In the eloquent words of Mike "The
Situation" Sorrentino from MTV's Jersey Shore “Gym, Tan, Laundry. It’s the process of staying fresh and mint. Watching
my boys watch this show, that reference stood out to me as stroke of
brilliance. This kid has a super simple
routine that supports his version of success.
I have spent the last few months trying on routines that
will be critical to helping me achieve my personal and professional goals. I
think we all know how easy it is to set goals only to be disappointed when we
fall short or worse, lose sight of it all together because of crisis or one
distraction or another. I’m pretty sure
I could write a best seller on that topic alone. Unfortunately that would not
be the best use of my time and talents and would represent perhaps my hundredth
distraction in my journey.
At this very moment I am clear on one thing. If I do not adhere to certain routines,
things begin to fall apart very quickly. Then come the welcomed distractions
that support the falling a part of things.
I have danced this dance and rode this ride more times than I care to
remember. What’s different now is that I
have some perspective. And perspective is everything. I see how my past routines and habits have
served me over the last few years. The good news is, it has not been a total
shit show. I have experienced
professional and personal success. But I
don’t want to hide behind good when I know a little more effort; connection and
collaboration could result in something great.
For me the game changer has been this: All my routines and
any new habits I pick up have to play to my strengths AND support a personal
and/or professional goal. No
exceptions. Mind blowing, right? Okay
not exactly, but stay with me for a sec. I subscribe to the 80/20 rule in terms
of playing to my strengths and working on my weaknesses. When I am firing on all cylinders, my
routines are supporting my actions. I feel connected and collaborative and at
the end of the day very accomplished.
When I sacrifice routines to accommodate a new schedule, a
difficult relationship or any other external factor, things almost always go
sideways and I find myself second guessing every action and decision I made as
a result. Then I find my mind swirling with thoughts on what I perceive to be
“misses” far longer than what is healthy and productive.
You can never go wrong with honoring what works for you and
coming into a situation centered and prepared vs. anxious and unsettled. There
has been a lot of discourse around this topic and rightfully so, if we can hone
the routine, processes and structures that will ultimately support our success
we will see immediate fruit. And that is
good news for a not so disciplined, anti-structure, go with the flow, Bo-ho
chic like me. And you too!
Do you have a routine or a habit that does not support your
success?
What is stopping you from
tweaking it so it supports you or letting it go altogether?
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