The BEST Life “Hack” I’ve Learned in 30 Years
Sunday I turned 30 and, like many of you probably do, I used it as an opportunity to do some self-reflection and analysis.
On top of elephant mountain in Taiwan.
Objectively I’ve made a TON of mistakes… But in spite of the MANY mistakes, I’ve also made massive strides forward in pretty much every category this year: physically, professionally, and personally.
And I took a lot more vacations.
Nobody’s perfect, and you don’t need to be, just keep moving forward.
This year I have fallen even more in love with learning! The more I learn, the more I improve the mental latticework — allowing me to utilize concepts from seemingly unrelated areas to a great benefit.
I get asked a lot “How do you consistently learn and improve?” This was most recently asked by someone who came up to me after I performed saxophone on stage at the Vigor Ground Summit in Seattle this past weekend…
But that’s a story for another day.
The answer is really quite simple…
The best Life “Hack” I know is simply pushing start on the timer.
The type of timer doesn’t matter all that much, but you need to get that timer going (I actually have a few “hourglasses” of various times and they work great!).
This is the FIRST ACT in correcting procrastination or anxiety. THIS is what overcomes the inertia of starting—the most challenging step.
The SECOND ACT of this trick is to set a reasonably short interval with an automatic “analysis period” that goes off afterward.
“DO-ANALYZE”: My proven system for success in anything…
- Do
- Analyze
- Repeat 1 & 2 forever
Do—because trying is not enough. ACTION is required.
SOME people do the first step. Sadly, many do not even get that far. FAR fewer people understand the second step.
Analysis is what separates the top from the rest. Own your mistakes and weaknesses—and LEARN from them.
KNOWING that you CAN learn (and improve) at ANYTHING is the most powerful realization a human being can have.
Try it for yourself!
An interval timer works great. Set it to 5:00/1:00. Start the clock and do your:
- #5minuteflow
- Simple Shoulder Solution corrective exercises
- Push-ups/Pull-ups
- 5 minutes of emails you’ve been avoiding
- Any task you’d like to make progress in
- Absolutely nothing
The last option is actually, very useful…
Sometimes don’t do a damn thing—and be happy about it. Take a deep breath. Be happy you’re alive and in a safe place wherever you are.
Whatever you choose to do (or not do), at the end of 5 minutes it’s time to analyze…
- Reflect on how you felt during the 5 minutes
- Reflect on how you feel now (what did you accomplish, does it align with who you want to be?)
- Plan the next 5 minutes (continue same task,, or move on to a different task)
Realize that in order to be great, you must do SOMETHING.
Do something now, when you finish reading this email, that will take you closer toward whatever greatness you see for yourself. Set your timer, do it, and then analyze what you did, how it felt, and where you want to go next.
Better Every Day,
-Max
p.s. If you want to join me in Costa Rica where we’ll spend 4 days at a private resort learning, flowing, relaxing, and upgrading your Physical Freedom, hit the link below and reserve one of the few spots remaining!