What every day should look like.

Start strong, finish stronger, actively fatigued.

We all have an idea of what our favourite day looks like. I personally like to wake up early, read, write, then get outside into nature, as in a walk. There are also other times during the day that I set aside so that I may aim to achieve my daily goals, with specific rules in place, which will then allow me to achieve them. My day seems very basic and vague. But that’s the aim, nothing too far reaching that it will be impossible to achieve on a daily basis.

I’m currently writing this next to a pool in Turkey with the sunshine slowly moving past the pillar allowing me the shade to work. Is this my perfect day? No. It’s not attainable every day as yet. Is it a dream to do this every day? Of course, a goal without action is just a dream. I must create the platform to attain this in the future. I created a platform 4 years ago, which then has provided the opportunity today. The key to any process is patience. The journey is the fun part. Create an every day platform to thrive.

I found early on that if my perfect day isn’t attainable every day, that lowering the expectations allowed the freedom to play with what was attainable. I then reformed the idea of what I could achieve. Continually striving to try my thoughts, actions and deeds by court martial cognition. If I have 10 things to achieve every day, the aim is 10. Settle for 8, be prepared for 6, but never settle for 2 days in a row of 5. Be disciplined enough to then create the space to demand the opportunity for improvement. The only caveat I can insert is where there is a perceived notion of inability to get into a routine, kids, shift work etc. All I’ll suggest is, create a routine in the madness. Achieving 2 in a day is forgivable, not trying is unforgivable. The aim is progress not regress. We can all do something. Most of our insufficiencies are self made. Creating a negative bias. Provide the positive like a muscle, it must be worked on to gain strength.

The purpose of life is a life of purpose - The main fundamental of my sobriety isn’t anything but something that started extremely simple. I got a routine. A routine so disciplined that I will not waiver. I’m all over the place today. I don’t know what day it is. Since Friday, I’ve had a Bank Holiday of travel, a 2am bedtime (11pm uk time 3 hours ahead here), then clocks going forward, but not in Turkey, they stay put, so I’m now 2 hours ahead of UK time. My body is in a state called ‘Jet lag mode’.

Jet lag is defined as - The feeling of tiredness and confusion that people experience after making a long journey by plane to place where the time is different from the place they left. The symptoms of jet lag are as follows - irritability, anxiety, changed bowel habits, difficulty concentrating, not as alert, headaches, feeling low. I’d like to add forced periods of procrastination through fatigue.

I want to elevate this to circadian rhythm jet lag. For example, what a late night does for our capability to perform. My ever reliable truth indicator ‘Whoop strap’ (fitness tracker) gave me a score of recovered 32% as of yesterday morning. Today, 48%. An improvement no doubt, but not recovered. This is without alcohol, drugs, or any form of chemical dependance. What level of recovery do I want to achieve on holiday? As I am incapable of sitting down and doing nothing all day.

Freedom is the opportunity for self discipline - My first full day of holiday, on 32% recovered I walked 13 miles, 30,000 steps. Some people like to relax, I like to do both. In equal measure. If I was to relax all day, as in procrastinate as I’d see it. That would be someone else’s holiday plan. I know my plan works for me, so I’ll stick to it.

I’ve gathered four years of evidence to suggest that for me, getting as much done early is the path to take, sometimes it feels as I have the whole world to myself, but I also know that whatever happens during the day will then not put a stop to what has already been achieved of the 10 (for example) goals I set. There will always be obstacles in the way of life, it’s about finding the space where it’s most available, then dialling in on it without objection. People go to the library to read as it’s always quiet, they don’t go to a busy shopping centre. The levels of distraction are insurmountable. Create a library environment, daily.

The argument against anyone staying up late on a weekend is not an argument for me, it’s about a way of life and prioritising what is actually important. Choosing to allow the body to enter a period of ‘jet lag mode’ every week is nonsensical and bordering on stupidity. Choosing to recover during the week, rather than recover from the week during the weekend is a life choice, not a societal norm, which is sadly how it is perceived by the majority.

The key to a good night’s sleep is not only to keep a set rhythm of sleep and awake time, but also to be in nature within 20/30 mins of waking. This is a sure fire way to start any day well. Then build or habit stack up to however many daily goals are attainable. I’ve just finished Think Again by Adam Grant. He states that thinking again doesn’t mean to change, it means to clarify, rather than change. If it works, stick, think again, then stick or twist. It should be evolution, not revolution. I see so many people talk about lifestyle changes like a holiday, not a new way of life. A lifestyle holiday is just that. A period of insignificant change that will not be continued, classified in my opinion - as a waste of time.

Today would and I suppose is my wedding anniversary, you never lose the day. You just lose the marriage. Which is exactly what I did, by not, during a 10 year period adapt to the ever changing and complexities that life gave me. My unwillingness to commit to a routine for myself caused me to fail, then the marriage to follow. My commitment to myself now is unwavered.

Don’t be the victim of your story. Recover yourself to be the hero. Provide meaning to achieve happiness in the morning. If the goal is to sit in the sun every morning, you must create the habit to be able to withstand sitting in the rain in winter. Every day is the opportunity to create the environment, perhaps not the end goal. Stay humble, work hard, go to bead early, wake up early. The future ‘you’ is dictated by what you do today. You just haven’t given it the credence that it deserves.

This weeks reading:

The Daily Laws - Robert Green - Wisdom and Philosophy

The Daily Stoic - Ryan Holiday - Stoic Philosophy (you cannot call yourself wise without first connecting through conversation with the dead)

About to start :

Emotional Resilience: How to safeguard your mental health - Dr Harry Barry

Listening to:

Tools of Titans - Tim Ferris

Lives of the Stoics - Ryan Holiday

About to start:

Supercommunicators - Charles Duhigg (recommended by Gina G)

Why has nobody told me this before - Julie Smith

If there is anything that anyone can recommend, please feel free to leave in the comments.

From the pool at Turkey, I wish you all a Happy Easter.