WEEK 175: ONE SECRET WEAPON

There is too much life to be lived for you to hit the snooze button. In fact I believe it is "seize the day" not "snooze the day!"
Hal Erod 

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): So what is the answer?

Is it habits?

Is it meditation?

Is it breathing techniques?

Yes all of these elements are useful, but there is something which lies as the foundation of all of these actions which allows you to win the day.

And by winning the day, you can win the week, and then the month...and so on!

So what is this secret weapon?

We will get to it, but think of it like the immortality all Greek gods possess which separates them from the mere mortals. 

But before we get started wanted to ask if you have ever gotten lost while traveling?

I have many times, and although you might be in some beautiful and exotic locations, you end up frustrated and stressed when there is an easy solution to this problem.

This past week, my family and I were able to travel to Chiang Mai Thailand (highly recommend you going) to see Asian elephants in their natural habitat.

We had a few days before our reservation, so we decided to explore the city.

One day, we decided to go in and explore some temples in an older area of the city and get a bite to eat. 

So, we got directions from the hotel concierge and he outlined where we should walk and go. 

Before I left he asked if I wanted to take the map and I said "NO" we can figure it out...

So thus, off we went to explore some beautiful temples in the middle of Chiang Mai.

Getting there was no issue and finding the main street where all the temples were no problem.

Here is the caveat, traveling with kids and without kids is night and day in difference. 

If you have kids (especially young ones) you know they can change from super happy to meltdown in a matter of minutes. 

Well, we hit that point when my daughter fell and scraped her knee.

Thus, we needed to find the restaurant and find it fast.

So I retraced the streets in my mind and we were off in search of food.

Small problem...

Seeing streets on a map and actually walking them is a slightly different.

In my mind I knew what street I was looking for, but did not know how far ahead it was.

Problem. Our daughter was losing patience with every step we took. 

We walked one block, then two, then three...

I started to doubt my memory and asked myself why I did not take the map.

I thought about just turning around and going back to the hotel, yet decided we should go a little further.

It took a few more blocks, but we were able to find the street finally, albeit after what seemed like an eternity of our daughter whaling away wanting to sit inside somewhere. 

Now what does this story of getting a little lost tie to the ONE secret weapon all uber-successful professionals use daily?

Well, it starts with choice (always does).

Now, I want you to imagine how this scenario would have been different if I just took the map?

Although we would have met some difficulty in the distance, there would certainty in the fact I knew how much further we had to go.

We could have avoided the doubt, the frustration, and the stress of not knowing.

Now, this ties into how you operate on a daily basis. 

On the path of realizing your potential and achieving amazing goals you will encounter difficulty and challenge. 

Givens, by the way.

But you have a choice.

And that choice is how you start your day.

Now, I did not say waking up early (some say just by waking up super early ensures your success...false).

I said how you START your day.

Do you have a ritual in place to help you sequence your state for success?

Thus, allowing you to manage the stress and challenges you will face in the day? 

If not, it is like going out into a foreign city and trying to navigate to an area of town without a map (raising my hand here).

Yes you might get there, but once there you will endure unneeded frustration and stress, or note even get there at all.  

This leads me to the ONE secret all uber-successful professionals use to ensure winning the day.

A Morning Routine.

Again, it does not mean you wake up in the wee hours of the morning, but do you have a mechanism in place to get you focused on who you are and what you need to accomplish that day?

If not, then you set yourself for failure, as leaving it to chance gurantees you will fail.

It is like trying to win the mega millions lottery.

Yes, there is a chance you might win, but the probability is so low the odds are against you.

It is simple (all powerful things usually are). 

Win the morning. Win the day. Win the day, win the week, Win the week, win the month. Win the month, win the quarter. Win the quarter, win the year. Win the year, win the decade!

You might think it is something small, but this simple activity is what all uber-successful professionals use to win the day.

Want to level up and become more productive so you can realize that immense potential inside of you?

Well, set a morning routine so you can start the day with intention so you can win.

Delay No More,

J