Groove in life, and don't let it get "thrown off"

September 1, 2016

It’s tough to pickup a groove.

Rhythm can be heard or written into music, the musician is responsible for getting in a groove.

There is no way to describe the groove, and the only way you know you where in it is when it’s thrown off. Grooves help the musician make decisions without having to think too much.

Four things that get me into my “groove”:

1. **No Media. - **This hasn’t been something I’ve always been specifically conscious of. I recently had the realization that I’m a media addict. Eliminating media and primarily shifting my mentality from “consumer” to “contributor” has given me a very black and white code to live by.

2. **Consistent Delivery- **I found small things to deliver on in the morning. For myself it’s getting a brief work out in. Since I’ve been married, I have found that making breakfast and lunch before taking her to work is also something that I can be consistent on. It sets the tone for my day and pulls me into “my groove”.

3. **Timing- **I have a monkey brain and find it hard to concentrate sometimes. When I set a time for myself I’m creating an estimate for how long I think something will take. With the time ticking down it’s hard to get off track. I’m a big believer in using time rather than spending it.

4. **Recording- **Time just like money should be tracked and managed in order to effectively harness the power that comes with it. That’s why I record my time to look back and see what I did. No one likes to look back on a day and say: “Where did my day go?” No one likes to look at their bank account and say “I wonder what I spent it all on?”

It’s not a perfect groove by any means but these are very small things I’ve noticed over the year when I’ve been operating at peak performance.

My groove

It’s day 6 of my “Month Minus Media” and I finally feel like I’m getting used to ignoring it. I’ve been very close to hopping on YouTube, or checking Facebook, but so far I’m staying strong.

This morning for the first time I pulled myself out of bed at a time I am relatively proud of: 6am. It gave me enough time to get a quick workout in and make a good breakfast for my wife and I.

As a result, I’m feeling amped today and excited to tackle my first project of the day: Goals for September.

Getting in the groove is easier when you aren’t watching everyone else’s grooves.

Perhaps tomorrow my groove will wake me up even earlier.