- The Process
- Posts
- The best habit you'll ever build
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Now, onto Issue 23.
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The best habit you’ll ever build
I’m a big habits guy.
Over the last 15+ years, I’ve built dozens of habits and routines.
I’m always looking for a little edge that will make me better.
Recently, I reflected on which habit has had the greatest ROI on my life, and I kept coming back to the same one.
I call it the “3 Pillars of Wellness.”
It’s simple, repeatable and has been the foundation of my daily routine for more than 5 years.
I genuinely believe it’s the best daily habit you can build for personal improvement.
Here’s how it works:
Every day, I do three things:
something to nourish my mind
something to nourish my body
something to nourish my soul
This is what I need to be healthy, productive and at my best.
Let’s break them down.
(1) Mind
I do something for my mind every day.
The duration or intensity doesn’t matter.
It could be 5 minutes or 5 hours.
It could be light or strenuous.
All that matters is I challenge my brain to think, create, problem solve or stretch in some other way.
A few ways to nourish your mind:
Read a book
Take a course
Build a puzzle
Listen to a podcast
Write for 30 minutes
Work on a creative project
For me, this is usually reading or writing.
But the options are limitless. Just do something to fuel your mind.
(2) Body
I do something for my body every day.
This mostly depends on time and location.
How much time do I have that day?
Will I be home or am I traveling?
Again, duration or intensity don’t matter.
A few ways to nourish your body:
Breath work for 10 minutes
Stretch for 15 minutes
Walk for 30 minutes
Do 50 push-ups
Lift for 1 hour
Run 15 miles
(Note: I’m writing this while training for a marathon, so run 15 miles isn’t a typo!)
No matter where you are or how much time you have, there’s always something you can do.
(3) Soul
I do something for my soul every day.
For me, this is connecting to my faith through prayer and reading the Bible.
For you, it could be something else.
What matters is finding stillness.
We’re all bombarded every day. We need time to connect with our soul.
A few ways to nourish your soul:
Prayer
Meditation
Spiritual reading
Time in nature
Or whatever else “soul” means to you.
So, now you know what the 3 Pillars of Wellness are.
The next part is consistently doing it.
I lean on two principles:
Consistency > intensity
Scheduling
Here’s an overview of each:
(1) Consistency > intensity
One of the biggest habit building mistakes people make is prioritizing intensity.
Read 2 books / month
Go to the gym 5x / week
Cut out sugar cold turkey
It’s almost never sustainable.
Prioritize consistency to start.
Do it every day, no matter how little.
(2) Scheduling
You may think you can “wing it.”
Like me, you’re probably terrible at it.
Scheduling builds consistency. Pull out your calendar. Schedule what matters.
It’s simple and it works.
Now, let’s put it all together with a few examples:
My 3 pillars on a standard day:
Soul: read Bible 15 mins
Mind: write for 45 mins
Body: lift for 45 mins
My 3 pillars if I’m flying:
Soul: prayer 5 mins (on plane)
Mind: read book (on plane)
Body: walk in airport
My 3 pillars if I have a “free” day:
Soul: read Bible 30-45 mins
Mind: project work 3-4 hours
Body: long run or hike
All of these get scheduled on my calendar.
Every night, I do the same for the next day.
The best part about this framework: You can always fit in your 3 pillars if you prioritize consistency over intensity.
Summary
So, that’s the 3 Pillars of Wellness.
Mind
Body
Soul
Prioritize consistency and be flexible with the duration of each activity.
Some days, all we have is a few minutes. So do your best with the time you have.
The most important thing is just to do something for each pillar every day.
I’ve been doing this every day for 5+ years, and it has been the most valuable habit I’ve ever built for personal improvement.
If you implement this consistently, I believe it’ll be the best habit you ever build, too.
Teddy’s Recommendations
(1) I’m rereading Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday, and it’s reminding me how important this book is. We live in a noisy world. As leaders and high-performing people, it’s so important to proactively create stillness in our lives. Read this book.
(2) If you want to see human emotion at its most powerful, watch this clip of Keala Settle performing a rehearsal of “This is Me” from the movie The Greatest Showman. It’s a beautiful reminder of the impact you can make on others when you’re deeply passionate about what you do. Trust me - watch this.
(3) If you want to become a better writer and learn how to use content to grow your business, you’ll enjoy my newsletter The Daily Creator. I share simple tips each week to help you build your online presence. Join 2,200+ others here (it’s free):
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Personal Brand Consulting
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He gets 3-5 inbound deals per week that come directly to his inbox. Why?
He’s spent the last two years building his personal brand online. He’s now well-known and respected in his industry.
This is the power of building your online presence.
I do 1:1 consulting with entrepreneurs and business leaders to help them build their personal brands and achieve similar outcomes.
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I’d love to hear from you
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Thanks for reading.
See you next Sunday.