6 Things I Learned From Brendon Burchard
What high achievers have in common.
People define success in many different ways. One thing high achievers have in common is that they strive for success in multiple areas of their lives: finance, health, fitness, relationships, career, creativity, productivity.
Many of them share a few everyday habits and routines that make achievement in multiple areas possible.
This list requires more self-care and self-worth than it does discipline.
I recently attended a conference held by life coach Brendon Burchard, author of several books on performance and achievement, including High-Performance Habits and The Motivation Manifesto. He has worked with some of the biggest influencers including Oprah and at least two presidents.
In my experience, high performers who strive to succeed in multiple areas of life have these six things in common:
1. They lock down their morning routines.
When you practice a strict morning routine, one that is consistent, you are more prepared for the day when the unpredictable happens.
Successful people have a morning routine.
Recorded stress drops significantly when you have a daily practice you follow when you wake. Those who say out loud a daily mantra, prayer, or purpose statement report greater satisfaction in life.
I have a morning routine I’ve honed over the years; it makes my entire day, week, year, and ultimately life run smoothly.
Brendon Burchard’s morning routine goes something like this:
- 20 minutes of yoga or some movement to get his energy flowing.
- 20 minutes spent looking over his daily schedule and setting an intention for each block of time. The schedule is already set the night, week, or even month before. Still, each morning he looks at the upcoming day’s activities and sets the intention for each meeting, phone call, writing session he has blocked out. He sees the way he wants it to go.
- 20 minutes spent on reading something positive; a personal mantra or a passage from a book on philosophy or psychology.
Having a set morning routine you rarely deviate from is life-changing. It will change your daily results, and if you stick to it, your annual results.
You take care of your mental health by sticking to a morning routine. It can be simple and short, but make sure you enjoy it.
2. They have reverence for the mind-body connection.
High achievers recognize that if your mind is consumed with worry, anxiety, and fear, your body will suffer also.
When you move your body for even a minute or two, you activate your energy to perform at your best.
Physical movement releases stress and tension.
Have you ever noticed how you feel after a tough workout? I feel lighter and ready to go with more focus and energy.
Whether you’re writing, blogging, or building an online business, you probably spend a lot of your day sitting and staring at a computer. As I do. Burchard shared a habit he practices that have changed my writing life, decreased my caffeine consumption, and made me healthier in my mind and body. He practices a 50-minute strategic reset exercise during long writing sessions.
Writing practice — Here is what a day of writing looks like,
- Write in the AM — as close to waking as possible.
- Get a glass of water — this is the only thing on your desk except for your laptop. Drink the whole glass or while you’re writing. Hydration is vital for energy.
- Sit at an uncluttered desk with your computer.
- Set a timer for 50 minutes — preferably not your iPhone. Your phone should be in an entirely different room from where you are writing, so you have a distraction-free zone.
- When the timer goes off, stand up.
- Take your right hand and shape it into a cup. Pat your entire left arm starting at your left wrist and then go all the way up your arm ending at your left shoulder, tapping yourself with your hand, with firm pressure, hard enough to feel it.
- Switch arms.
- Cup both hands and start on your ankle and pound your cupped hands all the way up your leg, hitting yourself with a fair amount of pressure up your entire leg to your gluts moving up about an inch each time hitting every spot.
- Switch legs.
- Lastly, bend over slightly at your waist, and cup your lower back. Pound your lower back with your hands a few times, up and down, up and down. This should feel really good, even though it looks rather silly.
- Sit back down.
- Close your eyes.
- Set your intention for what you want to get done in the next 50 minutes.
- Set timer for 50 minutes and repeat.
- Start writing.
This energy exercise gets your breath moving and blood flowing. You will have increased energy and focus and be a better partner, spouse, and parent.
3. They know which diet works to optimize their health and energy.
Whether you choose keto or paleo or a Mediterranean diet, choose one that works for your body — your genes and your DNA.
I try to only eat for fuel or to recover from strenuous exercise.
Eat when you are hungry, not because you are bored or tired. Eating when you are bored or tired will lead to unnecessary weight gain and less energy.
Find out if you have any allergies to food, and then eliminate those foods.
If you are feeling sluggish, hire a nutritionist for a few hundred dollars, have your blood panel accessed. Once I found out I was allergic to soy and dairy, I eliminated them from my diet and no longer have stomach problems.
Inflammation and gut problems affect brain health. If you are feeling sluggish after eating, you may want to take a good look at your diet.
Take care of your health. Money is important, yes, but you can always make more money, you only have one body, take care of it by fueling it properly.
4. They exercise at least five times a week.
The top 2% of successful people all work out five times or more a week. Find a workout regime that you will stick to. A regular work out will increase your energy and allow you to achieve your other life’s goals.
Not only is it good for the body, but it is also good for your brain’s health, staying sharp, and increasing focus.
I wouldn’t be able to write as much as I do, and sit in a chair all day if I didn’t incorporate exercise into my morning routine.
Instead of only associating exercise with “losing weight,” think of it as a routine to make you better in all areas of your life — it will make you a better partner and parent.
5. They have a solid sleep routine.
The research is in on sleep; sleep is essential to health, productivity, and performance during the day.
Most people need a bare minimum of seven to eight hours of sleep a night. When you have less than that, you are 30% less effective during the day.
Brendon Burchard’s sleep routine goes like this,
- Three hours before bed — no eating.
- Two hours before bed — no more work.
- One hour before bed — no screens.
- Make sure the bedroom is pitch black, and the temperature is set to about 67 degrees.
His routine is identical to my sleep routine. When I follow it, I have no trouble drifting right off to sleep and staying asleep. I need more than eight hours, so I go to bed at 9:00 PM nearly every night except for Saturday, and maybe Friday night.
6. They never stop learning.
Burchard has seen both Jack Canfield and Tony Robbins furiously taking notes at other authors’ conferences and seminars. They sit in the front row, completely engaged and aware. These guys at the top of their fields, yet they’re still learning, they are still listening to other peoples’ ideas, still thinking, and taking notes — still students of life.
They aren’t just riding on their laurels and multi-million dollar book deals; they remain curious about life and humble, not believing they have all the answers despite their best sellers.
Smart people read. Both Warren Buffet and Bill Gates read one to two books per week. They never stop learning.
I practice these six things routinely, mostly to give me more energy, more focus, more time for my family and friends.
When you are stressed, exhausted, and fatigued because you are not taking care of yourself, your energy and performance suffer, and you have less to give to yourself, the world, and the people who matter to you.
Jessica is a writer, an online entrepreneur, and a recovering Type A personality. She lives in Los Angeles with her extrovert daughter, two dogs, and two cats.
