A president once said, "The finest steel has to go through the hottest fire." I was thinking about this when I read an Anthony Moore article.
He quotes Srinivas Rao “If you want to live an exceptional and extraordinary life, you have to give up many of the things that are part of a normal one.” Moore differentiates the difference between goals and systems. He sees goals as wishes and systems as processes. You set a goal to lose 10 pounds but without a prefectural system, it fails. So a wish is not a strategy and goals might seem specific but unless you have repeatable routines you will fall short of your goals.
So how about me, what is my routine. The first thing I do in the morning is to pull out my journal and write down anything I am grateful for, my thoughts and observations, it takes me a few minutes. I drink a cold glass of water, stretch for a few minutes, exercise for 30 minutes then eat breakfast, brush my teeth, and shower. I usually get some great ideas when I relax in the shower and I journal them before I get dressed.
I feel ready for my day. Since I am an organizational psychologist I check my email and scan for things that have come in overnight that need my immediate actions. I prioritize my other tasks and figure out what needs to be done today or will need more detailed research. Usually by 5:30 PM.
My tasks are done. I journal my progress and that act is extremely gratifying. If you do this smile at yourself and enjoy the moment.
From 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM, I research new articles, blogs, and videos I think will help my clients, I share the best ideas with specific clients that can benefit from the authors' thoughts. Once a week I contact authors and speakers that I enjoyed their work and chat (You can do this. You'd be surprised how open they are to hear from their readers).
The rest of my evening revolves around my family. I usually go to bed around 10 PM and wake up at 4 PM to 6 PM to write a section of one of my new novels. I take a nap until 8 PM then start all over again.
It took hard work and experimenting to get comfortable with my routine, but 11 novels, countless family, and work goals came out of not just dreaming about my goals but creating a system that worked for me. You can do the same, experiment with routines, stick with the one that works for you, and who knows where it might lead you.
