Protect Your Peace

I know better, but I did it anyway! I checked my email and read a news headline before I was finished my morning routine and you know what? It messed with my head!

One thing that I’ve learned from the High Performance Coaching ™ community, is the importance of keeping a morning routine that is sacred and sets you up for success.

My morning routine normally consists of an early start, gratitude journaling, goal setting, setting intentions for how I want to show up, planning for what might trip me up, prayer and meditation. Most days, I’m vigilant about guarding my time.

Today, I was halfway through my gratitude journal and wanted to email myself a quick note about an upcoming team social so that I wouldn’t forget. Well, you guessed it! I was pulled in to my phone (something I typically don’t touch until my routine is done) and got sucked into emails!

I derailed my morning routine, answered some emails and before you knew it, was behind schedule. Slight feeling of anxiety, but I know if I’m snappy, I’ll make up the time. All good.

Before putting down my phone, I made another fatal error. I read a direct Insta message from someone sharing the story about the family in the US who had been kidnapped in Mexico. I got pulled into the emotions of it and, before I knew it, I felt the discomfort not only mentally but in my body. I immediately didn’t want to work out. I had zero desire to get on the treadmill. My emotional and mental energy was zapped.

Here’s what’s key, I showed up anyhow. I’ve never had a workout I’ve regretted, and neither will you. I’ve never accomplished an important task and regretted getting it off my plate. I don’t always execute perfectly, but I get it done.

Two areas in which we can focus on to become even higher performers.

1. Protect your Peace

Keep the first hour of your day completely sacred to actions that will move you closer to your goals and get you positioned to slay the day. Keep your phone away from you until you’re ready to officially start your day. Brendon Burchard famously refers to your inbox as an organized list of other people’s agendas. Your agenda matters too much to get derailed!

Stay off of social media and the news until your first major task has been accomplished or, better yet, stay off it all together for greater peace of mind. Anything that you need to know will make it’s way to you, otherwise your mind will become full of stressful events you cannot control. We can deny it, but it impacts our emotional state. One of my coaching clients who was suffering from terrible depression had a COMPLETE change in their state and view on life once he eliminated the news for just 7 days!

2. Move Forward

My morning wasn’t ideal. I could have written it off and had a negative ripple impact on the rest of my day but I pushed forward. I got on the treadmill, sluggish, and worried about this family I had read about. By the time I had changed my physical state, my mental and emotional state followed suit. Yours will too.

Do your best to protect your peace and when all else fails take action because action defeats doubt and anxiety.