Session #1: Achieve Daily Flow

Understanding how discipline creates good habits that improve well-being

Physical well-being fundamentally is about the discipline in developing good life habits.  To achieve daily flow, you need balance and you need the right mindset which can only be formed by you and how you go about the day and your daily habits. It’s all about discipline. The idea of flow first came out in this book called Flow.

This will help you form good habits. None of this can be accomplished without good habits. Habits are a key to happiness. Discipline is key to freedom says Jocko. A key to our program is in the discipline in tracking your well-being. Ultimately, you create your own flow!

To achieve daily flow you must: 1. Master the Morning 2. Move throughout the day 3. Fuel 4. Identify Mind Patterns 5. Elevate your Evenings. You are going to check in against these components. What I’m trying to get you to is achieving flow in your day. So many happiness guides will tell you achieving flow in work is a way to achieve happiness. It’s true and to do that you first have to achieve flow in your day. Here’s how:

Track your mood

Start checking in. Check-in every morning and every evening. How did you start and end the day? During the day, try it once. Understand how your physical needs change due to high stress or low stress times. This is the discipline you need to create to help others.

Master the Mornings

You wake up and your mind is racing. Stop it. Don’t dwell. You lay in bed and roll around. Get UP! Get UP! Joe Biden talks about this after his wife died that he had to repeatedly tell himself to Get UP!.

To achieve daily flow you must first master the mornings. Do two of the following activities, which will be helpful for the entire program:

Mind activities

• Meditate (5-10 minutes)
• Journal (write whatever comes to mind for 2-3 minute
• Find a morning mantra, such as “thankful to be alive.” I started waking up to the country song “It’s a great day to be alive” and my mood changed fast.

Physical activities

• Drink a 12 oz glass of water before you do anything! Water water water!
• Exercise (walk, push-ups, yoga poses, 7-minute app)
• Eat healthy (smoothie, fruits. Drink full 12 ounces of water before coffee.) Light stomach, light mind.

Elevate the Evenings

What I mean by this is to put more emphasis on your sleep schedule and getting to bed. To achieve daily flow you need sleep.

• Try winding down 15 minutes before you go to bed instead of just jumping in.
• Pick your favorite nature sounds
• Keep your phone away from your bedroom
• Journal: Write 3 things you are grateful for or highlights of your day;write what you want to accomplish in the morning
• There are good devices like Oura and Whoop to help you.

Optimize Daily Flow

• Schedule breaks for movement and mental clarity twice per day of 20-30 minutes
• Walking, breathwork, meditation, or even calling a friend!
• Identify when you are not in flow and ask yourself why?

Mental Notes: Identify Mind Patterns

Start picking up negative thought patterns, moments of stress and other mental distractions. Questions to ask:

• Are you thinking negatively during the day?
• Are you in control of your work or does work control you?
• What are you journaling about?
• Are you taking mental breaks?
• Are you able to focus? If not, why not?

Optimize Daily Activities: Move More

• Work 30 minutes, break 5; work 60 minutes, break 10. It’s important to cycle your efforts.
• Stop and meditate for 5 minutes three times per day. People underestimate the power of breathing.
• For exercise, I encourage you to move 3x daily. I don’t mean work out. I mean move for ten minutes. Try that.
• Try two or three 20-minute sessions per day. You’ll feel more energetic, need less caffeine and have better balance. (I started doing this and actually increased my strength.)

Fuel: Eating Routine

• Are you drinking enough water? Hydration = brain fuel.
• Do you know how many calories you are eating? Have you tried to count them? Not saying do it now but start thinking about it.
• Do you know how the things you eat and drink affect your mood? Same for exercise. Running and lifting weights make me feel so different.
• Try caffeine replacements. Lots of caffeine = lots of anxiety

By breaking down your day, you will learn what is working and what isn’t it. That’s discipline and mental awareness. Only then will you be aware of why you aren’t in a good flow and what to adjust to achieve daily flow.