You ever get up in the middle of the night?
Me, too. 🤓
Welcome to the 21st century, over-stimulated club.
Of course, we can have a VERY long chat about WHY we tend to get up with our minds in overdrive and how to mitigate that but⦠Weāll save that for a separate chat.
Today I want to talk about what I do when I inevitably find my mind a little busy in the middle of the night.
The first thing I do is quickly shine a flashlight on what I did that day that might have contributed to an overactive mind. The obvious things like poor oscillations and too many inputs are likely candidates. Or blowing through my digital sunset protocol. Orā¦
Perfect.
I quickly do a 1-2-3 and āNeeds work!ā protocol on it and see how I could have done things a little better while committing to using that data to optimize. (Never waste a mis-take!!)
Thenā¦
I tell myself to turn my brain off by silently repeating the quote-mantra-prayers Iāve memorized while enjoying some nice, deep breathing. Itās 10x better than counting sheep. 🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑
I always start by inviting Steve Jobs to the party to tell me about the Crazy Ones. (Note: I imagine Steve himself reciting this in HIS voiceācheck out the video here.)
He tells me: āHereās to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. Theyāre not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you canāt do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.ā
Then, I invite Ralph Waldo Emerson to the party.
He tells me: āEnthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.ā
Then I bring in W.H. Murray for his gem weāve been discussing lately.
He tells me: āUntil one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in oneās favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meeting and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goetheās couplets:
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.ā
Then I invite Churchill to emerge off my wall and give me some wisdom.
He tells me: āThere comes a special moment in everyoneās life, a moment for which that person was born. That special opportunity, when he seizes it, will fulfill his mission ā a mission for which he is uniquely qualified. In that moment, he will find greatness. It is his finest hour.ā
Thenā¦
If I havenāt already fallen asleep, lately Iāve added a bonus wise friend to join the night-time party.
Michael Singer tells me: āMy formula for success was very simple: do whatever is put in front of you with all your heart and soul without regard for personal results. Do the work as though it was given to you by the universe itself because it was.ā
Thatās my protocol. It works like a charm.
How about YOU?
What do YOU do when you inevitably get up at night?
Any opportunities to optimize?
Any quotes (or prayers) you may want to memorize?
Day 1. All in.
Hereās to a great night of sleep, Hero!
Unlock this Heroic +1 (and over 1,000 more)!
Create your account to get more wisdom in less time. Personal development made simple so you can flourish in energy, work, and love. Today.