3 RITUALS TO GUARANTEE SUCCESS
One of my mentors, Tony Robbins, always says that success leaves clues. That you should study and model people, who already achieved what you want, instead of trying to figure out everything by yourself. Thanks to him, I have gotten into the habit of analyzing the mindset of successful people and I have to say that it's been pretty useful! Which is why I decided to make a summary of Tim Ferriss' huge book (673 pages), Tools of Titan, as my small contribution to your success.
Tim interviewed almost 200 world-class performers including top athletes, entertainers, doctors, investors, entrepreneurs, authors and researchers. Three practices stood out to me, three things that almost all the people interviewed have in common.
1. MEDITATION More than 80 percent of the people Tim interviewed have a meditation ritual. And among those who don’t, most have a practice similar to meditation, such as listening to the same song or artist on repeat.
According to Tim, meditation sets you up for success, because by practicing focus when it doesn’t matter, you can master amazing focus, when it does matter. Based on his interviews, he found that men tend to like Transcendental meditation, whereas women prefer Vipassana meditation.
Meditation is one of the best ways to control your brain and science backs this up. It’s a daily exercise for your brain to stop that negative voice in your head that tells you to give up and that you’re not good enough.
2. MORNING ROUTINE (I expanded this part with my knowledge of Tony Robbins' work so it's not all part of the book)
I have to admit that I do this usually later in the day but experts recommend doing it first thing in the morning so you have control over how your day begins.
Instead of waking up and rushing off to read your emails, make time to first take care of yourself. Have a healthy breakfast then take 5 minutes to think of 3 things you are thankful for - including one simple thing like having a roof over your head - and feel the gratefulness inside of you.
Then write down your goals for the day and visualize in your eyes' mind that you achieved them and how great it feels. How your and your family's life will transform as a result. How your community will benefit from you having achieved this goal. Take time to feel this, let it anchor in your body.
Don't forget to add at least 15 minutes of physical activity to your morning routine as well, as 'a healthy mind can only sit on a healthy body' like we say in Turkish. You can actually do the whole routine, while going for a walk outside, which is how I do it.
3. FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS This is less of a routine and more of a mindset. Every single one of us is flawed. We’re all human, after all! Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that the most successful people got that way, because they are somehow less flawed.
This is an absolute fallacy, one that Tim points out in the book. All of the “superheroes” he interviewed have struggled, just like you and me. The reason for their success is not because they don't have weaknesses. Instead, the most success ones were 'walking flaws', who have maximized 1 or 2 strengths.
We all have our own individual strengths, and it’s the people, who discover their own strengths and really develop them, who become the most successful. They set up habits that align with their strengths.
Are you a good writer? Than make writing every day a habit. Is connecting one of your strengths? Then make seeing friends a daily routine. Whatever your unique gifts are, work on strengthening them every single day. And don't let your weaknesses get you down.
Today I challenge you to try out one of these three practices. Spend 10 minutes meditating, plan out a morning routine for tomorrow, or take 15 minutes and work on your signature strength. And report back how things go!
