"Make Every Day Your Masterpiece." - John Wooden
Throughout the Rebirth Body Transformation I have stressed focusing on the journey rather than the destination. There is no better way to do that than to focus on making every day your masterpiece. Living a masterpiece for me is when I am living inspired and acting on it.
The idea of the perfect balance of mind, body and soul is something that inspires me. Longevity inspires me. Self control inspires me. Strength inspires me. Those are things that get me fired up. When I am fired up and passionate about what I am doing it is easy for me to live in the present. When I live in the present I enjoy life and peace of mind. When I enjoy life and my mind is at peace I find myself getting more inspired by the things I love. This whole process becomes a self perpetuating cycle of enjoyment.
The catalysts to this process are my consistent routines. My routines prepare me for my day, ground me and give me a sense of rhythm to my day that keeps me very productive without ever feeling rushed. When I stick to my routines I really enjoy my day.
My history with routines started when my parents started making me do two sets of push-ups and two sets of sit-ups before breakfast when I was in second grade. That was my first routine. I am so thankful to them for teaching me the importance of a morning routine and discipline at such a young age. I have stuck with a morning routine, adding things from that very first one my parents gave me, to this very day.
In his bestseller, The Power of Less, productivity guru, Leo Babuata, explains his practical, Zen-like approach to productivity and success. Creating simple daily routines, especially in the morning and evening, is something Babuata stresses throughout the book. He goes so far as to write that one of the most rewarding changes of his life has been finding peace with a morning routine (I agree). This is coming from a man who went from being in debt over his head, overweight, unhealthy and rarely able to spend time with his family to a man has doubled his income, lost 40 lbs., run two marathons, finished two triathalons, published a best seller, and the list goes on.
It makes sense that a morning routine is the place to start the conversation on daily routines. If you want to create a masterpiece you have to start with a masterful first brush stroke. The elements of my morning routine are my first brush strokes.
If you don't already have a morning routine I strongly suggest you start one. You will need to give it a couple weeks to become a habit. Stick with it and you will be rewarded.
Check out Morning Routine Ideas to see what I do to kickstart your own morning routine. I also included a list of some other ideas mine and Leo Babuata's from The Power of Less.
Some of the benefits of a well-planned morning routine include:
- Preparing for your day, setting your goals, making to-do lists
- Getting in exercise, meditating, reading, writing, or other things you normally don't have time for
- Doing something peaceful and calming to set the proper tone for your day rather than setting the tone for a stressful day by waking up in a rush.
Habit Helper
At the beginning of the year I discovered a habit tracking app that I fell in love with for its simplicity and visual appeal. Check out the Lift app.
For the next 21 days I'm going to track the following habits. Track along with me!
FYI...You have to spell and capitalize the exact same way as me if you want to track along with me:
- Exercise
- Floss
- Meditate
- Self Myofascial Release