It took me two and half years to get my life back in order, after just one day of slack.
Unfulfilled potential is my greatest fear, and I happen to be a talented person. I used to wake up disappointed everyday at 9 A.M, with barely anytime for myself before I slid into my laptop at 9:30 (office in India starts at 9:30). Then of course, I am a mini-scale city in the morning, with the same amount of haste, as I finish off my breakfast, clean the spilled coffee from my keyboard — due to the haste, and barely catch a breath till 10:30. God bless Work From Home, else I would have been fired on Day 3 of my job! And in the next two minutes — it’s noon.
Still wanting to fulfill my grand ambitions-marathon runner, super cyclist, disciplined investor, a responsible daughter, a linguist, and a chef; I saw myself failing everywhere, as my mornings were non-existent.
I also read multiple self-improvement books and tried out various methods, but they all just partially worked. However, one book stuck-The 5A.M Revolution by Dan Luca. It was not the content of the book that impacted me, it was the simplicity and ease with which I was able to transition into discipline and consistency. It was something that I needed, and the method of the book gave it to me-TIME.
Post adapting the routine (tweaked as per my convenience), I have accomplished the following:
- Wake up latest by 7 A.M (hence, 5 A.M is a prospective goal)
- Feel myself bursting with energy after a process called the “Body Tough Love”
- Enrolled as a mentor to tutor underprivileged students at a local NGO over the weekends (the thought was inspired by the “Questions” segment of the morning routine)
- Have the healthiest breakfast every morning
- Meditate daily for 7 minutes
- Run and cycle consistently, I think I can hold on to my ambitions after all
- My cholesterol levels have come down from 276 to 216
- Cook a new ‘tasty’ dish at least 5 times a week
- Enhanced my income
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY-gain a grand clarity of thought.
The routine that I follow differs a bit from the book, and it is as follows:
Wake up > Drink 500ml of water with lemon > Pat your entire body with your palms 2–5 times (Body Tough Love-this is a magical process, I laughed at the thought initially but once I did it I was sold) > Write down things you are grateful for (I write down as many as I can) > Journal about your situation > Answer a unique question every day of the month (each day of the month has the same question) > Make your To-Do list > Do the Hawaiian Mediation for 7 minutes > Write a relationship note for your partner > Take a shower > Eat the best breakfast in the world-a smoothie!
Following this routine has given me tangible results. The secret which worked for me was tweaking the routine a bit as per my convenience to suit my lifestyle and comfort, and finding the resilience to follow through. It’s simple, you may have the talent, but without discipline and consistency, you are just sleeping till 9A.M.
