Routine
I’ve always loved variants of this quote,
Don’t tell me what you value, show me your calendar and your checkbook, and I’ll tell you what you value.
Yet, for most of my life, you wouldn’t be able to tell what I said I valued based on reviewing my calendar and checkbook.
That started to change, though, when I was in my early 30s.
It’s when I started to train for Triathlon.
I started to understand the power of consistency and routine.
But, while I was consistent in my actions for the next ten years, routines weren’t exactly my thing…It’s even why I wrote this post on Twitter, which goes viral every time I share it.
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7:17 AM • Mar 27, 2024
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Let’s talk about why it resonates.
People are tired of hearing the rules they need to follow to live their dream life.
They want to know they can live their life, their way and still get the desired outcome they want.
It’s not untrue.
And, it’s not necessarily true.
Sure, I can retire earlier than most people and live a good life.
But, even though I was able to do a lot of what I wanted on the way, I sacrificed A LOT and I don’t talk about it in the clickbait.
- I didn’t see my boys enough
- I let go of my physical and mental health
- My relationship with my wife suffered from it
On the What Are You Made of Show, which I had the pleasure to record last week (Listen on Apple or Spotify), I shared what I was made of was Fire.
My whole life, my mantra has been to attack.
If there’s something I want, I go for it with everything I have.
I’m willing to run into walls and burn myself out to achieve the outcomes I desire, which is why I can eat avocado toast, drink a lot of coffee and wake up when I want…
The Change
The thing is…
That’s not true anymore.
As I age, I realize I need the routine.
In fact, as I’ve left the workforce and start multiple businesses, I find I’m leaning into so many of the tropes I’d have previously made fun of and they’re making my life and future better – let me give you an example relative to the above Netflix Twitter Post.
I wake up at 4:45
In the gym for bootcamp at 5:30
After bootcamp I run for 35 minutes
Follow that up with a Steam and Sauna.
To cool off, I jump in an ice cold shower for 5 to 7 minutes
I come home, eat a high protein breakfast with no carbs and take my boys to school.
I’ll then do my first shift of consulting for my former employer and follow it up with a high protein / low carb lunch.
After that, it’s my second shift of deep work building my businesses and ensuring I get done what needs doing.
I’ll have dinner, walk the dog, spend some family time, and then it’s on to the Deep Work Shift 3, which is content creation, finishing up business building, etc. until I go to bed.
It’s a system.
It sets me up for success.
I’m starting to feel mentally and physically fit.
I’m seeing changes in my weight, body composition and I’m happy.
The realization is if there’s something you really want you may need to change your approach to get it.
I want this.
I’m changing my approach.
The Power to Change
I had a great chat with my cousin this week.
Someone I’ve always been close to and admired.
He said some powerful words to me and they resonated:
Your newsletters keep getting better. I find them very relatable. I hear your voice in the latest ones…Whatever you are doing lately is reaching me and I was a skeptic. I think your mindset has changed.
Damn, that hit home.
I let him know it really landed for me.
I also want you to know he’s 100% right.
My mindset has shifted exponentially over the last decade – I’m a completely different person and it’s going to change even more over the next decade.
That, my friends, is what personal development is all about.
It’s why you’re reading this newsletter.
It’s why I read books, read newsletters and listen to podcasts.
Every time we do, we’re giving ourselves the opportunity to change who we tare.
We’re giving ourselves the opportunity to recognize there may be a better version of ourselves out there and we can become that version.
I’ve talked about this one before and will talk about it forever.
You can change.
You can become better.
You can see attributes in someone you know, someone you read about, listen to our see on the television.
You can decide in that moment that you’re going to adopt those attributes.
My recommendation is you only change one attribute at a time and once you’ve adopted it, grab another and another until you are the person you want to be.
Even better, some of the best people in the world with respect to the attributes you want to adopt are available online. I’ve taken men’s work courses and shadow work training with an author I admire. I had a Buddhist coach in California who I met on a silent retreat. From them, I learned new skills, attributes and mindsets and I made them mine.
I planted the seeds – more on that below !
TGG Podcast
This week’s episode of The Growth Guide is a lot shorter than the episodes that you’re used to seeing from me.
We’re taking a bit of a pivot for a period of time while I’m in a moment of transition in my life.
I’m moving away from being a full-time employee to an entrepreneur, consultant, etc. I’m going to write, podcast, public speak, coach and consult, and I’m also going to invest in private equity and real estate businesses.
What that looks like is I’ll start some businesses in those areas. Getting those businesses off the ground takes a lot of time, effort and capital. What I’m finding is I don’t have enough time to dedicate to the conversations I was having with the amazing guests who were coming on this show.
So, for a period of time, I’m going to do some shorter episodes. They’re nuggets, bits of wisdom. They’re things I’ve written about, whether on social media or in my newsletter.
I’ll also be sharing on the show and in my writing the lessons I’m learning from starting and scaling multiple businesses and look forward to building it all in public.
In this week’s episode, I introduce the concept of “planting seeds“ for future success, and how present actions and patience are required for long-term growth. I encourage you all to consider the seeds you want to plant in the various areas of your lives for a better future.
Listen on Apple and Spotify, or you can also watch on YouTube:
Last Word 👋
I love hearing from readers and I’m always looking for your feedback.
How I’m doing with the Growth Guide. Is there anything you want to see more of or less? Which aspects of the Newsletter or Podcast do you like the most?
Hit reply, say hello, and let me know what you think of Routine.
I’d love to chat with you !
All my best,
Clint
