Getting into your ideal performance state!

How do you start your day? How could you start your day?

The 4M routine has three major benefits. 

• It is a way to get into the ideal performance state and to ensure you start each day with a positive, can do mindset. 

• It creates a disciplined start to the day and is a routine that benefits mind and body. 

• It means each day starts on your terms. You undertake some high value activity early, feel in a great space and ready to tackle the day.

What are the components of the 4M routine?

• Movement

• Mind-cleanse

• Meditation

• Mozart time

Movement: I encourage people to start their day with some simple movement such as a 20/30 minute walk.  There is a connection between a healthy, active body and a healthy, active mind. Moving in itself fuels creativity and helps you think through priorities, problems and opportunities. Often when moving, I think of an ideal subject for my Mozart time!

I avoid the word exercise as many people are not active runners, cyclists, swimmers or gym junkies. I just want people to move. If you own a dog, that is great as you need to walk them. If you don’t own a dog, just pretend you do! 

If I am on my own, I will frequently listen to a podcast or run through an affirmation or visualisation exercise. Hence I get the combined benefits of exercising, learning and managing my mindset!

Moving also avoids the temptation to dive into your news feed (mainly negative), scroll through social media (is that really a priority?) or jump straight into your inbox (and start the day dealing with other people’s priorities). 

Mind-cleanse: Once I have undertaken my movement, I sit with my journal and literally cleanse my mind, capturing everything that I need to do or that has the potential to distract my thinking. Items can relate to my business and personal life. At first I saw my mind-cleanse as an extended things to do list but over time one key difference emerged. A to do list is normally random. It lacks priority and contains lots of low value activities. As my mind-cleanse process matured, I started to review the list and put a tick next to what I regard as high value items. These tend to relate to clients, family and the achievement of my goals. As opposed to feeling I need to tick off every item on my mind-cleanse, I ensure I focus on those I have ticked.

👉For those who want my mind-cleanse action sheets, please check out The Rocking Chair Test landing page: https://andyfell2.wixsite.com/rocking-chair-test

The mind-cleanse ensures I am organised and critically, my mind is free from clutter.

Meditation: I do a 7-10 minute guided practice using the Calm app. This centres and relaxes me and it reduces any tension, anxiety or pressure. It increases my focus, builds concentration and keep things in perspective.  Meditation develops my mental fitness and champion mindset.

Prior to the addition of the mind-cleanse I struggled to meditate - I would sit and find myself thinking about what I had to do during the day and be consistently distracted.

Mozart time:  This is time for myself, by myself and with myself. Just me and my journal with no chance of interruption or disruption. It is about slowing down to hear myself think. I focus on my goals and life vision. I think about how I become a better version of myself, how I serve my clients and community more effectively and any other questions that come to mind. 

Mozart time is even more powerful when combined with the other 3Ms. It is my form of habit-stacking.

👉I recommend you check-out James Clear’s Atomic Habits for more on habit stacking and it’s value over time.

• How do you currently start your day?

• Where is your focus?

• How does it help you set up for success and get into your ideal performance state?

• Given your current situation, how would you love to start your day?

• What changes can you make?

ACTION:

• Take some Mozart time to think & write out an IDEAL morning routine.

• Option 1: Use the 4M routine as a baseline to start your day

• Option 2: Create your own version (think clearly about what you are looking to achieve and why it will make a difference to the start of your day).

• Decide - commit - GO! The only way to start is to START.

  👉Remember that building new habits takes time.