Are you drifting through your days? Here’s a 5 minute fix
I’ve never been a fan of the “just go with the flow” mentality. To me, that’s giving up control of my life to chance. The majority of people don’t realize how much control they have over their outcomes.
One of my favorite quotes is this one from Seneca that says:
“No wind is favorable to the sailor who doesn’t know to which port he is heading.”
If you don’t give your life any direction, you’re just a feather in the wind. If you want to start taking control of your life the simplest way to start is by being intentional about your days.
I use a very simple exercise I call my Morning Stand-Up. It’s basically a quick check-in with myself and only takes 5 mins to complete.
If you don’t have any system in place for organizing your day or starting it with intent, this is an easy one to start with.
My Morning Stand-Up is broken up into 3 sections:
Daily Gratitude
There’s a strong link between gratitude and fulfillment. Just because you’re striving for more doesn’t mean you should ignore what you already have.
You have to consider that your current life is someone else’s dream life. I’m reminded of that fact constantly while living in Colombia.
Write down some quick points on things you’re grateful for. I like to describe mine with positive adjectives:
- The vibrant, nature-filled city I live in
- My beautiful and feminine girlfriend
- The delicious and nutritious food I get to eat
This is a great way to remind yourself of what can easily be taken for granted.
What Would Make Today Great
This is where I set 1–3 action items that if these get done, everything else is a bonus.
You’re ahead if you have these planned out the night before, but if you don’t, the stand-up forces you to pause, define your priorities and focus on what truly matters.
The key is to set goals you can actually complete during the day. I use the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound) when setting my action items:
- Send out 5 Upwork Applications with a personalized video pitch
- Record and edit 1 YouTube video and schedule it for release on Sunday
Avoid being vague and avoid setting unrealistic expectations for yourself. Don’t try to build a rocket in an hour if you can’t even stop scrolling TikTok for 5 minutes to focus on your work.
Choose goals that are achievable and meaningful for your current level, aim for progress.
Mindset Alignment
I break this section into 2 parts:
- Vision Board – I don’t believe in “manifestation” but I do believe in keeping your goals top-of-mind. The vision board serves as a reminder why you’re doing what you’re doing.
- Mastery Loop – My favorite. Here I review the standards I’ve defined for the different key areas of my life (health, relationships, business, family, character, etc.). For each one I have multiple statements that I hold myself accountable to. Some examples:
- Health & Fitness: I track & monitor key health metrics such as my daily weight, caloric intake, macros, caloric burn and my sleep quality.
- Mental Resilience: I maintain complete control over my emotions. I handle stress flawlessly and don’t let it affect my mood or the way I treat people around me.
- Leadership: I conduct myself as a Consummate Professional at all times. I represent myself, my loved ones and my community in the most respectable, charismatic, confident and positive manner possible both online and IRL.
This section connects me to the future version of myself that I’m building every single day.
Try It Tomorrow
If you want to give this a shot, feel free to use my template as a guideline:
- Write down 3 things you’re grateful for.
- Choose 1–3 outcomes that would make your day great.
- Review your long-terms goals and define 1–2 standards you’ll hold yourself to.
That’s it. Five minutes.
This is a very simple way to get some clarity and make sure your actions serve the person you want to become.
Here’s to winning each day with clarity and purpose.