Don't let the voice in your head push you down"Everyone talks about winning but our biggest opponent is in our own head."

Uncovered: The Essential Mental Skills For Ambitious Youngsters

Write it down somewhere where you can see it and remind yourself why you're doing what you're doing.Imagine living that goal everyday. Believe in it till it becomes a reality.SA cricket Captain Graeme Smith had it written on his refrigerator that he wanted to captain the national team at mere 11 years old. He saw it daily for all these years and down the line he did that.Believe in the beauty of your dreams.

Set A Goal

What I heard from champion's is that they visualize the success in Technicolor. They visualize with all their senses; they know what it will sound like on the podium; they taste the salt in their tears; feel the sun on their backs in front of that crowd.

Instead focus on what you can control.Surely winning is the ultimate goal but you shouldn't talk about that all the time. Work on the things you can control. Training, your mindset, the work you put in to succeed.Sir Dave Brailsford, famous Olympic winning coach focuses on training and behaving like a champion rather than just winning. He also focuses on being clear about the target, the dream. Its about developing that behaviour of a champion and being able to control what is within your limits.

Don't Focus On Winning

Many of us are self critical. We tend to bash ourselves after a failure for a very long time. Being analytical is one thing and self critical another.We tend to think we're useless, in the wrong field, not deserving etc. Don't let that happen.Give yourself time to feel bad. But limit that negative talk time. Set a timer say 20 mins. In these 20mins you can bash yourself all you want but beyond which you won't talk or think about it. If timer isn't possible keep a physical sign say at your doorstep you'll stop thinking no matter what. Train your brain to do it in limited time.

That Negative Voice

Imagine you are at the start of a race. You see your competitors. All look built up like proper runners. You start feeling that you've got no chance although you've been practicing well.This thinking already sets the tone for your race. You wouldn't win even if you tried now because your mind already told you that you're not going to win. You will try hard but it will be difficult to get on from there.Don't feel overwhelmed by the people around you. Stay confident. Push that negative thought out as soon as it comes.

Environment Stressors

All of us know this. It's self explanatory. Sweaty palms, nausea, muscular movements, faster heart rates and what not. We have all been through this a lot many times to know we're in stress. The human brain wasn't meant to deal with stress thousands of years ago. The occasional threat was a predator. All these physical changes were preparatory phase to fight and flight.However today it means different. This stress response has the power to spoil our performance. Nervousness and anxiety make you commit mistakes.

The Stress Response

To perform at your highest level you need to be able to fight off this stress response.Slow down. Don't rush. Take a deep breath.When you slow down, you allow your body to be able to adjust to the stress hormones in the system and make sense of it. Decisions taken in a hurry often are wrong.To make it easier to remind yourself to calm down, you can use tactics like see a picture or an act like tapping your fingers to calm down. This will train your mind to start being calm once you see this picture.

Control Your Stress Response

Every morning when I wake up, I see two versions of myself; one the energetic one who is ready to conquer his day and inch closer to his targets and the other a low energy one who just gets through his day.You get to choose which one you want to be.

Social media is 80% fake. Something created so we can buy into it. What's real is in front of you. Listen to anybody who has a feedback that helps you and as you go along you can dissect what is important out of this.

I have been listening to this podcast for more than a year now. It's a simple yet effective one on how to be at the best of your performance. Give it a go!

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Personal Development

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Corporate Culture

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Motivation & Inspiration

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

Podcast E7 | Sporting Edge | Uncovered: The Essential Mental Skills For Ambitious Youngsters |

Is anything you eat. Be it healthy or unhealthy. I believe nutrition is the best and the easiest way to feel good. It's the basic that that you have control over once you grow up. So most doctors and health experts advise you to change your diet before putting you on any meds in case of diseases or simply to get you back to fitness.

Nutrition

Because that is the main source of substrate for all the energy you need for surviving. The carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibres etc come from the food you eat which constitutes nutrition.Thus simply put, WHAT YOU EAT, BUILDS AND FUELS YOU!

Why Is Nutrition Important

Let me get that straight before I begin. NOT EASY.Our dietary habits begin in childhood and are influenced by family patterns, region we live, ethnicity etc. It's said that what you eat as a child is what forms the basis of your lifetime eating habits to a certain extent. That is why we are encouraged to eat healthy as children.But the changing times have made it more of a challenge. Fad diets, crash diets , thinning supplements, the need to fit into a figure prototype is why most people try to change their diet. Some succeed, some don't.

Changing Your Dietary Habits

<ul><li>Start small : Don't make big changes overnight. Neither will you like it, nor your body. Go slow. Your body needs time to adjust to the new changes after years of eating the same way.</li><li>Consult a dietician, nutritionist or even your primary healthcare physician. DO NOT FOLLOW RANDOM BLOGS AND CELEBS BLINDLY. PLEASE.</li><li>Try to build your new healthy diet around your traditional one. It is easier and more effective.</li><li>ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Your body is the best judge when it comes to assessing what food suits you and what not. </li><li>Be mindful of your allergies and health conditions before you start.</li></ul>

Tips To Modify Your Diet

<ul><li>Do not eat foods that you cannot digest or aversive to just because it is more healthier. Look for another alternative.</li><li>Make sure to have enough protein and fibers in your diet. </li><li>AVOID FAST FOOD. Once a while it's okay. Don't make it a habit.</li><li>Shop for your food on your own. Visit the grocery store or the supermarket. That's the best way to take control of your health. Learn cooking. Invest in your health.</li><li>Most important. BE CONSISTENT. Don't just start eating healthy for a week or month to fit into an outfit. Do it to be healthy. Change your priorities.</li><li>Stay active. Choose a fitness routine.</li></ul>

More Tips!!

Happy GUT, happy YOU. Your diet is the best way to keep you healthy and happy. Follow tips to get started on your health journey

food

Food

health

Health

Nutrition and healthy living

<ul><li>Life is all about what you do NOW, not what you plan to do LATER.</li><li>There are 2 types of regrets: one of not taking the action and second of taking the action. The second is better.</li><li>If you're very successful in your career, every other aspect of life will be ignored no matter how messed up it is. Harsh but true.</li><li>Take the plunge. Inaction will just make you more stressed.</li><li>Make a decision. Indecisiveness just adds onto the already built up pressure of taking a decision.</li><li>Take baby steps if you're unsure.</li><li>Cry it out if it hurts but get back up strong no matter what.</li></ul>

Lessons I Learnt.

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Learning & Education

Some life lessons

All of us go through days when we find it difficult to get anything done. And this cycle just continues when we tell ourselves, "No need to worry. I'll do it tomorrow" or "I'll start it tomorrow."But sadly, tomorrowit gets even more difficult to START.

Unproductive Days

GET STARTED THIS INSTANT.Start with anything small.Be it just getting out of bed (okay I know that's not as easy as it sounds!)Move. Get going. Somehow get your body into Motion. (Newton's law remember!)I know it's difficult at times but just get out and do something. Maybe just sort some mails, clear out your desk.

Best Advice!

This is the best piece of advice I ever got.NEVER WORK IN THE PLACE YOU SLEEP.With WFH it's not possible I agree. Most of us have a room where we sleep and work. It's not easy to separate different places for different work.Idea: Set a small corner of your room for work. Like a desk or even on the floor. If you're using the bed, remove the blankets and pillows from there because that'll make you feel sleepy unconsciously.

Different Places, Different Work

25 min work, 5 min break.This is something everyone must have heard. But it's a little tough to go on for such a long duration in the beginning and many cycles likewise.<ul><li>Week 1: 10 mins work, 2 min break. 3 cycles. You can go for 5 such cycles easily. Repeat if you find the flow.</li><li>Week 2: 15 mins work, 3 mins break. 4 such cycles. Go for 4-6 cycles in a day. More if you can go on.</li><li>Week 3: You will definitely be able to take a 25 min work, 5 min break cycle. Maybe just 2 initially. It's okay. Take 2 then a break for say 20 mins and then get back.</li></ul>Remember little things add up! Use a timer always!

The POMODORO technique

The easiest way to feel in control and stress free is decluttering.Get up and clean whatever you can see. Your cupboard, bookshelf, drawer, mailbox, phone, desk, house etc.Decluttering involves removing those things that you don't need anymore like your waste, old stuff etc.Decluttering gives you a sense of being in control of your environment. You take control of the things you don't need. Makes your thinking process a bit sorted and clear.It's not an ideal way to get rid of stress nor do I recommend it always, but it's helpful at times

Declutter To Reduce Stress

My best way to start being productive is building a routine of exercise or just a 30 min walk.Get those gym outfits and shoes and just start something. AnythingLet it be Zumba, HIIT, Gym or just a 10 min run. I always make sure to walk atleast 30 mins a day no matter what and this is apart from all the walk through the day. Routine helps to internalise a behaviour.Keep a target of min 5k steps apart from the ones you walk daily.

Nature

Routines are remarkable in forming long lasting habits.A routine makes sure you do things one after another in a sequence. It's like once you wake up in the morning, next you know you must brush and freshen up. That's internalised in you(unless obviously you never brushed regularly!)Make easy routines. Add tasks to already formed habits. Like while preparing breakfast, make sure to clean up the kitchen alongside so that you don't have to fret over it later.

Routine To Habit

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Productivity

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Career

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Exercise & Fitness

Quick productivity hacks

Compromise for your dreams but never compromise on your dreams.

I came across this accidentally years ago and it became a quote I now live by

Quote I live by..

Any life change, be it small or large makes us feel anxious and out of our comfort zone. Stress needs no definition at this point of time. All of us constantly talk about being stressed and the effect it has on us.

Stress

Also known as Eustress is the good type of stress that helps you to perform better in whatever aspect of life. An adequate amount of stress motivates you to work harder and thus elevate your performance.This stress is what we need in life to excel.Eg. You have an important presentation at work and thinking about is causes you to stress out like what if you falter or fumble. So you start to rehearse what you have to say which makes your performance better

The Good Stress

This is the unwanted and harmful stress that comes into life. This stress affects not only our performance but also damages our internal balance. It affects the body in ways that we can't even think of. People these days generally develop this sort of stress that leads to major health problems due to underlying cortisol-adrenaline hormone circulating inside the system. Inflammation - the major underlying cause of most illnesses these days has been attributed to this.

The Bad Stress

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Philosophy

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Mental Health

Stress reactions

Every book has some lines that gets etched into the minds of the ones reading itHere are some of my favourites from the 5 am Club by Robin Sharma.

Favorite Lines 

Everything will be okay in the end. And if it's not, it's not the end.

Pressure is a privilege

<ul><li>All change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeus in the end.</li><li>The old you must die before the best YOU can be born.</li><li>If everything seems to be under control, you're not going fast enough.</li><li>The tragedy of life is not death but what we let die inside of us while we are alive.</li><li>A bad day for the ego is a great day for the soul.</li><li>There's a ton of competition at ordinary, but none at extraordinary.</li><li>Continuing when you are frightened is how you become a legend.</li><li>Your past is a place to be learned from, not to be lived in.</li></ul>

Life Changing Quotes

Give up the drop, become the ocean.

<ul><li>Life's finest treasures live in its simplest moments.</li><li>Calm performers are the highest achievers.</li><li>To regularly do that which is hard but important, when it feels most uncomfortable is how warriors are born.</li><li>Exceptionalism is a journey. Virtuosity is a voyage.</li><li>All shadows of insecurity dissolve in the warm glow of persistency.</li></ul>

More Quotes...

Being a better version of yourself to the one from previous day is how one achieves success and fulfillment. Mediocrity is common, Excellent is rare.

Legendary leadership and elite performance expert Robin Sharma introduced The 5am Club concept over twenty years ago, based on a revolutionary morning routine that has helped his clients maximize their productivity, activate their best health and bulletproof their serenity in this age of overwhelming complexity. Now, in this life-changing book, handcrafted by the author over a rigorous four-year period, you will discover the early-rising habit that has helped so many accomplish epic results while upgrading their happiness, helpfulness and feelings of aliveness. Through an enchanting—and often amusing—story about two struggling strangers who meet an eccentric tycoon who becomes their secret mentor, The 5am Club will walk you through: How great geniuses, business titans and the world’s wisest people start their mornings to produce astonishing achievements A little-known formula you can use instantly to wake up early feeling inspired, focused and flooded with a fiery drive to get the most out of each day A step-by-step method to protect the quietest hours of daybreak so you have time for exercise, self-renewal and personal growth A neuroscience-based practice proven to help make it easy to rise while most people are sleeping, giving you precious time for yourself to think, express your creativity and begin the day peacefully instead of being rushed “Insider-only” tactics to defend your gifts, talents and dreams against digital distraction and trivial diversions so you enjoy fortune, influence and a magnificent impact on the world Part manifesto for mastery, part playbook for genius-grade productivity and part companion for a life lived beautifully, The 5am Club is a work that will transform your life. Forever.

books

Books

Legendary leadership and elite performance expert Robin Sharma introduced The 5am Club concept over twenty years ago, based on a revolutionary morning routine that has helped his clients maximize their productivity, activate their best health and bulletproof their serenity in this age of overwhelming complexity.      Now, in this life-changing book, handcrafted by the author over a rigorous four-year period, you will discover the early-rising habit that has helped so many accomplish epic results while upgrading their happiness, helpfulness and feelings of aliveness.      Through an enchanting—and often amusing—story about two struggling strangers who meet an eccentric tycoon who becomes their secret mentor, The 5am Club will walk you through:<ul><li>How great geniuses, business titans and the world’s wisest people start their mornings to produce astonishing achievements</li><li>A little-known formula you can use instantly to wake up early feeling inspired, focused and flooded with a fiery drive to get the most out of each day</li><li>A step-by-step method to protect the quietest hours of daybreak so you have time for exercise, self-renewal and personal growth</li><li>A neuroscience-based practice proven to help make it easy to rise while most people are sleeping, giving you precious time for yourself to think, express your creativity and begin the day peacefully instead of being rushed</li><li>“Insider-only” tactics to defend your gifts, talents and dreams against digital distraction and trivial diversions so you enjoy fortune, influence and a magnificent impact on the world</li></ul>Part manifesto for mastery, part playbook for genius-grade productivity and part companion for a life lived beautifully, The 5am Club is a work that will transform your life. Forever.

Robin Sharma is one of the world’s premier thinkers on leadership, personal growth and life management. The bestselling author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Who Will Cry When You Die? and The Saint, the Surfer, and the CEO and four other books on self-transformation. Robin Sharma is in constant demand internationally as keynote speaker at the conferences of many of the most powerful companies on the planet including Microsoft, Nortel Networks, General Motors, FedEx and IBM. He is a resident of Ontario, Canada. (Barnes and Noble)

Robin S. Sharma

The 5AM Club

The 5 AM Club

Oct 10.We have off late been speaking about mental health a lot. The increasing number of suicides, the more number of people openly talking about it has attracted the attention of the world towards this aspect of health.The Covid pandemic has just made things worse. People have been thrown off work, been WFH all day, had make ends meet for food etc. Post covid many have had bouts of depression as well.

World Mental Health Day

The idea behind Mental Health initially supposed to be speaking about it openly and reducing the stigma related to it . This was because many traditional socities didn't believe mental health could be deranged.However with changing times, there's a need for going a step further.

Today the need is to Get the right kind of help at the right time.Delays in getting help makes matters worse. Not everyone gets the support they need to go through the bouts of depression. Talking to a friend might help a little, but there is a definite need for a therapist.Professional help is a must.It is important as a society that we must be able direct the people towards the resource. We need to build up a network to help such individuals. Support from family and friends is a must. Challenging times needs support.

Podcast E7 | Sporting Edge | Uncovered: The Essential Mental Skills For Ambitious Youngsters |

Nutrition and healthy living

Some life lessons

Quick productivity hacks

Quote I live by..

Isha Patel