How to Build a Morning Meditation Routine Like Jack Dorsey
Jack Dorsey started out as a computer programmer and fast became one of the most recognizable faces in Silicon Valley. He has amassed a net worth of $3.3 billion, primarily through his work as co-founder and CEO of Twitter, and founder and CEO of Square, a mobile payments company with a $17.22 billion market cap.
After returning to Twitter in 2015, Dorsey put into motion a series of changes in an attempt to turn around what was then a struggling company. They included the introduction of ‘Moments,’ an increase in the length of tweets, and a revamped advertising strategy. You could argue that Dorsey’s impact as the once-again CEO is starting to show, with Twitter’s stock price up 42% in 2017 and at the highest price it has been since December 2015.
Why Jack Dorsey includes morning meditation in his daily routine
Dorsey was removed his original position as CEO at Twitter in 2008. His focus on non-work related hobbies, including sewing and drawing classes, coupled with frequent appearances at parties annoyed his co-workers. He then had a spell where he went “rogue” and managed to alienate his former colleagues at Twitter even further.
Dorsey turned to meditation in order to “steady the boat”, and as part of his consistent routine, he added 30 minutes of the practice to his morning each day.
“I look to build a lot of consistent routine. Same thing every day. Allows a steady state that enables me to be more effective when I do have to react to something out of band,” said Dorsey during a 2016 Product Hunt Q&A.
The idea of building a steady state is something that Tony Robbins refers to as a result of his morning routine. As humans, we can’t make rational, logical decisions when we’re emotionally turbulent. Meditation is Dorsey’s way of stabilizing his mind and body before a day of work, and potentially tough decisions.
What’s more, as Dorsey himself puts it, “a healthier lifestyle ultimately makes me more creative and allows me to think more cohesively.” With that in mind, his morning meditation forms part of his healthy lifestyle and is critical to his ability to manage not one, but two large organizations.
How to build a habit of morning meditation like Jack Dorsey
While attempting to build a habit is tricky in and of itself, people seem to really struggle with morning habit building over those during any other times of the day. Here are a few ways, inspired by Dorsey, that you might use to go about building your morning meditation routine.
1. Sleep in total darkness for optimal sleep quality
Naturally, you’ll be much more inclined to get up earlier after a good night’s sleep. This is vital if you’re planning to wake up early and even more important if you expect to practice meditation. You can blackout your room by ensuring you have good blinds or curtains, but by also removing any potential artificial light, such as:
Avoid using devices or looking at bright screens 15 minutes before bed
Light inhibits the secretion of melatonin — the hormone that controls your sleep and wake cycles — and reducing its impact on your sleep should be a high priority.
2. Pick your meditation spot in advance
Most people will benefit from meditating in the same spot as it helps them build a habit around the daily practice. Setting up your meditation spot the night before so that when you wake up you can just go straight into your meditation without distraction is a great way to reduce the chances that you’ll skip the exercise. So make it a goal to:
Meditate [x] minutes after you wake-up
A daily alarm or reminder just in case it slips your mind after your deep sleep is always helpful, particularly in the first few days of trying.
3. Start with a short meditation and simple technique
As mentioned, meditation can be hard to get into and tricky to make a habit of initially, so start with a simple form of meditation and only expect to meditate for a few minutes at a time. Try to:
Meditate for 5 minutes each morning
You can increase the length by 30 seconds each day or week if you wish. Over time, you might also want to experiment with different forms of meditation, for example, Heart Rhythm Meditation (HRM), Kundalini, Zazen, Transcendental Meditation, or even Vipassana Meditation.
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Originally published at www.evolution2.co.
