5 X 5

I’m not a Gratitude Journal kind of guy-it’s not that I am not grateful, I am, and I’ve read and listened to so many in the self-help world that advise you to keep a gratitude journal and write things that you  grateful for. Now if journaling your gratitudes every day is what helps you maintain your perspective, then by all means do it-it just never resonated with me. On the heels of that, I’m not a To Do List kind of guy either. I’ve tried all kinds of things: Planners, Post It Notes, and Apps, but many of them distracted more than helped-not to mention I was never consistent at keeping the lists up anyway.

I needed a system that was easy to follow that kept me: 1) Consistent 2) A right perspective 3) Keeps me evolving/growing. So I developed a 5×5 system to keep me on the rails of life.

The first 5 of my 5×5 is simply asking myself, “What are your 5 wins today?” This is a simple question that I’ll ask when I’m laying in bed or sometimes I’ll randomly ask myself this question if I find I’m in a foul mood. For instance, “What are your 5 wins today?” I’ll say, “I sold 3 warranties; I folded and put all the clothes up; I paid my mortgage; I said No to the $5 Big Box at Popeye’s Chicken (but those biscuits though); and my son and I got along today.” That’s it! A simple, easy to answer format that has no right or wrong answers because they’re just for me. I find at times that even after I answer 5, I keep on going-railing out 7-10 at a time. Not only can I complete this in seconds, but it also re-calibrates my thinking with simple positive wins.

The other part of my 5×5 is going to be different for you. See, there are 5 things that I have to do everyday to feel more complete, accomplished, and in control of my life.  I find that when I do my 5 Power Moves, I have a sense of accomplishment and the day didn’t just get away from me. Often times the reason why I am in a pissed off mood is because I have stretched myself too thin-tending to everyone and everything and alienating myself along the way. The 5×5 method is a way of ensuring that I put myself first every day-remember you come first…when you put yourself first, then everyone gets a better, healthier version of you.

My Power 5’s are: Meditate, Workout, Write, Read, and Record

• Meditate: 5-10 minutes of breathing deep and thinking about nothing. Sometimes it’s 3 minutes other times it’s 10.
• Workout: Bust a sweat every day. Whether it’s a quick Hiit (High Intensity Interval Training you can find on Youtube), 20 min jump rope right outside my door; 30 min weight training or jog..whatever time I have, bust a sweat every day.
• Write: Write 2 pages of thoughts-don’t edit-don’t type. Just let your thoughts flow. Sometimes it’s specific, other times it rambles-the point is to spill your thoughts onto paper. It’ll help you clarify your thinking and speaking.
• Read: Read 30 minutes per day. Sometimes I can do more…other times less.
• Record: This podcast helps share my thoughts with the world. I also have a goal of recording at least 2 things on my voice memo app that is learned, observed, or Ah-ha’d that I can be shared later. This practice helps me stay woke throughout the day.

These are my 5×5- easy to do; easy to keep track of (I only need 10 fingers); and easy to stay consistent. Give it a try-maybe you’ll  have a 3×3, 4×4, 5×5.

I’ll see you on the Blacktop.

Don’t forget my daily podcast, The Sales Life w Marsh Buice found on iTunes, GooglePlay, or anchor.fm.