I am up by 3am. I fill my mind with positive thoughts and actions for the day for an hour, I work for another hour and at 5am I start getting ready to leave for the 530am bootcamp Soooo easy!
Fast forward to when I get back home at 7am – decision making begins…what am I wearing today, where are the meetings, what times are the best to get out of the house so I can make it on time to the meetings, what reports need to be done, have I paid all my bills, I need to go on holiday – when are you going to plan that, I need to save, to invest, to eat, I need some time to myself, I need to send and reply to those messages, emails etc…but what do I say? By lunchtime I have mental exhaustion from all these decisions and others!
What I did realize after all this rushing around is that if boot camp with all its physical demands can be the easiest part of my day – how can I borrow from its ethos? What makes it easy to achieve? I replayed it in my head the other day:
I communicated my needs to the instructor (Barbra Jambga at Sweatnation) who is way more qualified than I to help me keep the right form when exercising; an instructor who helps me figure out what to eat to keep in top form; an instructor who doesn’t let you flake but also understands when to pull back and to push you forward; an instructor who believes in you. All I have to do is show up 3 mornings a week: I arrive, I am told what to do to warm up, I am given the exercises to do and am reminded and encouraged at each stage, I work with a group of energetic folk who encourage and urge each other forward in a spirit of camaraderie that see you doing lunges around the track, jump squats till your quads cry out, tyre flips to strengthen those legs, jump rope, ab crunches, planks and so much more; awakening muscles you never thought you had.
You know why this is easy? I figured it out! I don’t have to think, I don’t have to make a decision, I don’t have to worry about what it is I need beyond making sure I am breathing, keeping the right form, keeping focused, working with my team mates, listening out to instructions and staying hydrated. It is a well thought out action oriented system. The first and important decision I had to make was to engage someone qualified and to communicate my needs to be fit and strong! Everything else is easy.
So, with each day and everyday since I signed up for boot camp, my plan is put systems in place to reduce mental and decision-making exhaustion – which often lead to procrastination and not getting things done. I vow to
(a) continue keeping a diary writing down all the important things that need to be done each day, week and month and at designated times
(b) engage and have expert people in my corner who know what they are doing and who can help me achieve my goals much more than if I were to do it myself
Example 1: Bootcamp
Example 2: I work with a financial advisor as I invest in my retirement fund and chat with my dad and friends about the local and global investment space, so that I learn as I move into that space
Example 3: I work with a business coach (Noreen Makosewe at Radical Leap) as I learn ways to accelerate my business working with young people, packaging and maximizing their potential as they make a difference in their lives and their community.
Example 4: I use the automatic bank transfer system for most of my bills, investments and other regular payments so that everything is paid in time and my energy can be focused on making the money to have in the bank for the bills to be paid
Example 5: I chunk or package activities into one to be more effective – for example Sunday is mostly my Gym day away from boot camp. Next to the gym there is a health store. After my workout, I pass by the store and do my grocery shopping for the week. This is the best time to do so – I’m still feeling pumped from the gym – which is awesome because I am still in the healthy head space, meaning my shopping basket will be full of more healthy foods. There are also fewer people on Sunday morning so I don’t have to wrangle for parking space or deal with long queues in the store. The experience for someone like me who is not much of a shopper is quite awesome 🙂
My big lessons from boot camp:
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Waking up early allows me that self-introspection much needed before the day starts
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Know what your outcome is for each activity before you start it, so start with the end in mind
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Plan the different pathways for your goals and activities, right from the beginning
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Engage those who can help you get there, then concentrate on what you’re good at – but keep checking in with those who are helping you
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Collaborate with those on the same journey as you or those who are or who have made and passed where you want to be
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Plan, focus, breathe and be awesome!
Your turn
What works for you?
What systems and plans have you put in place?
What’s your plan to make your days a little less harried and a bit more structured?
How are you planning, focusing and staying on your true path?
I would love love love to hear from you.
Happy planning! Barbs.
