to talk through my ideas, so maybe that is what I need to start doing, record my notes and then transcribe them and edit before I post.

There is a mini experiment I have been thinking about playing around with which I’ll call “flow writing.” I don’t really have a have a set topic in mind, I just sit down and brain dump and aim to write out 1-2 pages. Not sure how that will work out, but I’ve heard of other people doing it as a way to clear their minds. I think just the act of continuous writing and not worrying so much about the actual content could be a beneficial daily practice.

I will say that now after just going with the flow, I feel less stress of trying to think of something good to write about and feel that this is me being more authentic. I am not a writer, I am not a blogger, I am not a philosopher, I am someone who is merely trying to push myself outside my comfort zone to grow as an individual. The quicker I can pull off the bandaid and take action the better. I will say that the more I play around with these mini experiments, the more confident I become in my own abilities. I’m sure I will fail and make mistakes, but I will learn and grow. I wonder how many other people could benefit from doing these mini experiments on a day to day basis? How much impact could that have in a person’s life? I can’t answer that question, it’s something that must come from each individual’s desire to become the best versions of themselves.

Jim Rohn has a rule called the “5 friends rule,” which essentially states the law of averages: you are the average of the 5 friends you surround yourself with. I believe that so much of our perception of reality and our success is based on who we surround ourselves with. Our outlook and beliefs, our mental resilience, our physical appearance, the way we speak, even to how much money we make all stems from those we hang around on a daily basis. A mentor of mine used to tell me all the time, “ If a bird hangs with bats, it will eventually hang upside down.”

I think this is why it’s so important to take stock in those around you and ask yourself the hard questions to find out if this is the circle you want to be involved with.