THE POWER OF GOOD HABITS AND WORK-LIFE RHYTHMS
One of the planning hacks I have developed over the past few years is to understand the power of good habits and the regular daily, weekly and monthly rhythms established in my life. These things have become built into my life which means they no longer need to be planned. They are like the architecture around which 90% of my life is built.
1. Health and Fitness
E.g., My Health & Fitness goal/desire is to ‘stay strong’. This is not measurable so a desire more than a goal. My goal and plan to achieve that desire involves daily disciplines which over time have become habitual. Each day I walk 8,000 – 10,000 steps (easy with a dog who likes 2 walks a day and measured on my Garmin). I also do my 30×5 plan (30 pushups, 30 squats, 30 sit ups, 30 weighted Russian twists and 30 glute bridges). Takes me 5 minutes each morning. I also have a scheduled PT session once a week to do a whole-body workout with a trainer.
2. Relationship with my wife
Good rhythms have formed around my relationship with my wife. Most afternoons we walk our dog for 30 minutes later in the day. We love our weekly coffee connect dates each Saturday and/or Sunday mornings. We work in our garden for a couple of hours most weekends and go out to a movie and/or meal about every 2 weeks. We do a lot more than this, but these basics are the minimum that help us to stay connected.
3. Relationships with my daughters and their children
Good habits around catching up with my daughters and grandchildren mean I make sure it is not 3 months between visits. We all have very full lives, so we have established some habits and rhythms around catching up each month that work well most of the time. I take each of my grandkids for a fun outing with Pop at least once a year, usually around their birthday.
4. Holidays and short breaks
Holidays and short breaks are the first things to go on my Yearly Wall Planner each year. My wife and I like to take at least a week off every quarter. Being in business means we have the power to choose when we take breaks. We work hard but we regularly stop, relax and disengage from work. This replenishes our energy and makes our work lives sustainable over the longer haul.
5. Weekly work rhythms
My work week has developed into a rhythm that helps me get everything done each week.
- Monday is my office day to catch up on admin and planning. I have a few shorter video calls with team members who need connection and updating, plus an occasional client on Teams.
- Tuesday to Thursday is for client meetings, sales and marketing conversations.
- Friday morning, I quickly finish off anything that needs completing, so I can get on the golf course by 11:00am which is a great way to finish the week.
As this article is published, my wife and I are in Bali for our midyear ‘escape the cold’ holiday. My wife has a few health issues and will spend a month in the warmer climate of Sanur, enjoying her favourite beach and cafes. I will leave her there and get back to work after a couple of weeks. This has become a mid-year rhythm for us over the past 3 years.
What good habits and rhythms do you have in your life? In what areas could start to establish some?
If you need help to navigate your unique business and life situation, and create a fresh strategy to grow your business, reach out and book a free conversation with John. I assist business owners to become more knowledgeable about themselves and their business, so they can make more strategic decisions and ensure long-term success.
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