Sometimes, your brain is not your friend. Many times it has you vs you having it. It's in control in a way that does not serve you. It overthinks. It creates drama and chaos where none existed before. It worries. It gets jealous. It creates lust. It gets bored. It triggers reactive emotional states. The list goes on and on. You can argue that it is also creative, interested, curious, figures things out, solves problems, makes music, art, math, science, etc. And both are true. My challenge to you is to focus your mind on healthy, sustainable, efficient and effective performance inside a project. This is an ongoing challenge for most people. And notice I didn't say grind or make/try/push.
This is difficult but not impossible. Often you may have the experience of your body being needy and insatiable. It may want food or push for starvation, but the urges are strong. You may experience a surge of emotions tied to circumstances, people or things and not be able to manage them. You might be caught in circular thinking about a particular person or problem, or easily distracted by random thoughts that have little to do with your day. You may find yourself in fearful fantasies about the future. Or slowing down because of insecurities from the past. Lastly, you may be preoccupied with anxiety about what is happening or is about to happen and how you can control it. All of this gets in the way of simply focusing your brilliance on the task, project, conversation, experience or relationship at hand. If it is that much trouble, why bother even trying to figure it out? If this is how it is for most people, why not just keep pushing the proverbial rock up the hill...through MUD!
Think about the beliefs you have been trained in, indoctrinated into or marinated in. Your perception of yourself and your brilliance has been filtered, resisted, shaped, reacted to, ignored, denied, over utilized, shamed, over emphasized, etc. It is a pure experience, but for most of us the waters have been muddied over time.
Try a morning ritual where you focus on appreciating and integrating your body. Try to manage, experience and distinguish your emotional state and then shift it to serve you. Focus on quieting your mind and choosing your experience of life by declaring who you truly are and what you are in service to. Experience your surroundings from a place of enjoyment and even awe. Geed yourself healthy food/fuel to power the engine of your life on your way to your goals. Make sure you are in great shape to encounter the adventure and challenges of your life.
In the evening, take on specific actions each day to recharge, rest, recover and play. Stop collapsing onto the couch to veg out or continuing to work until you finally go to bed at 11 or 12 at night. Do you know that successful people are waking up at 5 or 6 AM? EVERY DAY! REM sleep happens between 10-2 AM. Whoops!
If you are not bringing awareness to yourself at the start, middle and end of you day, then you are utilizing so much less of who you are and what you could be achieving.
If you are not bringing awareness to yourself at the start, middle and end of you day, then you are utilizing so much less of who you are and what you could be achieving. And the bad news is it's going to take months if not years of practice to get good at bookending these two rituals. But imagine the alternative! You have tried to muscle through or slide by for most of your life. You've mastered that right? But it is not fun, not satisfying and not actually powerful.
So the answer is simple, as is the practice. But it is not interesting, at least not in the beginning. It's not unique or sexy. It is basic and fundamental. But just like you can build a fit body using only your body weight, you can build an amazing life by creating self awareness and integration/self care rituals you practice morning and night.
When to start? Now. Because as soon as you stop reading this, your mind will take you back into your day and start to waste your time, intellect and energy so you can't have what you want and the experience you deserve. Either way is ok, but only one leads to you being able to focus the gift of your brilliance in your life.