Category: Reading

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

“Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits. Your net worth is a lagging measure of your financial habits. Your weight is a lagging measure of your eating habits. Your knowledge is a lagging measure of your learning habits. You get what you repeat.”

Atomic Habits , a breakthrough book from James Clear is the most comprehensive guide on how to change your habits and get better every day. This short note based on the book, is written in two parts. Part one helps us understand the importance of our habits and why they matter. More importantly, it provides answers to a series of “How to” questions that naturally occur in the context of building good habits and breaking the bad ones. In the second part of the note, six important ideas, concepts and principles are summarised that will help the reader in building habits that he or she desires to.

Part One – What ? Why ? How ?

– What is a Habit ?
– Why do Habits Matter ?
– How Habits Work ?
– How To Start A New Habit?
– How to Build Better Habits ?
– How to Break Bad Habits ?
– How to Enjoy Habits that are Hard ?

What is a Habit ?

“Habits + Deliberate Practice = Mastery”

Habits are mental shortcuts. A habit is a routine or behavior that is carried out repeatedly and most of the time automatically. When you are faced with a problem repeatedly, your brain starts to automate the process of solving it. Your habits are sets of automatic solutions that solve the problems you come across regularly.The ultimate purpose of habits is to solve the problems of life with as little energy and effort as possible. A habit is a behavior that has been repeated enough times to become automatic.

If you find yourself struggling to build a good habit or break a bad one, it is not because you have lost your ability to improve. It is often because you have not yet crossed what James Clear calls, Plateau of Latent Potential. When you finally break through the Plateau of Latent Potential, people will call it an overnight success. Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.

The upside of habits is that we can do things without thinking. The downside is that we stop paying attention to little errors. Reflection and review is a process that allows you to remain conscious of your performance over time. The tighter we cling to an identity, the harder it becomes to grow beyond it.

Why do Habits Matter ?

IDENTITY -> PROCESSES -> OUTCOMES

Habits shape our identity. Our actions define who we are. Our habits are a reflection of our identity. The more we repeat a behavior, the more we reinforce the identity associated with that behavior. For example: if you make your bed every day, you are reinforcing the identity of someone who is organized and tidy.

There are three layers of behavior change:

1. Change in your outcomes. This means changing your results, for example, losing weight.
2. Change in your processes. This means changing your habits and systems: for example, developing a daily exercise routine and diet.
3. Change in your identity. This means changing your beliefs: the way you see yourself and the ones around you. For example, if you exercise regularly, you are reinforcing the identity of someone who is fit and healthy.

With outcome-based habits, the focus is on what you want to achieve. With identity-based habits, the focus is on who you wish to become. James Clear argues that the best way to change our identity is to focus on changing our habits. By starting with small, easy habits, we can gradually build up a new identity that is more aligned with our goals. True behavior change is identity change. You could choose and start a habit because of motivation, but you’ll stick with it only if it becomes part of your identity. The real reason habits matter is not because they can get you better results (although they can do that), but because they can change your beliefs about yourself.

How Habits Work ?

CUE -> CRAVING -> RESPONSE -> REWARD

The main components of habit formation are:

1. Cue: It causes your brain to begin a behavior. It is a bit of information that predicts a reward.
2. Craving: It is the motivation behind every habit. Without a desire, we don’t have a reason to act.
3. Response: This is the very habit you perform; it can take the form of a thought or an action.
4. Reward: The end goal of every habit.

Habit formation is the process by which a behavior becomes progressively more automatic through repetition. The amount of time you have been performing a habit is not as important as the number of times you have performed it.You could do something three times in thirty days, or three hundred times. The frequency will always make the difference.

Habits are attractive when we associate them with positive feelings and unattractive when we associate them with negative feelings.

How To Start A New Habit?

‘After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].

One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top. This is called habit stacking. The two most common cues are time and location. Creating an implementation intention is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a specific time and location. Habit stacking is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a current habit.

The habit stacking formula is: ‘After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].

Using the Environment to Build New Habits.

Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior. Small changes in context can lead to large changes in behavior over time. Every habit is initiated by a cue. We are more likely to notice cues that stand out. Make the cues of good habits obvious in your environment. Gradually, your habits become associated not with a single trigger but with the entire context surrounding the behavior. The context becomes the cue. It is easier to build new habits in a new environment because you are not fighting against old cue

How to Build Better Habits ?

A habit needs to be enjoyable for it to last. What is instantly rewarded is done again. what instantly punished is ditched. To get a habit to stick You need to feel instantly successful, even if in a small way. The Four Laws of Behavior Change are a simple set of rules we can use to build better habits. For example, If we wish to build a habit of a daily work out, here’s how we can apply this 4 point formula.

1. Make it obvious
Put your gym bag by the door so you see it first thing in the morning.

2. Make it attractive
Listen to your favorite music while you work out.

3. Make it easy
Start your day with a 10-minute walk.

4. Make it satisfying
Write down your progress in a habit tracker.

How to Break Bad Habits ?

Self-control is a short-term strategy when forming habits. You may be able to resist temptation once, but you will most likely not be able to have the willpower to control your desires each time they appear. A better method is to cut bad habits off at the source. For example, if some want’s to get out of the habit of smoking, here’s how he can apply this 4 point formula.

1. Make it invisible.
Hide your cigarettes so you don’t see them every time.

2. Make it unappealing.
Think about how bad your breath smells after you smoking.

3. Make it hard to perform.
Set a goal to work for 25 minutes, even if you don’t feel like it.

4. Make it frustrating.
Remember how bad slacking off feels.

How to Enjoy Habits that are Hard ?

Create a motivation ritual by doing something you really like right before a difficult habit.

Part Two – Ideas, Concepts, Principles

– 1% Improvement Everyday
– The 2-Minute Rule
– The Goldilocks Rule for Staying Motivated
– The Law Of Least Effort
– Walk Slowly, But Never Backward
– Focus on Systems

1% Improvement Everyday

“If you can get 1 % better each day you will end up 37 times better by the time you’re done.
If you get worst 1% every single day end up reaching nearly 0″ – JAMES CLEAR

Getting 1 percent better every day counts for a lot in the long-run. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement. Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.

The 2-Minute Rule

If you can do an action in two minutes or less, tackle it at the moment — and don’t delay.
The rule was created by David Allen in Getting Things Done & James Clear recommends it for habit building as well: When you start a new habit it should take less than two minutes to do.
Any habit can be scaled down into a 2-minute version:
• Read before bed each night becomes read one page;
• 30 minutes of exercise becomes take out my yoga mat;
• Fold the laundry becomes fold one pair of socks.

The Goldilocks Rule for Staying Motivated

We experience peak motivation when we are performing actions that are right on the edge our current abilities. Not too difficult, not too easy.

The Law Of Least Effort

We will instinctively choose the path that requires least amount of work. This is a universal law that has huge implications in habit formation:
• Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible.
• Reduce the friction associated with good behaviors. When friction is low, habits are easy.
• Increase the friction associated with bad behaviors. When friction is high, habits are difficult.

Walk Slowly, But Never Backward

It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re trying to change your habits, especially if you don’t see results immediately. But if you keep taking small steps forward, even if they’re not huge, you’ll eventually reach your goals.
For example: if you’re trying to lose weight, you might be tempted to skip a workout or eat a unhealthy meal. But if you do that, you’ll be setting yourself back. It’s better to make small, healthy choices that will help you reach your goals in the long run.

Focus on Systems

Goals are good for establishing a direction, but systems are best for making progress. Goals are about the results you hope to reach. Systems are about the mechanisms that lead to those results.

To conclude, let’s accept that on an average 90% of our daily decisions happen automatically, many shaped by our environment. Thus, most decisions are a habit, not a deliberate choice. Therefore, to make smarter choices, we need to design smarter defaults. And so, habits can be developed by shaping the invisible defaults of life.

The Animal that Became God

“Fire gave us power
Farming made us hungry for more
Money gave us purpose
Science made us deadly”
– YUVAL NOAH HARARI

This evening, during a stroll with Purvi, I expressed my concerns about the complexity and challenges of the modern day life. Her response was that we need to adapt. But then, humans have always adapted and not just that, they have transformed almost everything that they have been able to.

It was by chance later in the night that I happened to pick up the book Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari, and read a summary of the book. This book let’s you dive into depths of humans, from the begining, to how things stand today. It echoes and explains why the modern day life has become complex. The following explaination from the book, sums up how the complexity has grown with the passage of time.

Seventy Thousand yeas ago, homosapiens were still an insignificant animal minding their own business in a corner of Africa.

In the following millennia, they transformed themselves into the masters of the entire planet and the terror of the ecosystem.

Today they stand on the verge of becoming God, poised to acquire not only eternal youth, but also the divine abilities of creation and destruction.

There are more thought provoking facts that are well explained and articulated in the book. In my future posts, I shall make a attempt to share my thoughts along with the author’s narratives. I hope, I can find my answer, and a solution.

The Success Mantra – Distilled From My All Time Favourite Book Reads

“Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act up on must inevitably come to pass.” -Paul Meyer

The Success Mantra is a collection of time tested and proven principles, that I have attempted to summarise in this note, from some of my all time favourite books.

The following is a short brief on the 10 valuable Mantras of Success

1. Definiteness of Purpose

2. Mastering Self-Discipline

3. Positive Mental Attitude

4. Learning from Failure

5. Effective Communication

6. Building a Mastermind Group

7. Taking Action

8. Persistence and Determination

9. Continuous Learning and Growth

10. Giving Back and Serving Others

Applying these principles can help everyone unlock their true potential and achieve success in various facets of life.

1. Definiteness of Purpose:

The secret of success is constancy to purpose. – Benjamin Disraeli

Success begins with a clear and specific goal. Define your purpose and create a plan to achieve it. Without a definite purpose, you may drift aimlessly and struggle to find success.

2. Mastering Self-Discipline:

Discipline is Destiny. – Ryan Holiday

Self-discipline is crucial for success. Develop the ability to control your thoughts, emotions, and actions. By mastering self-discipline, you can stay focused, overcome obstacles, and persist in the face of challenges.

3. Positive Mental Attitude:

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow. – Helen Keller

Cultivate a positive mindset. Your thoughts and beliefs shape your reality. Maintain a positive mental attitude, visualize success, and eliminate negative self-talk. A positive mindset attracts opportunities and helps you overcome setbacks.

4. Learning from Failure:

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. – Thomas A. Edison

Failure is not permanent unless you allow it to be. Embrace failure as a learning opportunity and stepping stone to success. Analyze your failures, learn from them, and adjust your approach. Persistence and resilience are key to achieving your goals.

5. Effective Communication:

Communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and career success. – Paul J. Meyer

Develop strong communication skills. Learn to express yourself clearly, listen actively, and understand others. Effective communication builds relationships, inspires collaboration, and opens doors to new opportunities.

6. Building a Mastermind Group:

When a group of intelligent men work in the spirit of Harmony, they will provide much more thought energy than a that of one intelligent man. – Napoleon Hill

Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who support and challenge you. Create a mastermind group of individuals who share similar goals and values. Collaborate, exchange ideas, and leverage collective knowledge and resources.

7. Taking Action:

A dream becomes a goal when action is taken toward its achievement – Bo Bennett

Success requires taking consistent and purposeful action. Avoid procrastination and indecision. Break down your goals into actionable steps and take immediate action. Progress comes from consistent effort and perseverance.

8. Persistence and Determination:

The most essential factor is persistence – the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come. – James Whitcomb Riley

Success rarely comes overnight. Develop persistence and determination to overcome obstacles and setbacks. Stay committed to your goals, even when faced with challenges. Success often comes to those who refuse to give up.

9. Continuous Learning and Growth:

Successful men, never stop acquiring specialized knowledge related to their major purpose, business, or profession. – Napoleon Hill

Commit to lifelong learning and personal growth. Acquire new knowledge, develop new skills, and stay updated with industry trends. Embrace a growth mindset and seek opportunities for self-improvement.

10. Giving Back and Serving Others:

When you’re in a position to have gotten so much, the gift at this point is giving back. – Paul Stanley

True success involves making a positive impact on others. Find ways to contribute to society and help others succeed. By serving others, you create a ripple effect of positivity and attract success into your own life.

Man’s Search For Meaning

“If you have a why to live, you can bear almost any how.”
– FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Viktor E. Frankl

Viktor Emil Frankl was an Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, writer, and Holocaust survivor. In 1942, just nine months after his marriage, Frankl and his family were sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. His father died there of starvation and pneumonia. In 1944, Frankl and the surviving members of his family were transported to Auschwitz, where his mother and brother were murdered in the gas chambers. His wife died later of typhus in Bergen-Belsen. Frankl spent three years in four concentration camps.
The author loses everything that he has when they bring him to the camp. Soldiers separate him from his wife, brother, sister and parents. For a long time, he didn’t even know if they were alive or not. Soldiers confiscated the scientific works he had been working on all his life and destroyed them.
After losing everything including his purpose of life, how can a man continue to live without losing hope?

Meaning of Life

“The meaning of life is to give life meaning.”
Viktor Frankl was the founder of logotherapy, a school of psychotherapy that describes a search for a life’s meaning as the central human motivational force.
Meaning in life according to Frankl ; can be of three kinds.
  1. The first being a higher purpose or calling, something you feel you have been put on this earth to achieve.
  • The second is love, love for your partner, spouse, children, family, friends, and all those who matter.
  • The last is suffering. Suffering is an unavoidable part of human existence and it is upto man to find meaning in his own suffering.
These are the three ‘roots of meaning.’ that can bring hope and guide anyone through a difficult period in life.

1. Pursue a Life Task

“Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is unique as his specific opportunity to implement it.”
There would be a task that you and only you can complete. A piece of work that required your unique experiences, knowledge, and skills.

2. Love

“The more one forgets himself—by giving himself to another person to love—the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself.”
According to Frankl ‘Love’ has little to do with just the feeling of being in love and more about doing things to help others succeed. “Love” is the act of recognizing the potential in those who matter you you and supporting them actualize that potential. When you lack meaning, find someone you can elevate.

3. Suffer Bravely

“(By) accepting the challenge to suffer bravely, life has a meaning up to the last moment, and it retains this meaning literally to the end.”
You can use your imagination to overcome suffering. Take this incident (from Frankl’s experience)-
While walking in the cold while being beaten by a Nazi guard, he recalls a man whispering to him, “If our wives could see us now! I do hope they are better off in their camps and don’t know what is happening to us.” Instead of worrying about the man’s comment, this prompted Frankl to retreat into his imagination. He pictured his wife and her smile.
“Life is Now – The Meaning of Life is in this Moment.” – Jayesh Tekchandaney
Life is made up of many stories which are scripted in the Now. Life is like a movie; it’s ultimate meaning can only be known in its conclusion. But each still in the movie has an inherent meaning of its own. It is up to us to make each frame and still meaningful to the best of our ability.

Logotherapy

“When we are unable to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
Logotherapy guides one to find their purpose and meaning in their lives. This meaning differs by individual and can change from hour to hour.
Meaning can be found in even the smallest of details. So, don’t spend all your waking hours searching for an all-encompassing meaning of life. Instead, search for meaning in everyday tasks and in the relationships you have with your friends and family.

IKIGAI

Ikigai’ is a book authored by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles. The purpose of this book is to help you find your Ikigai, and to share insights from Japanese philosophy on the lasting health of body, mind and spirit.

In this note, we summarise the key ideas and actions presented in the book. These include :

– What is Ikigai ?
– Knowing Your Ikigai
– Ikigai and Longevity
– Antiaging Secrets
– How to Face Life’s Challenges
– Summarised – The 10 Rules of Ikigai

What is Ikigai ?

Ikigai is the reason for your being. ‘Iki’ in Japanese means ‘life,’ and ‘gai’ describes value or worth. Ikigai means your purpose in life, which makes you wake up everyday. Having a clearly defined ikigai brings satisfaction, happiness, and meaning to our lives.

Ikigai is illustrated in four overlapping circles, as in a Venn Diagram which talks about a synthesis of:

• What you love to do.
• What you are good at.
• What the world needs.
• What you can be paid for

Knowing Your Ikigai

To know what your Ikigai is, make a list of the following three things –
• Your values
• Things you like to do
• Things you are good at

The cross-section or overlap of these three lists, is your Ikigai, something you should do for the rest of your life.

Happiness is in the act of doing, not the result.

Ikigai and Longevity
The keys to longevity are diet, exercise, finding a purpose in life (an Ikigai), broad circle of friends, and good family relations.

Ikigai: Everyday Life and not Lifetime

The concept of Ikigai aligns with everyday life, as opposed to a lifetime. It makes us appreciate our daily life, celebrating it, and experiencing the small joys of living. Ikigai is the reason you wake up in the morning for, that thing you live for, daily. Whatever you do, don’t retire. Keep your heart young. Smile. Live an unhurried life. Show respect for nature.

Diet & “Hara hachi bu” – The 80% Secret
Eat a variety of foods, in particular fruits and vegetables. Make sure, that you are “eating the rainbow” – red peppers, carrots, spinach, cauliflower,and eggplant, for example, offers color and variety. The world’s longest living people eat less than 10 grams of salt per day and cut down on refined sugar, refined grains, and foods prepared with cow’s milk. They have sweet potato, soyabeans. They enjoy their green tea.
One of the most common sayings in Japan is “Hara hachi bu,” which is said before or after eating and means “Fill your belly to 80 percent. Overeating wears down the body with long digestive processes that accelerate cellular oxidation. By presenting their meals on many small plates, the Japanese tend to eat less.
Movement & Exercise
The longest-living people are not the ones who do the most exercise but rather the ones who move the most. Everyone should be involved in some type of body movements such as talking walks, gardening, doing your laundry, cooking, cleaning, on a regular basis. Practicing yoga or any other form of light exercise can help. The Surya Namaskar (the Sun Salutation) with just twelve basic movements is one of the simplest and most effective hatha yoga exercise that one can practise at home for a lifetime. Breathing properly can do wonders.
Moai: Connected for Life
A Moai is an informal group of people with common interests who look out for one another. Those who will motivate you and provide you with constructive feedback and support when necessary. Surround yourself with good friends and family, with people who are positive and cheerful. Nurture your friendships every day. If you are anxious, go out, say ‘Hello!’ and ‘See you later!’ to people.
Antiaging Secrets : The Art Of Staying Young While Growing Old
Active Mind, Youthful Body : A sound mind lies in a sound body. Physical exercise keep the body healthy. Simple exercises like jogging, stretching, pushups, cycling, makes you feel happy and energetic. Mental work exercises help create new neural connections and revitalizes the brain.
Be Mindful about Reducing Stress: High-level stress leads to premature aging. One way to reach a state of mindfulness is through meditation. Get seven to nine hours of sleep.
Sitting for Prolonged Periods Ages You : Walk to work, or just go for a walk 20 minutes in a day, take the stairs, play a sport, play with kids, participate in social or leisure activities.
Have a Positive Attitude and Emotional Awareness : Stay cheerful and maintain a positive attitude. Accept emotions without trying to control them since feelings will change as a result of actions.
How to Face Life’s Challenges without Stress and Worry ?
• Pray once you wake up.
• Focus on the most important than the most urgent.
• Be flexible, concentrate on things you can control, and don’t worry about those you cannot.
• There is nothing wrong with enjoying life’s pleasures as long as they do not take control of your life.
• Think about what’s the worst thing that can happen. However, do not give in to negative emotions.
• Observe the thoughts as they appear, without getting carried away.
• Focus on here and now.
• Only imperfection resembles the natural world.
The two important concepts to be fully understood are :

The here and now, and the impermanence of things: Both Buddhism and Stoicism remind us that the present is all that exists, and it is the only thing we can control. Instead of worrying about the past or the future, we should appreciate things just as they are in the moment, in the now.

Wabi-sabi and ichi-go ichi-e: Wabi-sabi is a Japanese concept that shows us the beauty of the fleeting, changeable, and imperfect nature of the world around us. Instead of searching for beauty in perfection, we should look for it in things that are flawed, incomplete. Japanese concept is that of ichi-go ichi-e , which could be translated “This moment exists only now and won’t come again.” It is heard most often in social gatherings as a reminder that each encounter is unique and will never be repeated, meaning that we should enjoy the moment and not lose ourselves in worries about the past or the future.

Summarised : The 10 Rules of Ikigai

1. Stay active; don’t retire.
2. Take it slow.
3. Don’t fill your stomach.
4. Surround yourself with good friends.
5. Get in shape for your next birthday.
6. Smile.
7. Reconnect with nature.
8. Give thanks.
9. Live in the moment.
10. Follow your IKIGAI.

Start with Why

“Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.”
– VIKTOR E. FRANKL

In “Start With Why,” the author, Simon Sinek presents that purpose-driven individuals and organisations succeed because they start with the “why” instead of the “what” or the “how.”

His submission is that when individuals, leaders, institutions, companies and organisations communicate their purpose and beliefs, they can create a following of people, partners, team members and employees who share those values, and as result are sure to succeed. “Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them.”
The Book, ‘Start with Why’ can be summarised in the following 4 statements –

1. WHY is the purpose, cause, or belief.
2. Every inspiring leader starts with WHY
3. People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.
4. Knowing your WHY is the key to lasting success.

The 4 Key Insights from the book :
Key Insights: 1. The Importance of Purpose
Sinek emphasizes that purpose is what sets successful companies apart from their competition. Purpose-driven companies attract and retain loyal customers and employees who share their values.
Key Insights: 2. The Power of Beliefs
Sinek highlights that companies with strong beliefs can create a culture that attracts like-minded individuals. Belief can help improve self motivation, inspire innovation, increase productivity, and result in employee satisfaction. “
Key Insights: 3. The Role of Authenticity
Sinek stresses upon the importance of authenticity in communicating the “Why.” No one can manipulate employees or customers for long. Being authentic is essential to building trust and creating lasting relationships.
Key Insights: 4. Finding Your “Why”

Sinek provides a framework for finding your “Why” and communicating it to your team and customers. It is by putting into practice your personal values and beliefs, and using them as the foundation for your business strategy.

To support his theory, Sinek provides real-world examples of companies that have successfully communicated their purpose to create a loyal following.

The Golden Circle

Sinek introduces and narrates a novel concept. He calls it, “The Golden Circle”.

The Golden Circle is formed of three parts: ‘Why,’ ‘How’ and ‘What.’

What ?

The What of a company relates to the product or service that a company provides. The What is the outer layer of the circle.

How ?

The How of a company is the approach adopted by a company. The How is the differentiating value proposition or a unique selling point of the company.

Why ?

The Why is at the core of the golden circle. Why does the company exist?

The Biological Basis of Golden Circle

Sinek explains that the ‘What ?’ is directly related to our neocortex in the brain. The neocortex is a an area in the human brain specialized for rational and analytical thoughts and language. The neocortex does not drive behavior. Instead, it only allows us to consider vast amounts of data.

The ‘How ?’ and ‘Why ?’ of The Golden Circle are both associated with the limbic brain, which is specialized for feelings like trust and loyalty. This area of the brain is responsible for all human behavior and decision-making.

Thus if you start with ‘Why ?’ you will be directly connecting with the limbic brain and this will facilitate better decision making.

Leadership is about Starting With ‘Why ?’ But Knowing ‘How ?’
Any individual can possess the ability to motivate people. But, the most important thing to becoming a great leader is to be charismatic. Charisma is a skill that inspires people around you. This charisma is tied to a leader’s ‘Why ?’. Leaders in all walks of life have a belief in a greater purpose than themselves.

“The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.”

“There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us. Whether individuals or organizations, we follow those who lead not because we have to, but because we want to. We follow those who lead not for them, but for ourselves.”

Video

Watch Simon Sinek, explaining ‘Start with Why’

https://youtu.be/u4ZoJKF_VuA?si=d4lLi2zw-vOOkcel

The 5 AM Club

“The 5 AM Club” by Robin Sharma emphasises the importance of rising up early, and beginning your day with a holistic routine. The mantra, “Well begun is half done” is reiterated. The following is an extract, summary from the book, along with a visual representation, and a video link from YouTube both of which are included at the end of this note.

The book primarily echoes and builds upon the age old idea of Brahmamuhurta which defined in our Vedic scriptures, and was practiced in ancient India. Brahmamuhurta, which means ‘time of Brahma (the creator of this universe) ‘, is a 48-minute period (muhurta) that begins one hour and 36 minutes before sunrise, and ends 48 minutes before sunrise. It is traditionally the penultimate phase or muhurta of the night, and is considered an auspicious time for all practices of yoga and most appropriate for meditation, worship or any other religious practice. Spiritual activities performed early in the morning are said to have a greater effect than in any other part of the day.

Robin Sharma’s magic mantra from this book, “Take excellent care of the front end of your day, and the rest of your day will pretty much take care of itself. Own your morning.”

He encourages everyone to be an early riser, which is at 5 am in the morning. While this could be difficult for many to adopt, for several personal and professional reasons, in principle the concept can be implemented, so long as one is willing to rise early. It’s important to grasp the ideas presented in the book and implement them, so that one make the most of the time available to advance personal, professional , physical, family, health, spiritual and social goals.

Peak Performance at 5:00 a.m.

The text suggests that our attention span is limited and gets used up throughout the day by various distractions. By waking up at 5:00 a.m., there is an opportunity to focus on one important task without distractions. This is due to a concept called transient hypofrontality, where at this time, the brain’s rational thinking shuts down, allowing for a state of flow. This state of flow leads to increased focus and productivity for the entire day. This can lead to achieving great things and becoming a history maker.

Wake at 5:00 a.m. for incredible results with 20/20/20 formula.
By using this formula you will get most of your Victory Hour(5-6 am). It is divided into three 20 minutes pockets.

– Move: 1st 20 minutes for intense exercise. Start by exercising vigorously for 20 minutes to generate brain-boosting sweat. It will increase your metabolism rate and your brain will be optimized and you will be able to better focus on work.

– Reflect: Then, spend 20 minutes in deep reflection and solitude, writing your thoughts in a journal to understand your vision and let go of negativity. Here you plan your day or Mediate for clear vision or you may do praying or journaling.

– Grow: Finally, dedicate the last 20 minutes of your first hour to learning; study biographies, psychology, innovation, or listen to audiobooks. Embrace this routine to become a successful member of the 5 AM club.

The Four Focuses of History Makers
• Capitalization IQ: ‘Natural talent is not what defines great individuals. Instead, it is the extent of that potential that they capitalize on through consistency and relentlessness.’
• Freedom from Distraction: ‘An addiction to distraction is the death of your creative production.’
• Personal Mastery Practice: ‘Your influence in the world mirrors the glory, nobility, vitality, and luminosity you’ve accessed in yourself.’ Focus on your Four Interior Empires.
• Day Stacking: ‘As you live each day, so you craft your life. We all are so focused on pursuing our futures that we generally ignore the exceedingly important value of a single day. And yet what we are doing today is creating our future.’

The Four Interior Empires

• Mind Set: It is the psychological aspect of our being. For example, our thinking.

• Heart Set: It is our emotional intelligence. How good are we at managing our own emotions? What is our relation to others?

• Health Set: It relates to our physical fitness.

• Soul Set: It connects to spirituality. How are we connecting to that Supreme power?

The Five Scientific Truths Behind Excellent Habits

• World-class willpower isn’t an inherent strength; it is a skill developed through relentless practice.

• Personal discipline is a muscle. The more you stretch it, the stronger it gets.

• Like other muscles, willpower weakens when tired. Therefore, recovery is necessary for the expression of mastery and to manage decision fatigue.

• Installing any virtuous habits follows a distinct four-part pattern for automation of the routine.

• Increasing self-control in one area of your life should elevate self-control in all areas of your life.

The Three Values of Heroic Habit Makers
• Victory demands consistency and persistence. Anyone can be great for just one day. But to be great consistently is what is required to become heroic.
• Completing what is started determines the size of personal respect that will be generated.
• The way you practice in private is precisely how you will perform once you are in public.

The Habit Installation Protocol

It takes 66 days to get to the automation point of a new habit. The time can be divided into 3 parts (22 days each)-

• Destruction Phase: Here your old habit gets destroyed. It is the hardest part. You need most of your willpower in this phase.

• Installation Phase: In this phase installation of a new habit takes place. Here you should remember why you are going to build this habit.

• Integration Phase: Here the habit gets integrated with your daily life
After 66 days the habit will be automated.

The 10 Tactics of Lifelong Genius

1. The Tight Bubble of Total Focus: preserves your focus as well as your primal brilliance by giving you long stretches of time free from trivial fascinations and any influences that dissolve your inspiration.

2. The 90/90/1 Rule: For 90 days spend 90 minutes of a workday on a single task.

3. The 60/10 method: 60 minutes work – 10-minute break.

4. The Five Daily Concepts: During the second pocket of your Victory Hour, list the five tiny targets you wish to accomplish over the day ahead for you to feel it was one well-spent.

5. The Second-Wind Workout: schedule a second workout at the end of your workday to give you a second wind for a great evening.

6. The Two Massage Protocols: Lock two ninety-minute massages onto your weekly schedule. If not a massage do something that allows you to unwind.

7. Traffic University: Use the traveling time to learn, expanding your professional prowess and personal knowledge.

8. The Dream Team Technique: Delegate tasks that not only are a poor use of your hours but also diminish your happiness. Ideally, restructure your entire life so you’re doing only the things you’re great at—and love to do.

9. The Weekly Design System: Carve out and then ritualize thirty minutes early each Sunday morning to create your “Blueprint for a Beautiful Week.”

10. The 60-Minute Student: For at least sixty minutes a day, study. Do whatever it takes to fireproof your commitment to relentless growth.

Twin Cycles of Elite Performance
The Five Assets of Genius are your mental focus, your physical energy, your personal willpower, your original talent, and your daily time.
The balance should be maintained between High Excellence Cycles (the time when you work) and Deep Refueling Cycle (when you take rest).
Remember this: The time you least feel like doing something is the best time to do it.

The Billionaire’s Maxim

1. To Create Magic in the World, Own the Magic within Yourself.

2. Collect Miraculous Experiences over Material Things.

3. Failure Inflates Fearlessness.

4. Proper Use of Your Primal Power Creates Your Personal Utopia.

5. Avoid Bad People.

6. Money Is the Fruit of Generosity, Not Scarcity.

7. Optimal Health Maximizes Your Power to Produce Magic.

8. Continue Raising Your Life Standards Toward Absolute World-Class.

9. Deep Love Yields Unconquerable Joy.

10. Heaven on Earth Is a State, Not a Place.

11. Tomorrow Is a Bonus, Not a Right.

The following illustration by Visual Synopsis presents the above concepts in a single sheet.

You can also watch the 5 am Club video uploaded on YouTube by Upgraded Mentality.

https://youtu.be/Kxvp3eOYphY?si=gWFwpx5LNB_6vXEE

What to Read and How ?

  1. Focus on getting to build a solid foundation. Read those books which help you to built this foundation.
  2. Read the originals, read the classics.Read the greats in maths, science, microeconomics and philosophy. Ignore contemporaries and news
  3. Reading the book isn’t a race – the better the book, the more slowly it should be absorbed
  4. Most books have one point to make, they make it, and then give you examples after examples to apply it to everything in the world. Once you get the gist, you don’t have to read the whole book. You can put it down.

Source : Adapted from “The Almanack of Naval Ravikant”, by Eric Jorgenson