How to accomplish...my morning mantra!

"I am going to stay out of my own way today, I am going to keep my Ego in check, and I am going to fight The Resistance every step of the way. "

Easier said than done for sure. So how do we do this? 

First, be aware that these are just obstacles in our lives. Remembering that obstacles are opportunities for growth. With that mindset, how can you not have a great day? A failure is only one if you don't learn from it. Any day that you know something new is a good day. So let's start from that perspective. 

I am going to stay out of my own way: 

How are we going to do that? Well, to say there is one correct answer is foolish. So I am going to just make some suggestions. Things that have worked for me in the past and are still working. Realize that as you grow and change, the actions you need to take will need to change. So be flexible. 

1. Set up your day the night before. In other words, have a good evening routine. Know what your day will look like and what you want to accomplish. Life gets in the way. The unexpected is expected. Uncertainty in life is inevitable. So do the best you can. Record your wins at the end of every day. 
2. Have a consistent morning routine. Put yourself in a state that emits productivity. Have your own morning mantra the will get you in the right frame of mind. 
3. Have the right working environment. If you are trying to work at home and have children and pets and loved ones all pulling and demanding your attention, you are set up for failure. I know I said that there is no failure if you learn from it. However, if you find yourself in the same environment day in and day out, you haven't learned anything. So set up your working environment so that you can get work done. This way, when you are home, you are present with your family, and when you are working, you are productive. 
4. But what about all the other distractions that plague me and follow me around all day:). You will need to deal with each one as they appear. There is an app called Freedom that will help block unwanted apps. You can schedule them not to open when you need to focus on work. Check it out. It has been a lifesaver for me. 

I am going to keep my Ego in check: 

I suggest you read Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday. Our Egos get in the way of all aspects of our lives and are difficult to control. It does take some introspection daily. I often find that if something is going wrong or I don't feel entirely comfortable about a decision, my Ego is causing the problem. Not to say that everything that has to do with your Ego is terrible. By no means. You just need to keep it in check. Otherwise, it could get you into a lot of trouble. 

 I am going to fight The Resistance every step of the way.

The Resistance is everywhere. It is subtle and blatant, two-faced and proactive. Resistance is Egos's biggest ally. It is all around us. Even when you think you are doing something good like spending time with a loved one. It could very well be The Resistance doing its most clever work. Let me explain. How many times have you blown off something that needed to be done because a loved one wanted to spend time with you? Or there was a slight problem that ONLY YOU could help them with. 

Of course, you do it gladly because you are a loving partner. Though what you aren't doing is eating the frog. Doing the thing at work that you should be doing. The Resistance disguises itself under the rocks and in the tiniest of crevices. That is why my mantra is to fight The Resistance every step of the way. It's unforgiving and relentless. 

So put on your armor when you get up in the morning so you can 

Stay out of your own way, keep your Ego in check and fight The Resistance every step of the way!

Joshua