The freedom to be your best is built upon the discipline of mastering your biological rhythms. Experts know what they need to lock down and practice on a daily basis to allow for their optimal function. Elite athletes reach their potential by constructing a routine based around cycles of deliberate practice, feedback, nourishment and rest.
While our playing fields may be different, we can all take steps to secure our non-negotiables (sleep, exercise, nutrition, family time) and focus our energy when we are biologically primed for maximum impact.
Infographic showing schedules for a lark (early riser) on the left and an owl (late starter) on the right.
Unlock Potential
Resilience teaches us to thrive in challenging environments and to find multiple ways to overcome complex problems, bouncing in adversity rapidly (even enthusiastically). The resilient professional achieves this fluidity by establishing biological rhythms that provide freedom to be creative. When the essentials are under control, you can unleash your full potential.
A daily practice that secures your resilience foundations is the key to living with grace, clarity and effervescence.
The Integral Daily Practice
“If one thing protects and builds Resilience, it is Integral Daily Practice. Here we transform ideas into actions that create the freedom of Resilience. IDP is the fuel of growth. Discovering the right IDP and shaping it into one’s life is the making of Resilience.”
– Dr Sven Hansen, Living Resilience
Each of us runs to our own unique rhythms. Make sure you explore your circadian and ultradian cycles and match your own schedule to your internal clocks. The first daily practice below is designed for ‘larks‘ – those who can wake up easily at dawn. If you are more of a night owl, add around 90 minutes to the lark timings to ensure you get enough rest. Your schedule is on the second tab below.
Changing Behaviours
Creating a routine like the one displayed above may seem challenging if you feel like you are already struggling to fit daily life into 24 hours. However, by reorganising your routine so your energy is applied effectively, you can dramatically increase productivity and performance, while simultaneously improving your wellbeing.
It takes commitment and willpower to wake up when that alarm clock rings. Just like any training, exercising your will increases mental strength. Find a strong emotional trigger that you can use as the fuel for your change and allow your body to motivate your mind. Soon it is just like brushing your teeth.
Once you begin a daily practice that includes elements like a daily stretch routine the fact that you might miss your stretch can be enough motivation to get started. Healthy diet and plenty of exercise will become motivators in their own right.
Resilience is not about superhuman displays of grit. It is about the little things: the behaviours, skills, practices and habits that form the foundation of a life you can be proud of.