“How you do one thing is how you do everything.” I’ve heard that statement quoted by motivational speakers, Instagramers, YouTubers, business gurus…I don’t think it’s a healthy statement but it is partly true. I don’t think it’s healthy because if you were to believe that every time you screw up that means that you screw up everything, how would that help you? It’s too much of a definitive statement. Statements like that may motivate some but will completely turn off people like me.
So let’s rephrase this statement to help you to be the best version of yourself. “Examining how you do one thing can help you with everything.” I just came up with that but you can post it to your Instagram if you want.
Let’s get to the subject of this email and see how it pertains to your health. I often wake up earlier than I need to. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I don’t have any responsibilities that begin before 7:45 am at the earliest but I often wake up at 5 or 5:30 am. This of course is after at least 7 hours of sleep, so it isn’t really a health problem. It is a mind problem though. If I have at least 2 hours before I have to do anything then my urge is to go for my phone and entertain/torture myself with mindless social media. I mean, do I really want to get up and start my day before the sun rises? I know that is a habit of many successful entrepreneurs but I tried that habit a few years back and it did not serve me well.
What I decided to do this am was to challenge myself. I hung out with my wife in bed drinking coffee and resisted the urge to touch my phone. Part of the time we talked and part of the time I simply stared forward at my bathroom door and fought the urge to do something. I won’t call that meditation, I do that as well, but I can’t meditate while having my morning coffee; that comes later.
There may be a couple of people that read this email that somehow aren’t addicted to using their phones for social media, news, or emails as soon as there is a single second of boredom or a chance for your mind to wander. There’s a pretty good chance that you struggle with the urge to pick up your phone though.
Here is the challenge I propose to you and that I practice often on my own. If you sense the urge to touch your phone, don’t. That’s it, just don’t. Choose a time, as little as 1 minute but maybe you can eventually push yourself to 20 minutes. Use this time to just simply be. You don’t have to formally meditate, although it’s a good option. You can just be with yourself and your thoughts and work on being OK with that.
The constant need to occupy your life with things to do has created a very serious mental health issue in this country and most of the rest of the highly developed world. I have read a few books that are set in the 1800s and early 1900s. One of the most striking aspects of life back then was how much time people spent staring at a wall, a ceiling, or out a window.
Your brain NEEDS downtime. It needs to be awake yet in a state where you can think and daydream. You shouldn’t feel guilty about doing nothing because you are doing something. You are developing mental discipline. This skill can be applied to anything else you are working on. It is a skill that many have lost but it is worth developing again.
You can use this skill of mental discipline and apply it to changing your diet, to exercise, to be more efficient at work, to be more present with your friends and family…to be healthier! “Examining how you do one thing can help you with everything”. Now, STOP READING emails and Go Do NOTHING for a while!
OH, after you stop doing nothing, book a visit with me so we can get you even BETTER!
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Yours in health,
