As I started my self-improvement journey, I was tempted to reinvent everything.
I was constantly looking for the new “hack” or gimmick I could find to give me the needed edge.
Guess what I found out?
After about three exhausting years, I learned that I don’t need to reinvent anything to move forward in life, to grow and evolve as a parent, friend, child, grandson, and human being. What I always needed was to become a good parent to myself and make sure I turned the basics into non-negotiables.
The first basic and non-negotiable is God. Praying first thing in the morning and the last thing at night is always a good idea. In fact, it should be your primary focus. Remember to pray even if you don’t do anything else all day. Prayer changes everything.
The second non-negotiable is food and beverage. Extremes don’t work for me. And what I mean by that is that I can not go all carnivore, and I could never be a vegetarian. I am an omnivore. I love fruit, vegetables and meat. I avoid processed food and limit fast food as much as possible. Making sure I drink a minimum of 2.5 liters of water every day helped with my digestion and minimized the hunger feeling. Sugary beverages are linked with my fast food intake, so not too many and alcohol, maybe two nights a month max.
Third on my list is movement. Gym. I go to the gym five or six times a week. I don’t kill myself in there because I don’t want to become the Incredible Hulk. My goal is to stay healthy and in shape. What I have noticed about daily movement is that it improves my mood, my mind is clearer, and I sleep better at night.
The next significant point on my list is the people I interact with. Family, friends, and coworkers. I limit my interaction with the people in my life according to their behavior, habits, and the subjects they want or tend to discuss. I understood, the hard way, that I am not a superhero. I can not save anyone, and I can not help anyone if that person does not want to help or save themselves. Learn this lesson quickly. It will save you a lot of time and heartache.
Content is the next big one. I heard an interview with Bill Gates, and one thing he said in that interview stayed with me till this day. He said that his mind is like a factory that never stops working, so the most important job he has is to make sure that whatever goes in his mental factory is of high quality because whatever goes in gets processed and comes out multiplied. Educational, inspirational, and positive should be the content you consume. Set aside at least one hour daily to consume the right content, whether it’s from social media or reading. Very important. Remember the factory.
The last, but not least, is sleep. Sleeping is very important. If you don’t get enough sleep, the other points on your non-negotiable list will have to suffer. Sleeping is an individual thing, so you must find out for yourself how many hours of sleep you need and what the best hour to go to sleep and wake up is for you.
Basics. Non-negotiables. Not that hard, is it?
After you master these six points, you may add whatever else you need to improve yourself, but without these six essential points, you will never be complete. You need to understand that as a human being, you have basic and non-negotiable needs that must be met with basic and non-negotiable habits. Without these six points, you will never run at maximum capacity.
Guaranteed!
With love, yours truly, Cristian.