| The biggest challenge facing most would-be Empire Builders today…
… is NOT that they don’t hustle hard enough… or have a big enough vision… or even lack the right morning routine.
The real problem for most high performers is they’re incapable of finding the “off” button in their brain…
And allowing themselves to recharge after the work is done.
My friend and client Danny Lehr, founder of Caffeine & Kilos, used to struggle with this.
Without firm bumpers and boundaries between his work and personal life — he developed an extreme case of what I call “Entrepreneur’s Attention Paradox”...
When he was working, Danny thought about his family and felt guilty about not being with them.
But when he was with his family, he thought about work and felt guilty for not getting more done.
Net result = he was never focused at work and never fully present for his kids.
So Danny and I came up with a quirky but effective tactic to end this problem…
Each night when Danny gets home his daughter meets him at the door.
Together, they take his phone and put it “to sleep” in a phone bed (which they made together from an egg carton).
Putting the phone to sleep allows Danny to be present with his wife and kids instead of distracted by email and checking updates.
But this little ritual does something else that’s extremely important…
It signals an official end to the work day and the beginning of family time.
While a “phone bedtime” may or may not be right for you…
I strongly recommend bookending your days so you can switch off of work mode… recharge your battery… and be present with the people who matter most.
Here’s a simple 3-step formula to end your evenings so you dominate your days…
1. Watch Your Daily “Highlight Reel”
High performers like you and me tend to be future focused…
Always thinking about what’s next on the way to reaching our biggest goals.
This is a great way to be, but it can also hold us back from greatness if we don’t take time to reflect and learn from the past.
Try this:
At the end of every work day, take a few minutes to reflect on how your day actually unfolded…
Did you accomplish more or less than anticipated?
What habits and activities improved your day (ex. did a good workout boost you out of a mental funk and improve your energy?)...
And which ones worsened it (ex. did you drink too much caffeine, start your day late, procrastinate on your #1 priority task?).
When you review what did and didn’t work on a daily basis…
You can make rapid adjustments that will optimize your performance.
2. 3x3 For Unstoppable Momentum
After your daily review…
Grab a piece of paper and write down:
- 3 things you’re grateful for (these can be big things like a major sale, or small things like a good laugh with your partner).
The point of this is to beat our silly human tendency of focusing on the negatives…
…and instead remind ourselves of everything that’s going right.
- 3 things you were proud of that day (personal, professional, big or small, it doesn’t matter).
When you have high standards and high expectations of yourself, it’s easy to be too critical of your own minor shortcomings.
Focusing on these daily wins helps you see all the things you’re actually doing so well.
- 3 ways that you can improve your performance, happiness, and success tomorrow.
Here’s where you look for the 2-3 critical levers you can pull to make tomorrow spectacular.
Again these could be small, like “I’ll eat a lighter lunch, with more protein and less carbs”...
Or bigger, like “I’ll have a talk with my spouse about the importance of boundaries so I can get into flow, then be present when I’m done work.”
Finding these tiny daily improvements is what will allow you to live your perfect life.
3. Brain Dump and Priority Planning
Once you’ve mentally downloaded the important lessons of your day…
It’s time to engineer your perfect tomorrow.
On a fresh piece of paper, “dump” out all the thoughts bouncing around inside your skull.
From upcoming projects… to filing taxes… to sending a birthday card… to having the gutters cleaned.
Getting this all down on paper will give you immediate relief…
… and now you can start to prioritize what actually needs to get done and when.
If something isn’t important or urgent, scratch it off for now.
For the tasks that do need to get done right away…
Number them based on priority then schedule accordingly.
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When you follow these 3 simple steps to cap off your days…
Not only will you set yourself up for massive success…
You’ll also close the open “mental loops” that make it so hard to wind down and separate yourself from work in the first place.
Which means you can relax, recharge, and tackle tomorrow with total focus and energy.
Success Loves Speed,
Craig |
