Routine & Ritual

Count money, man.

Money, man.

Stacked riches.

I'm trying to told him.

I'm a beast.

What's up, gang?

Welcome back to another episode of The Grindcast.

Get ready.

It's a new day.

And we're going to talk about the importance of a routine.

So I think, first, I give you an analogy of sports, dance, music.

Whatever, martial arts, anything you could think of, you know, typically that's going

to connect mind and body, you start out with a warm up.

First, you don't just show up if the dance routine starts at one.

You ain't storming in there at 12.55 ready to compete, ready to let it rip or tip off

at a basketball game.

Noon.

You're showing up 11.50 running in there.

Not change, not dress, not ready, not ready to rock and roll.

So that's one aspect.

Then you look at basketball players, they have, you know, if they go to the free throw line,

typically if you watch a basketball player go to the free throw line, they do the same

thing every time.

So they'll dribble it three times, spin it and then shoot it, you know, or whatever their

routine is.

Baseball player, very similar.

If you watch them before they go up to bat, pitcher, very similar before they throw a pitch,

golf.

And I'm really out of my element, you know, talking golf, but golf, you know, a lot

of times you'll see also, you know, people that have a routine.

So I think that it's critical to look at first, you got to sell yourself on it, right?

Because if you don't believe in it, then you're not going to throw the amount of energy

that is required because you can't connect the action to the reason why.

Okay.

So I think most people can grasp those things, right?

The analogy, why do people do stuff like that?

Why wouldn't they dribble a basketball once, one time and five times the next time?

Why wouldn't they have a different routine when they go up to bat?

Why wouldn't they?

Why don't a football team just show up 10 minutes before the game?

Why wouldn't a person, you know, just change up everything that they do before they drive

the ball, you know, whatever they want.

Why are those things?

And so it's no different than when you get into business or growth,

or whatever it is that you're trying to do.

Most of it all starts internally.

I think the biggest weapon you have is your mind, is our mindset.

So we got to protect our mind at all costs.

I think it's the biggest weapon.

It's the biggest asset that we have, but it's also the biggest thing that gets neglected.

Most people spend more time on their hair than they do their mind.

They spend more time planning their outfit than they do planning their day

and how they're going to use their time and how they're going to benefit and help themselves first.

So in my opinion, first thing out of bed, you can't be rushed.

I've done it before.

You know, in the past, when I'm rushed, when the day starts out rushed,

and I'm running, you know, to hurry up, put my clothes on, get in the car, drive somewhere,

you know, cutting it close on time.

Here's what typically happens, you know, traffic.

So now I'm all upset, you know, because the person in front of me ain't going fast enough

for whatever it is.

Well, really, it's my fault.

I should have left earlier.

You raise your anxiety level that, and if you're in the pursuit of greatness of anything,

you probably already have a certain amount of things that come your way

that cause you to possibly have anxiety that you need to deflect and bring down anyway.

So you don't need any added things to flame you up.

So when you're running late, you know, it's like, oh, anxiety, you know, is kicking in.

Grouchy, you know, you get aggressive.

So your ability to have patients for things and people in a day, you know,

can look like a water bottle, you know, and the goal is to increase your capacity.

So you have more patients.

Some of us, you know, I didn't have a lot of patients when I started.

You know, so you may start out with like 12 ounces of patients or 32 ounces of patients.

Some people got blessed.

Some they got a gallon of patients.

And what happens is if you're on a 12 ounces of patients and you're rushed and you're stressed

in your in and out of traffic and you're already at high anxiety, your patients level,

you've already used up eight ounces of it.

So now you got four ounces of patients left.

And then the first thing that happens at the office or in business or in your day,

you may be able to get through the second thing you blow up.

Right.

Those are the things that we do to we're like, man, I regret saying that to somebody.

I regret doing that.

I regret it's because you lost your patients.

And a lot of times it's because you haven't had a chance to warm your mind up, warm your body up.

So you're putting yourself under stress that your mind isn't prepared to carry the load for the day for.

And I think the more you carry on your shoulders, the bigger your job, the more important it is for you to have a routine and ritual.

So like one of my one of my secrets to this is the night before this is a big one.

I always have my clothes out the night before you can ask my family if I travel on the road from in a hotel.

The first thing that I do if I travel and I get to a hotel is I unpack my bag.

I put all my things in drawers.

I hang up all the stuff.

I know where everything is at.

All that got to be organized.

And I'm not a super like organized person.

But these things have to be organized for me.

My schedule has to be organized and planned my clothes and all that have to be organized.

So I could be efficient in my mind could just focus on other things.

But getting back to the night before the clothes are already laid out already for the next day.

Always prepared gym clothes are for going to the gym.

Whole thing is out washcloth is out everything we need is out everything's in a bag.

All the clothes are ready to rock everything is done so then when I get up.

It's not about planning and grabbing things and turning lights on and stressing myself out about what I'm going to wear.

That stuff is already done.

So I focus in the morning on my mind and my spirit.

First, so scripture prayer.

Getting myself into that routine typically breath work.

Some breathing things that I do.

Books, audio books, podcasts.

But really even before I start most of that it's I drink a lot of water.

So I'll get up and drink 32 ounces of water.

I'll take a probiotic.

And it really doesn't matter what I'm doing.

It's all that matters is what you just got to have a routine in a ritual.

I think it's important to hydrate yourself in the morning.

You haven't drank anything for six to eight hours.

Your body's dehydrated typically when you wake up.

So I hydrate myself.

I put the things that I know I need from a nutrition standpoint in my stomach first.

And it already just gets me in a rhythm of this is what we do.

This is what we prepare our cell for.

It's a rhythm in a routine like somebody that's getting ready to shoot free throws.

So I'm typically up three hours before I plan on talking to anybody or doing anything.

So all that three hours is dedicated to getting myself right first.

Remember that requires not rushing, taking care of my mind, body, spirit, all that stuff.

First, and it's understand this, people think that I want to do this.

Really I don't.

Really I would rather just sleep in, not set an alarm, beat to my own drum, work out later

on in the day.

Those are the things that I would rather do.

I would rather do those things.

I would rather stay up a little bit later.

Last night I forced myself to go to bed.

I wanted to stay up an extra hour and a half.

There's things that I had to get done that I wanted to get done.

There's wanted to hang with the kids a little bit longer last night.

They were playing a board game.

So it's like I want it.

I usually want to stay up later.

I usually would like to sleep longer and start those things later.

But I know the effects that that has on my role as a dad, as a husband and as a leader.

Either I'm going to neglect myself, which brings down the ability that I have to serve

those three areas.

Or I'm going to drop the ball in some of those other areas by going in the afternoon

because I slept in longer and I'm going to work out for two, three hours in the afternoon

by the time you shower, dress, get there, drive there, drive home, all that.

12 o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, four o'clock.

Those are fricking prime time.

People need me.

People are calling me, talking me, face time and me.

I'm neglecting staff, employees, independent contractors that I lead, board, things that need

done for the youth program, my children.

They're up.

When I'm up early in the morning, all I'm taking from is myself.

Nobody's up.

Nobody wants to talk to me at six o'clock in the morning.

Nobody wants to talk to me typically at seven o'clock in the morning.

So it opens up the whole day.

Then I think what's key is you look at your schedule in advance.

You review your schedule always at least one day out.

You look at today's Friday, you look at Saturday in advance.

Look at your whole schedule, which to me, best place for it is in my phone calendar because

it goes with me wherever I go.

I look at that schedule, so I'm already ahead of tomorrow.

There's no surprises.

It's not like, oh, I forgot that.

Or I wasn't prepared for that.

That is a lack of discipline and a lack of looking forward.

Has that happened to me?

Yes.

In a year, how often does that happen to me?

I think twice, maybe, out of 365 days where I'm looking at the next day I wake up and I'm

surprised.

And I'm like, oh my, I forgot about that.

It's because I'm always looking today at tomorrow.

Really I'm looking at the whole damn week.

I'm always looking in advance.

Sunday I'm looking at what I got Friday, what I got Thursday, what I got Tuesday, what

I got Monday, what do we have?

And then I look at that schedule as a rough draft.

Is there anything that I need to move around in that schedule?

Is there anything that I need to add to that schedule?

Take out of that schedule to maximize my time in the areas that I need to be efficient

in.

And people laugh at me about it.

They joke about it.

Like, everything is scheduled.

Even schedules when he goes to pee, you know, they'll say, it's like, I don't take it

that far.

But I will have it as meticulous as drive to the gym.

If I start at six, it'll say 530 to 6 drive to the gym.

It'll say dress and shower in there.

And it has a specific amount of time to dress and shower.

It'll say drive to Youngstown and call this person in there.

So I'm calling that person and I'm driving at the same time, not wasting an hour of driving

without getting some things done.

So it's as detailed as I could make it.

And it's normal for me to say drive home 715 to 730 or 733 to 750 in there.

Like exact minutes and moments to the T in that schedule.

The closer I get to the day, the closer I try to tie those minutes into where I'm not

wasting any time and I'm being efficient with every moment that I have.

You've heard the term time is money.

So if you're any efficient with your time, what do you think is happening with your potential

money?

Everything you want to get good at requires you to be efficient with your time.

The more things you have on your plate, the more things you have scheduled.

If you schedule it, like my grandmother, you always teach me about money.

She would say when you get paid or you make money, pay yourself first.

So when the good Lord gives you time, pay yourself first.

And time is money and so if you're good at planning and and and smart with money

Then you'll invest it into the right areas

You'll save it in the right areas which will cause you to have more of it down the road

So if you're efficient with your time

You know where to save it

You know where to invest it

To get a return you're gonna have more time

Down the road and so people think you know the biggest excuse in America is I don't have time

There is 168 hours. I can't believe you know are you aware

That they

give Oprah Winfrey

In Josh Logham in the same amount of hours in a week. It's crazy

Did you know that they give

LeBron James

Alex Rodriguez

Michael Yauke

The same amount of

Hours in a week we all get 168 we all get 168

That's fair

So what happens is there's no way to to

Add more time really to to what it is that you get however if you're good with investing the hours properly

Over time you'll be able to do things that will create more time through

hiring other people

through

Being able to delegate to other people and you'll also create more time for the things that you make excuses about

You you do have time to work out. You're not putting it in your schedule

You're not planning it

Put it put it in there like there's it's the old science project where you have two

jars and in one jar you put

three big rocks in first and

Then you put all these pebbles in and they fit

Then the other jar you put all the pebbles in first and then you try to put the three big rocks in

Pat on it. They don't fit

Boppy they don't fit and so what happens is

So many people get cluttered with the little pebbles because they don't plan and put the big rocks in first

And so then they make the excuses that the rocks don't fit in the rocks typically get to be

Neglecting of yourself or neglecting of your family and then the excuse is they don't fit because of my job or they don't fit because of this

It's not true

It's the truth is you need to accept personal responsibility

For being inefficient with your schedule

In a lack of planning and preparation

Proper planning prevents piss poor performance

People don't plan to fail

You know it exactly they fail to plan

So let's not fail to plan

If you put the big rocks in first here's here's what I got to do with my husband

Here's the hours. I'm spending with my wife. Here's the hours that I'm spending with my kids

Here's the hours that I'm working out. Here's when I'm going to bed. There's no routine in rich

This is another one where people drop the ball. They don't plan when they're gonna go to bed. They wing it

They just go to bed whenever

Whenever the clock

Their minds get tired

In order to prioritize sleep because then then people say why don't have time to sleep? Yes, you do

You're lacking discipline

So if you got to get up at

5.30 and you know you need seven hours of sleep you rewind it's 10.30 that's what time you need to be sleeping

So there's a plan that I go to bed at 10 it's gonna take me 30 minutes to

Get settled or whatever and fall asleep so I'm the goal if

You know it typically is harder to get it done

You set the goal for an hour earlier say man my goal is to go to sleep at

9.30

I'm gonna start that process because it's gonna take me time or I'm gonna run a little bit later or whatever it is because

Sleep is important. I'm a grinder. This is the grind cast. I

Used to think sleep was for suckers

Now is there days where sometimes you have to sacrifice sleep? Absolutely

Do I have days where I got up?

It's just impossible. I got to get five hours of sleep

There is

But what I usually don't do especially if the day is important is I don't neglect myself

I get up and I work on myself

But there's there's times where I right

lack in that area but

90% of the time

We're getting sleep. We're getting seven hours

eight hours

Rarely six hours of sleep because it's planned

And it's prepared you got to get sleep your body need sleep

I used to think it was an award in a trophy to run off of

Uh

Less sleep I still can do it with the best of them

But I know it's not healthy for your body

You get more agitated you have less patience

You're not as efficient you're not as effective and so I think you need to help yourself in prioritize sleep

So it all goes into to taking care of yourself the key is not to prioritize

What's on your schedule

But to schedule your priorities says Steven Covey and it's

And it's not you know, there's another one

I remember here in John Maxwell say

John Maxwell used to say it's it's not

That will your calendar be filled

You know you're gonna be busy

Everybody is busy

It's what will your calendar be filled with and you gotta ask yourself

Are you being efficient?

With the calendar and with the 168 hours that you're given or have you been lacking discipline?

Have you been making excuses?

And I'll throw one more tidbit in there before we close

You know those you on the grind on the hustle

On the push

You know you'll have people telling you you know you you're not promised tomorrow

So true

But I think people use extremes

To justify their lack of of results or lack of wanting to grind

so it's like

You know, I want to be successful, you know, but you know, it's more important to me to be a good dad

It's more important to me to be a good husband

Who says

That you have to only do one

Why can't you be a good dad and a husband and be good in business?

Who told you that that is an excuse?

Or I you know, I want to work hard, but you know, we're not promised tomorrow, you know, we can be gone in a year

Very true

Very true

Just like if I give you a pile of money today

You could say

I could be gone in a year

So I might as well just spend it all

Right so if somebody gave you a million dollars to say here you go

Here's a million dollars

How much of it do you think you should save?

How much of it do you think you should spend?

And how much do you think of it you should invest?

So three different things

spending it

Is like man these are clothes enjoyable activities things that probably ain't gonna give you a return

But you need to do some of them and want to do some of them and you should enjoy yourself

Right you should

Then there's investing

Investing is something that I want to put time in or put money into that I expect down the road

To give me a return so it continues to multiply and grow

Right so they're safe

They're spend

And then there's invest save is just man

I'm not taking a big risk with this. I'm just setting it to the side

Your time is the exact same thing

So people that say oh you should just fricking walk into park and catch butterflies and enjoy yourself because you can be dead next week

That's irresponsible

It's possible

But it's not likely

So if I were to just spend every week and say man I could be gone next month you know whatever it is and I just

Have a bunch of fun and and spend all my time

What happens in 30 years when it's like oh shit. I'm still living

What did I set aside for myself

Because you were always thinking of worst cake now

Is it good to have a mindset of

gratitude

Of appreciation for the day the week because we can be gone next year we could be gone

In 12 months and so it makes you look at things different appreciate things different spend time with your kids different family different all those things need to happen

And

Enjoy yourself all that should happen

You got to spend some you got to have some fun you got to do that

But it's irresponsible to not invest into your future and put the work in today

So you could thank yourself down the road another thing with the money

Especially if you got blessed what a million

You should save some you should spend some you should invest some and what else you think you should be done with it should be given some away

You should be given some away you should be being a giver

So then there's times it's like

How much of your time are you actually giving

To other things I'm no saint I'm not perfect

I got to get better people that front and act like they got it all oh, I'm just perfect and they judge you and all that those those typically are the worst people

Not always but typically

Everybody's dealing with something nobody's perfect

But I can tell you my family could tell you there's weeks where I it really takes a crap ton of effort for me

And I get it done

But you know to be there for my daughter be there for my son or spend time with with the family

And as much of a struggle was that is I'll take four hours out and I'll go spend time with kids in Pittsburgh and still rocks

Because I try to remind myself it's not just about the money

The check that you stroke go humble yourself and go spend time with the children

You can make money back you can't get time back and people say how do you spell love to a kid you spell it T.I.M.E

So I go down there and it may take me 45 minutes to get down there

I'm there for two three hours 45 minutes to get back 30 45 minutes to get back when it's four hours

Because you got to be a giver

God blesses you with some money you should give some of it away if God blesses you with some time you should give some of it away

Each of you can give in different ways that inspire you

But how much are you giving to people

That is not an investment

How much of your time are you giving away

To make the world or people's lives a better place where it's like man. I really don't need to do this

This isn't just for a profit. I just want to serve this person. I just want to help this person

I want to help these people. I want to do these things

All things that we could do with our time

I went off on a tangent, but but it's important. So I have a routine, but it's also just the importance of of scheduling

So I hope this encourages some of you to get an aridham

Get an aridham

Like a runner because

They say it ain't a sprint. It's a marathon is greatness and success

And so if you're running a marathon, it's important to get into aridham

Not be all over the place

You got to get into aridham

Get your life into aridham get your life in order by getting organized scheduling and having a daily routine

and I appreciate you know

Part of your routine being listening to the grind cast

So if you think that this could benefit any friends family members anybody that you know could you do us a a favor and share

This message don't forget and ain't that long just go ahead and just take this is something you could do to help somebody else

What do you think it would take you 30 seconds take 30 seconds out

Share this sucker like comment share all that show us some love. We ain't making no money on this thing

This costs us money to go out there and try to serve people and impact people

So if we're impacting you in any way shape or form help us to impact other people and also give us a shout

Let us know all right. We appreciate you go out there and have a great week. Let's get it