“Rory, what is your most powerful and impactful personal habit?”
I get this question A LOT!
One reason I love this question is because it comes from our personal development topics.
The reason it makes me happy is because we built our career on these two things: how ultra-performers overcome procrastination and fear, and how one percenters think differently about time.
To answer the question, my most powerful and impactful habit is my morning and evening routine.
There are several things that I do every morning, but if I had to choose one, it would be this.
The moment you come into consciousness, there is a battle for your mind.
You need to win that battle, and take conscious control of your mind or else, your unconscious self-centered mind is going to take over.
PRAYING AND GRATITUDE
The way I win that battle is that as soon as I come to consciousness, I pray. You might call it “gratitude.”
Most of you probably know by this point, I’m a hardcore Bible guy. So, the first thoughts in my mind are:
Thank you God for my wife.
Thank you for my kids.
Thank you for our home.
Thank you for our team.
Thank you for our clients.
Thank you for our business.
If you don’t want to call it prayer, call it gratitude.
Either way, the most important battle every single day is getting your mind right, and these 2 habits will help you get there!
SELF-TALK
The next step is self-talk.
To this day, I have a list of affirmations that I go through every morning and it includes what I want to achieve and what I want to avoid. Create a list and make sure you read it every day before you start working on your goals.
EXERCISE
The next step in my morning routine is exercise. You don’t need to go crazy with this, a light jog around the block or a few stretches are good enough. But exercise is probably one of the most effective ways to get yourself in a great mood and ready to crush any goals you have in mind.
Gratitude. Prayer. Scripture. Self-talk. Exercise. That’s what a win looks like!
If you get those four things done before anything else, you’re 4 & 0 before the day even starts!
VISUALIZE YOUR GOALS
Now, once you get your morning routine down, it’s time to create an evening routine that helps you achieve your goals WHILE YOU SLEEP!
And I have done this for as long as I can remember. As I’m falling asleep, the last thing I think of is a visualization of the next goal I am pursuing in my life.
When I was 10 years old, the first thing I visualized was my black belt. I visualized the day I would be tested for it and the moment I would pass that test.
Then when I was in high school, it was getting to the basketball state tournament, becoming valedictorian, and getting a full ride scholarship.
When I was in college, it was sales.
When I started my speaking career, it was speaking on stage, and winning the World Championship of Public Speaking.
Then I did it to make it to the New York Times Bestseller list.
I did this for EVERY SINGLE goal I had!
The most powerful and impactful habit you can have is having a great morning and evening routine. Let me know what you think in the comments!
