Upgrade My Rituals: Recent Episodes
Kevin Mecchella
Thank you for listening to the podcast! Upgrade My Rituals will teach you the art and science of building healthy routines around your day helping you upgrade your productivity. This show will not only discuss your entire ritual design, but we'll go much deeper to all things personal development. From mind-body techniques to productivity hacks, it's my mission to bring you everything I can to help you along your journey to becoming the best version of yourself.
Teenagers all share the same stress and anxiety but teen performing artists (musicians, dancers, singers, etc) have an extra layer on top. They often connect their self worth to their craft and when they encounter a poor audition or recital, the negative self talk becomes deafening. It's hard to navigate consdiering they put themselves in a vulnerable place; on display for the world to see!
Today, I brought on dancer, educator, and mental health professional Erin Pompa. Erin shares her personal journey from a dance educator to a passionate advocate for mental health. Our wide ranging conversation spans many topics such as cultivating acceptance and gratitude while providing valuable insights for educators and students alike!
As a New Jersey native, Erin has dedicated over 20 years to the field of education, earning a master's degree in dance education from NYU. She served as the dance director at Rosa l Park School of Fine and Performing Arts for 14 years and was an adjunct professor at Berkeley College, where she taught "The Art Of Ceativity". Erin's experience in the arts, education, performance, and curriculum design uniquely positions her to deliver impactful and inspirational presentations to youth. Her focus areas include mental health awareness, substance abuse prevention, and leadership development. Beyond her work in schools, Erin is a sought after speaker at youth conferences, colleges, and dance studios.
As mentioned, head over to https://www.erinpompa.com/ and download Erin's workshop "Becoming A Gratitude Ninja"!
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I've had so many conversations lately with both teens and adults where I've realized the fear of failure is alive and well no matter your age! People are so scared of making mistakes and it unfortunately keeps them stuck from moving fast. Moving fast is the only way we learn and grow. So today I'm going to share my 2 cents on fear of failure...
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Do you remember that time that everyone laughed at you because you had toilet paper stuck to your shoe? Or that nick name that stuck with you in 4th grade? You may remember but you know who doesn't...everyone at college!
Students are about to embark on a entirely new chapter in their life. For many of them, a new state with a completely new set of friends. This is a chance to embrace a fresh start! They can become who they want and view the world through a new lens. They don't have to be held down by the subconscious limits that have been imposed on them thus far. This is a chance for a clean slate and to step into the shoes of the person who they WANT to become!
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Today I'd like to reflect on a personal story from my childhood—a deep-seated obsession with Superman and the significance it held for me. I was a product of the Christopher Reeves Superman (ahhemm....the best one) and it was a few things. Sure it was the way he carried himself but at the age of 6 it was more about his ability to fly! Even more so it was how everyone was in so much shock and awe around him. The power and significance he had was intoxicating. I was a child who wanted significance...
With that being said I want to delve into the crucial topic of understanding and addressing the needs of students in the classroom. Whether it be significance, certainty or simply physiological needs, we'll explore how educators can create thought-provoking experiences that go beyond traditional academic learning, helping students uncover their desires and needs. By providing a space for self-reflection and exploration, we can foster an environment that nurtures personal growth and development.
Lastly, today's episode marks a special milestone as we celebrate our 150th show. I'm thrilled to take this opportunity to offer 50% off one of my programs! So the first school or organization who mentions this episoded will get their speaker fee cut in half!!!
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Most of us can remember the first few months of our undergraduate experience. It was not easy! It's a big shift for many different reasons so when we talk about our student's mental health, this is a very pivotal point and an important transition.
Today we'll chat about the challenges students face as they navigate the increased autonomy, adult responsibilities, and cultural shock in a university setting. Time, energy and money management are all important for a college freshman, as well as finding a social and academic groove without hitting a wall. Take a listen to a few suggestions that might help your high school senior as they begin their collegiate journey!
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Do you remember the last few months of your senior year?! All of a sudden everyone started talking to each other, everyone became friendly, and all social cliques began to to break down! We realized that our future has arrived. There was no more next steps and for most part, you were not going to see a vast majority of these people ever again. Everyone was going to go on to do different things with their lives and no matter how cool you were, what sports you played or how good your grades were, everone was on the same playing field.
The question becomes can we replicate this through the other three years of high school? Can we help break down the social cliques sooner?
I think one idea is to help students with perspective on time, real-world experiences, and social situations, all of which can help them navigate the challenges of social hierarchy, as well as the pressures of social media.
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The saying goes "if you win the morning, you win the day". And morning routines are not just for adults! There are many great benefits from a teen implementing some personal development tactics before they head out to school.
Today I'll share some practical strategies to help teenagers enhance their well-being by focusing on their body, mind, and emotions in the morning. From exercise to meditation, journaling, and acts of kindness, I'll break down simple yet impactful routines that can make a positive difference in the lives of your teens.
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month so today we'll be unpacking the CASTLE SEL framework which is a key component of social and emotional learning. I'll provide an in-depth breakdown of the framework's five core competencies, along with discussing the settings that SEL can be taught which are classrooms, schools, families, and communities.
There are some hidden gems to this framework that might go overlook at first. I'll be asking some interesting questions to challenge how we approach SEL from the outside in!
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I recently had a student come up to me after a talk and said "I want to be like you"...
I assumed that he meant he wanted to be a speaker. I was wrong.
He continued to say "I want to speak and I want people to finally hear me". I realized that this student has so much to say and so much to share but he doesn't have an outlet to do so.
I then thought about my experiences working with students either in the classroom or from the stage and I realized that there are so many students who go unnoticed. Not because it's anyone's fault but we need to use so much time and attention on the students who obviously need our help both academically and socially. So how do we create opportunities to truly get to know all our students...?
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When I was in high school I KNEW that I was going to be a high school band director....
Clearly I was mistaken.
When 16 and 17 year old children are asked what they want to do with the rest of their lives (AKA picking a major), there are a lot of variables and situations to think about.
Whether your teen is having trouble picking their major or is on the opposite end of that spectrum and is completely sold, there are a few questions that are crucial to ask in this process.
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When a student is thinking of taking a student loan, what does $50,000 really mean to them. Well if they're anything like me, nothing! I had no personal finance education and the number seemed so vague. Plus you've probably also heard things like...
- Everyone has to take them
- I won't have to pay them back for a long time
- I'll just get a decent job that makes enough money to pay them back quickly
We know the issues with the above statements but our kids don't. That's why we need to break down what these big numbers actually mean every month. Even more so, we need to show them what real adult monthly expenses actually look like so they have context. We can't expect students to make the best decision possible unless they have the context and understanding.
Amidst Presient Biden's 2nd attempt to roll out a student debt relief plan called SAVE, I thought this would be a good time to talk about this. The reality is I'm 36 and I'm STILL paying off my loans!
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If we tell ourselves a certain story, we're going to make certain decision. If we change that story, our decisions will change as well.
Today we're going to break down the Story Cycle. This simple yet extremely powerful concept has been taught by many personal development and productivity gurus. Ultimately our story influences our actions, our actions influence our results, and our results reinforce our story. This is how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer!
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Today I start with a story. It's actually one of the earliest memories I have. It was a contract that my mother and my teacher made me sign...
As someone who is NOT an expert on addiction, drugs and alcohol or substance abuse, this is simply one man's experience with early prevention. Take a listen to today's episode as I discuss a few ways we can instill a strong identity and help set personal boundaries for teens as they navigate the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
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Today we're going to try a slightly different format. I will be playing a short clip from one of my recent talks at Dobbs Ferry High School in Westchester, NY. This clip highlights some of the selfish choices a teen can make when they tell themselves a limiting story.
Today I'll discuss 3 effective strategies for educators to help students navigate regret, urging them to consider the limited time they have and how their actions will shape their lives. From visualizing a 90-year life calendar to encouraging empathy and respectful conversations, I feel like this is a short, yet powerful episode if implemented. Enjoy!
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Throughout my time as a teacher, coach and speaker, I've learned quite a bit about how teens make decisions. One major realiztion I've had is that our decisions are governed by three fundamental truths. No matter what age and what circumstance, these principles are what guide and shape our decisions.
When it comes to teens, they are much more vulnerable due to the lack of life experience, as well as their timeline of cognitive growth. So today, I will break down what these three truths are and how we can better understand them. If we are to improve upon something, we must understand the fundamentals.
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When it comes to high amounts of energy, there are no better people that Matt and Phil from M&P Presentations. This dynamic youth speaking duo has been working with teens for over a decade. They have a truly unique perspective considering both Matt and Phil work professionally in the field of education.
In this episode, we discuss a wide range of topics such as self-care, personal growth, and overcoming challenges that teachers face on a day to day. We also dive into their journey in professional speaking, as well as how teaching better helps their speaking programs and vice versa.
You can find everything they have going on over at https://www.mppresentations.com/
Or follow them on social!
https://www.instagram.com/mppresentations/
https://www.youtube.com/@MPPresentations
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At some point every teen will fail at something. The issue is that students are facing this idea of perfectionism that is engineered from social media and the constant connection to all their peers. So how can we help them and what strategies can we give them to work through their failures?
Today we'll dig into the importance of evaluating and revising goals, celebrating wins along the way, gaining perspective, and discovering the real motivation behind a goal.
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The SMART or SMARTER goal framework is fairly common among professionals and executives but how about teens? Has you student ever formally tried to sit down and create a detailed goal?
Considering it's the first episode of the year, the conversation on everyone's minds is always New Year's resolutions and this also could be on the mind of a high school student. If so, today I'll give you a few examples of some of the pitfalls and things to watch out for as you work with your teen to craft their goals. More importantly, I'll discuss the action steps that students need to take in order to achieve these lofty ambitions!
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It's a hard question...what do I do for the rest of my life? Even harder when you have to make that decision at 16 when applying for colleges. I have embarked on a few different entrepreneurial pursuits in my life. While I believe they all kind of stemmed from the same purpose, they were definitely different in the day to day. After deciding to pursue speaking full time, I asked myself the most important question...
If money was no longer an issue, would I still do what I'm doing today?!
Check out today's episode to find out my answer!
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I was recently watching a video from Ali Abdaal, one of the most successful productivity Youtubers. He was going through a lot of higher level thinking and figuring out what direction to take his business next. This is where he dropped a gem!
If you're having trouble with achieving a goal or not sure what to do next in your life, ask yourself why...5 times! This is a really effective exercise that I think might bring more clarity than you even intended!
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This is crunch time for college applications. That means that students will need to shift their priorities.
Here are a few things that can help your students to reprioritize.
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Mindset Reframing: It's important for students to understand that they won't be able to get everything done, and that's okay. Prioritizing is about making choices and focusing on what truly matters.
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Delayed Gratification: In today's instant gratification world, it's essential to help students recognize the long-term benefits of investing their time and energy into important tasks, even when it may not bring immediate satisfaction.
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Ideal Week Planning: Encouraging students to plan out their ideal week can help them allocate time for essential tasks, such as college applications, while also prioritizing self-care, physical activity, and mental well-being.
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Today is another Educator Spotlight Series!
Join me as we dive into the world of Will Elliott, a 25-year-old teen life coach. When Will first appeared in my feed, I was conflicted with the thought of a 25 year old life coach. On one hand I said "he's still a kid himself"! On the other hand I thought that being young would make him much more relatable than mom and dad!
Check out today's review as we unravel the insights, challenges, and nuances of Will's approach while acknowledging the critical connection between teens, their mentors, and the influential role of parental guidance.
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I recently saw a video of Jocko Willink where he attempted to answer a question from a listener. The question was revolved around discipline and how to develop it when you come from a undisciplined household. I found it really interesting to say the least...
Today we'll unpack the crucial aspect of taking accountability and setting clear expectations in the classroom in order to help your students become more accountability. Moreover, we'll tackle the art of overcoming challenges and why it's vital for a teen's personal growth.
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As a musician for a huge part of my life, practice has always been something that is necessary. Even if I don't have a specific gig coming up, I always have to practice to get better at the craft and to keep my endurance at a high enough level.
In today's quick episode, I'm digging into a question that's been on my mind – the role of practice in the life of a teenager. Not necessarily practicing a musical instrument but practicing anything they want to improve upon.
The reality is students are dealing with constant distractions, as well as a society that promotes immediate gratification. From my musical journey, we'll talk about practice and how time management, efficiency, and consistency are all key players in this equation.
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As a youth speaker and coach, I'm well aware of how crucial it is to teach teenagers the art of embracing failure and navigating the challenges it presents. It's all about helping them understand that failure isn't the end of the road but rather a stepping stone towards eventual success.
It took Thomas Edison 1000 tries to invent the lightbulb and with that being said, I want to emphasize the importance of perseverance and never giving up, no matter how many times you stumble along the way. There's a certain clarity that comes with each failure, and it's through learning from these setbacks that we can truly grow and evolve.
Throughout this episode, I'll be sharing personal stories from my own journey, recounting instances where I faced failure both in my previous career and as an entrepreneur. So, I invite you to join me on this exploration of mindset and strategies that can help students not just accept but embrace failure as a catalyst for personal growth.
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High school can be challenging. One of the biggest problems is that students are still so young. They haven't lived enough yet to gain the best tool in the toolbox...experience! So instead of trying to step into a time machine, I have three simple ways that students can gain the next best thing. Perspective.
- Take on leadership roles: Encourage students to step up and exhibit leadership in small ways. This could involve reaching out to include someone who is sitting alone at lunch or volunteering to assist a teacher or fellow student in need. These simple acts of kindness and courage can provide students with a broader understanding of empathy and human connection.
- Travel: Experiencing different cultures and ways of life can be transformative for students. Even if it's a family vacation to a new destination or a school trip abroad, travel exposes students to new perspectives, challenges them to navigate unfamiliar situations, and helps broaden their understanding of the world.
- Volunteer: Volunteering allows students to give back to their communities while gaining a deeper appreciation for their own privileges and opportunities. By helping others who have fewer resources, students can develop empathy, compassion, and a greater understanding of the world beyond their immediate surroundings.
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Have you ever come across those intense, aggressive, and highly popular motivational videos on YouTube? You know the kind, the ones that feature people running and lifting weights while some voice over dude screams in the background?! But have you ever wondered why these videos don't show people sitting down and studying or writing?!
In this episode, we explore the concept of motivation and why physical activities are often portrayed as being easier to motivate oneself for, compared to other tasks like studying or problem-solving. We'll discuss the differences between motivation and inspiration, and how understanding these distinctions can help us better support our students in their personal development and mental health.
But it's not just about understanding the psychology behind motivation; we'll also explore the importance of discovering one's "why" and developing positive habits in order to sustain motivation. Whether it's helping our students pass a challenging exam or overcome a difficult time in their life, truly understanding how motivation works can be the make or break.
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As teachers, administrators, and anyone involved in education, we can probably all recall the impact these activities had on our own lives and why they are so important for our students. From theater to sports, from music to student government, extra curricular activities teach our kids so much in the ways of social and emotional skills
- Responsibility: Being part of a team or group requires students to take on responsibility, whether it's memorizing lines, learning songs, or managing their time effectively. The collective effort of working toward a common goal fosters a sense of accountability and instills valuable life skills.
- Time Management: Juggling academic responsibilities with extracurricular commitments is a challenge many students face. By encouraging students to participate in these activities, we provide them with an opportunity to develop time management skills, learn to prioritize, and strike a balance between their various commitments.
- Leadership: Joining clubs, sports teams, or debate groups allows students to explore and develop leadership qualities. From being a team captain to leading a section, extracurricular activities provide students with the chance to take on leadership roles and learn valuable lessons about teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
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Today is a first experiment of the spotlight series. This will be a series on this podcast where we highlight individuals who are making a difference in the world of education. Today, we turn the spotlight on Doctor Justin Bader, a former principal turned administrator mentor, who is helping principals become better leaders. We delve into one of his thought-provoking Tiktok videos regarding the push for teachers to also become therapists. Check it out!
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Last week I recorded an episode about the conflicting feelings of going back to school. I figured I would continue down of talking about the beginning of the year.
As educators, we have the power to not only teach academic subjects but also to prioritize our students' mental and physical health. So, how can we start the year off right and truly make an impact on their lives? What are some of the routines and systems that you're going to put into place this school year? Most importantly, how can we show our students that we care about more than just their grades?!
If your school district needs a little help with starting they year off right, book Kevin to speak at your school!
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August is always a strange month for me. Whether I was in high school myself or as a teacher, I always had mixed feelings about going back to school.
On one hand, I was so excited! I can literally smell the excitement in the air! I was pumped to see my friends, all the after school activities starting up and just being around the action!
On the other hand, I was terrified of all the hard classes and unknown challenges that were about to come my way.
I felt similar as a teacher...and maybe you do to?
Are you dreading going back or are you amped to get into your classroom and start setting up the room?
Check out today's episode in order to truly lean in to one or the other!
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I've noticed a recurring theme – this fear of making the wrong decision. And trust me, I get it. High school is a time of change.
But here's the thing – it's absolutely okay to be wrong sometimes. In fact, making mistakes is an essential part of growth and learning. That's why I believe it's crucial to equip students with the skillsets to handle making decisions and learning from the outcomes.
Throughout this episode, I'll be sharing my experiences and insights from conversations with students of different grade levels, offering practical advice on how to navigate the fear of making decisions. I'll also be sharing a few tactics such as a decision matrix which can be super helpful when making choices.
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In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, adaptability has become a crucial skill for success, particularly for high school students. Being adaptable means having the ability to adjust and thrive in different situations, allowing students to navigate the challenges they face both academically and personally.
Think about the fact that both Facebook and the iPhone are not even 20 years old and these two companies and products have completely reshaped the world and how we interact with it. Now with VR and AI on the brink, we are about to see some insanely fast change!
On today’s episode, I break down three areas that have practical application for students.
- Academic adaptability: High school students can adapt their study environments, manage workloads effectively, and adjust their learning strategies based on different subjects and challenges they encounter.
- Social adaptability: Navigating social dynamics can be challenging, but by developing adaptability, students can handle conflicts, build positive relationships, and improve communication skills.
- Future-oriented adaptability: Looking beyond high school, students need to embrace change, prioritize continuous learning, and develop transferable skills to succeed in their chosen paths.
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On this episode, we explore the power of nonverbal communication through vocal inflection, hand gestures, facial expressions, and physical stance. We break down the box they are in and show them how to excel in communication and become successful students! Remember, communication is more than just the words we say, it's how we use them.
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Today I sat down with Scott Wisniewski, a high school assistant principal and winner of the NJPSA/NASSP NJ Assistant Principal of the Year, to dissect how Wayne Schools is investing in the mental health of their students.
We had a wide ranging conversation including what it's really like being an assistant principal. While maintaining discipline, attendance and scheduling are all important parts of the job, the real meat and potatoes of the job is building relationships. Scott spoke about how he handles discipline issues with an open mindset and approaching the situation with empathy and understanding. Especially after COVID-19, students are still catching up on certain emotional and social norms which sometimes leads to acting out and behavior issues.
At the end of the episode, Scott shares all the tactical things they are doing as a building to bring mental health awareness and education to Wayne Schools and I was seriously blown away!
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In today's fast-paced world, our phones have become an integral part of our lives. They offer us a plethora of utilities and allow us to stay connected with the world at large. However, the excessive use of phones can also lead to stress and anxiety in our student's lives.
Today we're going to look at how to audit your phone for your mental health. By prioritizing essential utilities, limiting non-essential phone usage, being mindful of social media content, and building positive relationships, students can take control of their phone usage and promote mental health and well-being. Remember, your phone should serve as a tool to enhance their lives, not a source of stress and anxiety.
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David Flood, a youth motivational speaker joins us to chat about his experiences helping students unlock kindness and compassion for one another.
David shares his insights on why the word "love" and the influential figure that used this word so eloquently. David opens up about his son Justin who is autistic and how he is one of the most powerful drivers in his family and life. We also dive into why mental health issues are on the rise and how the relationship between students and technology is affecting their well-being.
We explore the challenges that teachers face in today's society and how they can become better coaches for their students. David provides practical advice for parents and teachers to support their children and students if they are having a difficult time emotionally.
David’s narrative as a youth speaker comes first hand; he grew up impacted by addiction in his family; he married and became a father of two children, his oldest is a special needs son; he is active in his church; he is a hospice volunteer who visits with terminally ill patients; and is on the board of K.I.D.S. Plus, Inc. a non-profit organization which helps special needs children through sports and other activities. As a youth motivational speaker David has spoken in 40 states and Canada to over 500,000 students, inspiring them to look at people and things in a different way.
Check out the full episode with David Flood today!
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I came across a teacher online who was doing some fantastic SEL exercises with his students and posting them online…I had to have him on as a guest to learn more!
Scott Todnem is the author of “Growing Up Great! The Ultimate Puberty Book for Boys” and “Sex Education: A Parent’s Guide.” Scott has been teaching Health Education at the middle school level since 2001 and was awarded the 2019 National Health Teacher of the Year. He uses his platforms to promote cultural diversity, gender inclusivity, mental health awareness, and suicide prevention. Scott is a nationally-recognized presenter and travels to speak about mental health and the benefits of quality health education programs.
Scott enjoys adding to the Health Class experience by hosting a YouTube channel and a Podcast with his students, both of which can be found at LifeIsTheFuture.com. Scott currently resides in Illinois with his family, where he enjoys reading, record collecting, and watching great movies. Additional writing and other content can be found on his website, LifeIsTheFuture.com.
Today on the show, Scott talks to us about how he emphasizes meaningful, as well as memorable activities for his students. Even the physical placement of desks and furniture in his classroom is designed to encourage more social interaction. When Scott is active as a learner himself, he finds that his lessons are that much more engaging and interesting.
Mr. Todnem also has a podcast created and hosted by the students of his class as a way to open up even more about the SEL exercises they took part in, as well as discuss everyday challenges they are dealing with as a middle schooler.
Lastly, we talked about how important self awareness is to the success of a student. Scott feels that self awareness is definitely the million dollar question!
To learn more about everything Scott is up to, head over to https://lifeisthefuture.com/
Student Leader Stress is a real thing. Teens have a lot going on in their lives. They face high expectations and often put unrealistic pressure on themselves to be the best version of themselves. These expectations may be self-imposed or put on them by others in positions of authority in their lives. Finding balance between their personal lives, reality, hopes, aspirations, and dreams can be challenging for these students.
One thing I know for sure that can help in every facet of life is establishing some type of routine. This doesn't have to be some intense rise and grind style routine but doing something consistent in order to set themselves up for a positive day is important. Even more important is to find a time of day that the student will most often be able to execute this routine. For instance, after school is probably a bad time for a routine considering student leaders usually have extra curricular activities after school.
In this episode I also go into more detail regarding the fact that student leaders usually will over commit to opportunities that come their way, and rarely have any time for themselves. Check out the full episode to help your student leader avoid stress in their life.
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Carol Dweck's work on fixed and growth mindsets is incredibly important for educators to understand, as it can help them better support their students. A fixed mindset is one in which an individual believes that their physical body, intelligence, or ability at a certain skill is fixed and limited in how much they can improve. A growth mindset, on the other hand, is one in which an individual believes that their success is determined by the work and strategy that they put into it. As a result of this, having a fixed mindset will lead to negative self-talk and bad decisions, while having a growth mindset leads to positive self-talk and good decisions.
On this episode I'll be explaining a specific formula that is a variation of Angela Duckworth's Grit. We'll look at how a student's mindset can dictate their inner dialogue which will inevitably determine whether they make good or bad decisions.
By understanding and fostering a growth mindset, teachers can help their students make better decisions, have more positive self-talk, and believe in their own potential.
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Bullying is an unfortunate reality for many students, and it can have serious effects on their mental health and wellbeing. In this episode I'll explain how we as teachers and youth professionals can help our students build resilience and deal with bullies in a healthier way with a simple three "R" framework.
REFLECTION
We need to ensure that students have some time to sit down, relax and think through the situation, rather than just staying in their heads. This will help them to better understand their own feelings and those of the bully.
REFRAME
We need to help the students to understand that the bully is likely hurting and that their behavior is a result of their own pain. Rather than viewing the bully as an enemy, we need to teach them to one day be able to feel empathetic towards the bully.
RESPONSIBILITY
While it can be hard for a student to accept that they have control over their own feelings, we can use a coaching approach to help them understand that they can take control of the situation. I will warn you that this is a tough pill to swallow. You may have to tread lightly with this one and really have the student come to this conclusion themseleves.
By using these three R’s in our toolbox, we can help our students to build resilience and better deal with numerous issues they may face.
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As education professionals we know that we are, unfortunately, a small part of the success of our students. An overwhelmingly large factor is the influence parents have over their children. The routines, the values and the guidelines a parent instills at home all have a huge impact on the social development of our students. So today is going to be a short breakdown of the four stages of parenting.
As parents, it's important to be aware of the four stages of parenting, namely the Commander, the Coach, the Counselor, and the Consultant. Each stage requires a different approach, and being aware of the stage you are in can help you nurture your children better.
In the Commander stage, when children are toddlers, it's important to create an environment that is successful and rewarding. A positive environment will help them learn what to do and what not to do, and reinforce the behavior you want to see. When children are in elementary school, the coaching stage begins. This is when you instill values and a mindset in them, and show them their place in the world. It's important to reward positive behavior and hold true to what you say. The counseling stage is when teenagers start to explore the world on their own. As a counselor, it's important to ask open-ended questions and let them come to their own conclusions without giving them the answers. This helps them build their emotional intelligence and reflect on their feelings. Finally, the consultant stage is when children are grown and have moved out of the house. At this stage, they may ask for advice or help, and it's your job to be there!
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Reaching teens can be tough. I found someone who has figured out how to do it…very well! Today on the show I sit down with Dr. Matt Bellace and learn how he uses comedy to present scientific evidence regarding substance abuse.
We discuss his background as a clinical psychologist and the convergence of his comedy career, all at the same time while pursuing his PhD. When he works with students, Matt focuses on helping teens find natural highs as an alternative to drug and alcohol abuse. Many high school students are struggling with issues of identity, self-esteem and feeling disconnected from the people around them which often leads them to make bad decisions and substance abuse. When asked what advice he would give teachers to help them better spot and assist students who are struggling mentally and emotionally, Matt suggested that teachers try their best to explain the process of dissapointment and negative emotions. These are emotions that we are experiencing. Now we get to decide what to do with them.
Dr. Matt Bellace has a PhD in clinical psychology with a subspecialty in clinical neuropsychology, the study of the brain and behavior. His clinical training included working with patients at the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (Philadelphia), treating learning disorders in a pediatric neuropsychology private practice in suburban Philadelphia and performing cognitive behavioral therapy at Drexel University’s Student Counseling Center. Matt completed his clinical internship working with traumatic brain and spinal cord injury patients at The Mount Sinai Medical in New York City.
As a stand-up comedian, Matt Bellace has performed at clubs and colleges across the country, including Caroline’s on Broadway and Gotham Comedy Club in New York City. During the pandemic, his Zoom comedy shows brought laughter to quarantined audiences to audiences of all ages. Matt’s credits include truTV’s hit show The World’s Dumbest, the 2005 Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, National Public Radio and The New York Times.
Matt’s professional speaking career began in 1995 following the success of a student group he founded at Bucknell University. Matt’s speaking work began in high schools and colleges, but quickly grew to national conferences, professional organizations and the military. Matt had spoken in forty seven states and across Canada, annually appearing in front of over a hundred thousand people a year. Although the pandemic halted live events, it has ushered in a new opportunity for reaching an even more diverse audience through virtual programs
To learn more about Matt and take a look at the books he’s written, head over to https://www.mattbellace.com/
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At-risk youth are students who need help avoiding the school to prison pipeline. This is what our guest Michy Morillo shares with us today on the show.
Michy E. Morillo is an author, youth coach, and acclaimed keynote speaker with lived experience navigating the juvenile justice system. As a former juvenile delinquent and an expelled high school student, Michy went on to have a successful 20 year career in graphic design.
Little did she know, being repeatedly incarcerated between the ages of 14 and 18 and being expelled were uniquely designed for her life’s purpose. Following the blueprint that she now shares, she is reaching back to bring others along. As a spirited entrepreneur and aspiring philanthropist, Michy is committed to being a transformative force in the lives of youth, serving as a conduit to the skills and tools that nurture growth.
Morillo shared her insights on the difference between motivation and inspiration, the impact of our social circle, growth vs. fixed mindset, and perspective. Some of these strategies are so crucial for at-risk youth and Michy does a fantastic job at coaching these teens through some of the hardest times imaginable. She also gave me some homework. Take a listen to today's episode to find out!
You can learn more about Michy and her work at celldreamer.com
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Social media has become a hotly debated topic, and as teachers and youth coaches, it's important to discuss the pros and cons it provides.
On the one hand, social media gives teens instant and broad access to their peers and interests, plus the opportunity to make real money. It also offers access to amazing education resources.
On the other hand, social media can be a highlight reel, leading to feelings of inadequacy, and it has made cyberbullying more pervasive. Additionally, algorithms can manipulate how our brains process what we’re seeing, creating a type of addiction. Social media isn't going anywhere. We need to teach teens how to take control.
We need to make them aware of the physiological effects it has on them and encourage them to step back and assess if they’re actually enjoying the content. We should also explain how they can manipulate the algorithm to their benefit and remind them that they have the power to take a break from social media if they need to.
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How we redefine stress can literally make stress a non issue! When it comes to our students dealing with the stress and anxiety that comes with things like college admissions, making the school team, or dealing with bullies, it's important that we teach students to redefine the stress by changing it's meaning.It's all about reframing things in a positive way and helping students realize that it's not the end of the world if they don't make the team or don't fit in with everyone socially.
Take trying out for a school team or the musical, for example. Instead of taking failure as meaning they're not good enough, help them reframe it to "I'm not good enough yet." This will help them get past the disappointment and keep pushing forward.
Bullying is another big issue that students have to deal with. Help them understand that the bully is the one who's broken and that they should have empathy and pity for them. It'll help them build resilience and inner strength.
To help students really believe in their ability to redefine stress, simply ask questions and guide them instead of telling them what to do. Show them examples from your own life of how you've changed the meaning of experiences and how it's helped you cope with stress.
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A CTE teacher has a lot on their plate.
For that matter, teachers in general have a lot on their plate! But when it comes to multiple prep teachers, there are other organizational challenges that are much more obvious. I can somewhat relate from my previous career as a music teacher. At the end of the day, the more organized and systematic we can be, the better off we can be for our kids.
Today on the show we hear from a true productivity expert! Khristen Massic works with multi-prep teachers to create systems to simplify their job and allow them to focus on sharing their talents as an educator. Khristen has a wide ranging career from CTE teacher, Assistant Principal and Productivity Coach and course creator.
We have a fantastic conversation that begins with the return from Covid while Khristen was an active AP. We then dig into some of the organizational strategies that multi prep teachers such as CTE teachers really need to adopt. We touch on some issues that students are facing regarding self worth and then Khristen shares a story that TRULY...blows my mind!
You can find more about Khristen over on her website, and definitely say hello on instagram!
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No matter how old you are, I think we can all relate to not feeling worthy at certain times. The feelings of not being good enough, strong enough or smart enough are somewhat natural emotions that are designed to keep us in place which ultimately is designed to keep us safe. The problem is we are no longer hiding from lions trying to eat us!
Today I brought on someone who really knows how to teach students to recognize their worth and value as a human being. Kate Garnes is a professional youth speaker who is committed to teaching teens that changing the way you speak to yourself will change the world around you. Negative self talk is one of the biggest issues that teens can face today and Kate does a great job unpacking this issue.
During our conversation we touched on the big decisions that students are faced with after high school. Kate mentioned that students today feel like they have to hold themselves to such high expectations in order to please everyone. We then touched on self worth and how teens are telling themselves such negative stories which keeps them stuck. The conversation continues with the issues of social media and students attaching their self worth to outside influences. Finally, we dive into the "excuses" students can make in order to keep them in their comfort zone instead of being vulnerable to failure.
If you want to learn more about Kate, head over her website!
Or you can order her book "Mix Tape" on Amazon!
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Teacher Burnout is a real problem and has been on the rise for the past few years. The pandemic has certainly expedited this issue. So today on the show we learn how to prioritize our own well-being as teachers and education professionals.
Our guest, Molly Rasanen, is a holistic coach who specializes in energy healing. Molly helps us understand how our bodies hold trauma and how this can affect our emotions and reactions in the classroom. She explains how we can gain control of our nervous systems and how we can be intentional in the way we approach our well-being. We talk about numerous tactical strategies you can begin today such as mantras, breathing exercises, diet, sleep and morning routines! Most importantly, Molly shares her excitement around normalizing these practices and being able to see future generations of children having a better understanding of who they are and how they can heal themselves from the inside out!
Molly Rasanen is a former ER Nurse turned Energy Healer & Holistic Life Coach. She specializes in helping humans learn and integrate the tools and techniques needed in order to go on the deep inward journey of healing & self discovery. Molly is not only an RN but a certified holistic nurse coach, reiki healer, and 500 hour trained yoga teacher with a passion for teaching the tools and modalities that allowed her the space to holistically heal her own anxiety, ptsd, and lifelong severe asthma from the inside out. She is on a mission to help spread the message that your body and minds were created to heal and that you are your own best healer. Molly hopes to one day be a piece of the puzzle that finally helps to integrate alternative & holistic modalities of healing into the western medical model as a form of education & preventative health care.
You can find her on instagram @mollyrasanen to follow her work, subscribe to her mailing list, or grab a free call to see if coaching is a good fit for you!
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To teach students perspective of time is tricky. How can you teach students perspective when they have so little life experience to actually "have" perspective?
On this episode, I discuss the importance of understanding our relationship with time, and how this is especially important for high school students. Time can be a double-edged sword, allowing us to be productive and feel like we're making progress, but at the same time it can make us feel anxious and even a bit fearful...as if we're running out of...time!
The development of the human brain is not finished until our mid-to-late 20s, and this is especially relevant for high school students who are in the beginning stages of puberty, or who have yet to enter it. During this time, students are dealing with a lot of stress, both from within themselves and from the pressures of making decisions about their future. It's important to teach them strategies to leverage time and to build routines that will help them navigate the four years of high school.
However, teaching strategies and routines may not always be enough. To really make an emotional connection with students, it's important to actually SHOW perspective.
Tim Urban, a blogger and TED Talk speaker, has created a 90-year calendar to illustrate this point. Basically, he placed a box that represents every week of someone's 90 year life.
- No one is granted any specific amount of time
- There's really not that many boxes!
- We've already used quite a few!
Check out today's episode to get some ideas to teach students perspective of time in your classroom.
Also you definitely should check out Tim's Ted Talk!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arj7oStGLkU
https://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/life-weeks.html
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In today’s ever-changing world, it’s becoming increasingly important for us to understand how to help our students cope and manage anxiety. Anxiety is a real and very common issue among teens, and the fact is, we need to be better prepared to see early signs and offer coping mechanisms. In today's episode Brittany Richmond, a Youth Speaker and Anxiety Expert, shared her insights on teenage anxiety and how we can better help our students navigate through it.
Brittany explained that a significant issue teens are facing today is people-pleasing. She noted that, often times, teens feel like they have to please everyone, whether it’s their peers, their teachers, their parents, or even their online followers. This leads to unrealistic expectations and an overwhelming sense of pressure, which can be overwhelming and exhausting.
Brittany also shared that teens communicate differently than previous generations. She explained that understanding their own "language" is essential if we want to be able to help them effectively. As education professionals, it’s important that we understand how our students express themselves and the mediums they communicate through.
She also noted the stigma that still exists around mental health. Mental health is still a taboo topic for many, and this makes it difficult for teens to speak up about their feelings. Brittany suggested we work at creating a safe and secure environment in order for students to feel comfortable expressing their issues.
On top of fostering an open environment for discussion, Brittany noted that it’s also important to teach strategies to help students cope with teenage anxiety. She suggested relaxation techniques such as mindfulness and deep breathing. It’s also important to help teens recognize their own triggers and to provide them with the skills to manage them, as well as their reactions to the triggers.
Finally, Brittany suggested teaching teens the importance of self-care. She noted that teens often struggle with feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, and it’s important to help them understand the importance of taking time for themselves and doing things that make them happy and relaxed.
Overall, Brittany offered a lot of great advice on how we can better help our students manage their anxiety. If you'd like to learn more about Brittany and how she can help your students, you can find her at brittanyrichmond.com, or follow her on Instagram @thebrittanyrichmond
Transitioning students from high school to college is tough.
In this episode, I interview a colleague and great friend Mr. Dan Wendelken, an elementary band director from Long Island, New York. We have a wide ranging conversation surrounding his career now having taught elementary through college students. We start by discussing the differences between the emotional displays of elementary students and those of high schoolers. Dan explains that while elementary students are more likely to show their emotions, high schoolers are much better at hiding them.
We then discuss a few ways to intervene in order to keep things as positive as possible for students who might be falling behind and feeling left out. We then get into the issues surrounding high schoolers who are transitioning to college. We consider whether it's better for students to take more advanced courses, more career specific prep courses or more individual mentoring such as private lessons and leaving more time to hone their craft (in this case, their abilities on the instrument).
Our conversation today offers teachers important thoughts to ponder so they can help guide high school students into college based on the specific needs of each teen. You can see Dan perform with the Brooklyn Wind Symphony here!
00:00 Intro
02:58 Dan Wendelken
07:56 Emotional differences between different aged students
16:56 Decisions to make after high school
22:48 Kevin's college acceptance story
29:38 Difficulties choosing how to prepare for college
42:57 Final thoughts
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The choices we have, dictate the decisions we make which builds the patterns of our lives. In this episode I break down the CDP framework; an easy and digestible process for high school students to begin to see that responsible decision making is something completely achievable.
When making choices, it is important to understand the difference between a choice and a decision. Choices are something that is presented to us and decisions are something that has already been done. Furthermore, there are three types of choices: obvious choices, hidden choices, and fabricated choices. Decision making is based on two factors: the physical and emotional state, as well as the meaning associated with the decision. Additionally, patterns can be divided into three levels: patterns, habits, and addictions.
It's crucial to help students become aware of their choices, the decisions they make, and the patterns they are creating. By doing this, teens can become that much more aware of how they effect others and how they can lead their life in a more positive direction. Check out today's episode and leverage the CDP Framework in your classroom!
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Today on the show I got to sit down with my college euphonium teacher, Professor Michael Salzman. As a recently retired music coordinator of the Syosset School District, Professor Salzman was responsible for overseeing and coordinating the work of other music teachers. He shed some light on how to facilitate your staff in order to support and nurture vs. correct and reprimand. We also discussed the nuances of going from a colleague to a boss.
We then spoke about some of the challenges he's faced working with college music education and performance majors. Salzman values the importance of being a great performer because whether it's on stage as a tuba player or in front of a classroom with students, "you'll be performing everyday"! This can be tricky because often times there is so much turmoil in college students life such as homesickness, depression or anxiety.
Professor Salzman went on to talk about the influence of his past teachers and credits them with shaping his own career and teaching style. He made some great analogies! So much so that I had to ask him if making great analogies was something he picked up from his past teachers.
Michael Salzman has served on the music faculty of Hofstra University since 1993. At Hofstra he teaches tuba and euphonium, directs the Brass Ensemble and Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble, and teaches in the Music Education Program. For 33 years he has taught music at every grade level from Pre-K through college and has recently retired as the Coordinator of Performing Arts for Syosset Schools.
Passionate about the benefits of music education in the lives of children, Salzman has been active in professional associations throughout his career. He is a Past President of NYSSMA, the New York State School Music Association, having served as President of this association of more than 5000 members in 2018-2019. The theme of his presidency was “Making the Magic of Music Education Accessible to All” and during his term he advocated throughout the state of New York for the right of every child to have access to a high quality Music Education.
Salzman earned Music Performance degrees at Indiana University and the Mannes College of Music. His principal teachers were Harvey Phillips, Sam Pilafian, Warren Deck and Bill Barber. He is well known and regarded in the New York City area as a tuba player. He is a former Principal Tuba player of the Long Island Philharmonic and a founding member of the Cosmopolitan Brass Quintet. He is the Regional Coordinator of the TubaChristmas concerts held every year at Rockefeller Center. His first solo album, Salztuba was released in 2020 to critical acclaim. For more information, visit www.salztuba.com.
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Teachers often have a lot on their plates, let alone being great teachers and guides to our students. Sometimes we get stuck in the trap of "I'll just do it myself" or "If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself".
But did you know that we can take some inspiration and lessons from other fields, like entrepreneurship, to help us manage our time and resources better and be more effective in the classroom?
There are three major things that business owners have to do in order to run a business successfully and believe it or not, these things are all super important for us teachers too. By delegating tasks to others, setting up systems and processes in our classrooms and reverse engineering, we can make our lives as teachers a little easier and have a bigger impact on our students.
Take a listen to todays episode to learn a bit more about the business world and see what you can leverage in your classroom!
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Today I discuss how to make a change in life...and a podcast!
So what is actually changing with the podcast....The title is now officially "Upgrade My Classroom". The context of the podcast is going to be all the things we had talked about previously but through the lens of a teacher. I'm going to be interviewing education experts, teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, youth leadership experts, and youth speakers to get their insights on what they're dealing with and the problems they're seeing with students and high school teenagers.
Moving forward I'm going to be focusing more on my youth speaking and coaching business, where I would be working more closely with high school students. I made the decision to keep the same podcast and rebrand simply because I believe you'll still be receiving a great amount of value and we'll still be discussing the same personal development strategies we've always discussed in the past!
A few pieces of advice when it comes to making a change in life:
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Don't overthink it
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Put a timeframe on your decision-making process
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Don't be scared.
You got this! I hope to see you here next week and if you are considering leaving the podcast, please share this with an education professional who you think will get value from it!
Designing the worst day possible can sound strange but can be a great experiment.
Imagine this...you accidentally sleep in, spill coffee on your suit, burn your breakfast and get stuck in traffic...and that's all before 9:00 AM! The day continues to get worse after you realize you didn't get the promotion, your kid comes home sick, and on and on and on. It literally is the day from hell.
So how can this possibly be a good thing?! Well it would be pretty rough if this was a real day but as a hypothetical, it can do so much for us.
Take a look at today's episode to learn how we can reshape our mindset and our schedule by imagining the worst day ever!
00:00 Intro
00:45 The idea of creating the worst possible day
01:12 Some examples
02:03 Disrupting the morning routine
02:58 Being proactive and tactical conversations
04:02 Use this worst day as a gratitude practice
05:07 Looking at this from a 30,000 foot view
05:52 Wrap up
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Head over to Amazon today to pick up your copy of the Ritual Design Planner!
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Designing the worst day possible can sound strange but can be a great experiment.
Imagine this...you accidentally sleep in, spill coffee on your suit, burn your breakfast and get stuck in traffic...and that's all before 9:00 AM! The day continues to get worse after you realize you didn't get the promotion, your kid comes home sick, and on and on and on. It literally is the day from hell.
So how can this possibly be a good thing?! Well it would be pretty rough if this was a real day but as a hypothetical, it can do so much for us.
Take a look at today's episode to learn how we can reshape our mindset and our schedule by imagining the worst day ever!
00:00 Intro
00:45 The idea of creating the worst possible day
01:12 Some examples
02:03 Disrupting the morning routine
02:58 Being proactive and tactical conversations
04:02 Use this worst day as a gratitude practice
05:07 Looking at this from a 30,000 foot view
05:52 Wrap up
Sign up today to attend one of my workshops!
Head over to Amazon today to pick up your copy of the Ritual Design Planner!
Learn more about Ritual Design here!
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How do we best mitigate overwhelm and dropping the ball when we take on new projects? Many of us struggle with creating effective time management skills that often lead to an overflowing cup. We take on too many projects but we're still bound to the same 24 hours in a day.
Recently I revamped my youth speaking side of the business. I started this back in 2018 but on a much smaller scale. Going all in required a website, business cards, a crm, and more. Wanting to get this up and running quickly I knew I had to put a pause on the podcast =(
Take a listen today to what I learned from this and what I would have done differently.
00:00 Exploring the meaning of the saying “people often overestimate what they can do in a year, and underestimate what they can do in ten years”.
01:04 Despite properly estimating the time required to start an entrepreneurial project, what issues arose as a result?
01:38 My background of his entrepreneurial journey.
02:04 What I have learned about the process of “starting”.
02:42 How this lesson can be applied to lives of anyone listening + examples of exercises people can use.
03:02 Describing “collateral damage” that might occur when pursuing a new task.
03:16 Time management on a large vs. small scale.
03:56 Various exercises to practice efficient time management.
05:29 Explaining a helpful tool for time management called “Timeular” • Learn more about Timeular here: https://timeular.com/
06:25 Making better estimates by doubling the time that you might believe a task takes.
07:25 Planning out activities for more effective time management.
08:56 What happens when we take on more tasks than we can handle?
11:06 When juggling too many projects, how can we purposefully drop a “ball” and prioritize other projects that may be more important to improve our time management?
Sign up today to attend one of my workshops!
Head over to Amazon today to pick up your copy of the Ritual Design Planner!
Learn more about Ritual Design here!
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How do we best mitigate overwhelm and dropping the ball when we take on new projects? Many of us struggle with creating effective time management skills that often lead to an overflowing cup. We take on too many projects but we're still bound to the same 24 hours in a day.
Recently I revamped my youth speaking side of the business. I started this back in 2018 but on a much smaller scale. Going all in required a website, business cards, a crm, and more. Wanting to get this up and running quickly I knew I had to put a pause on the podcast =(
Take a listen today to what I learned from this and what I would have done differently.
00:00 Exploring the meaning of the saying “people often overestimate what they can do in a year, and underestimate what they can do in ten years”.
01:04 Despite properly estimating the time required to start an entrepreneurial project, what issues arose as a result?
01:38 My background of his entrepreneurial journey.
02:04 What I have learned about the process of “starting”.
02:42 How this lesson can be applied to lives of anyone listening + examples of exercises people can use.
03:02 Describing “collateral damage” that might occur when pursuing a new task.
03:16 Time management on a large vs. small scale.
03:56 Various exercises to practice efficient time management.
05:29 Explaining a helpful tool for time management called “Timeular” • Learn more about Timeular here: https://timeular.com/
06:25 Making better estimates by doubling the time that you might believe a task takes.
07:25 Planning out activities for more effective time management.
08:56 What happens when we take on more tasks than we can handle?
11:06 When juggling too many projects, how can we purposefully drop a “ball” and prioritize other projects that may be more important to improve our time management?
Sign up today to attend one of my workshops!
Head over to Amazon today to pick up your copy of the Ritual Design Planner!
Learn more about Ritual Design here!
Subscribe to the Youtube channel
Follow on Instagram
Share on Facebook
Find me on TikTok
Connect on Linked In
Are you trying to combine your passion and purpose? Would you love to get up in the morning knowing you get to do what you love and it's what you were put on this earth to be doing?!
Of course you would! Let's be real...that sounds like a pipe dream.
And the reality is that it may be. It may not be possible to have your line of work be the one thing that you're both passionate about and it be your purpose.
The point of today's episode is to firstly give you some examples in my life of passions of mine that I know I couldn't and SHOULDN'T be doing for work!
There are also numerous things I inherently know I was put here to do but I may not be super thrilled to be doing it. So what do we do?! Check out today's episode to learn more!
00:00 Intro
00:45 Trying to figure it out
01:39 Flow State
03:48 Passions
06:24 Purpose
09:21 My re-evaluation
11:40 Wrap up
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Are you trying to combine your passion and purpose? Would you love to get up in the morning knowing you get to do what you love and it's what you were put on this earth to be doing?!
Of course you would! Let's be real...that sounds like a pipe dream.
And the reality is that it may be. It may not be possible to have your line of work be the one thing that you're both passionate about and it be your purpose.
The point of today's episode is to firstly give you some examples in my life of passions of mine that I know I couldn't and SHOULDN'T be doing for work!
There are also numerous things I inherently know I was put here to do but I may not be super thrilled to be doing it. So what do we do?! Check out today's episode to learn more!
00:00 Intro
00:45 Trying to figure it out
01:39 Flow State
03:48 Passions
06:24 Purpose
09:21 My re-evaluation
11:40 Wrap up
Sign up today to attend one of my workshops!
Head over to Amazon today to pick up your copy of the Ritual Design Planner!
Learn more about Ritual Design here!
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Sticking to your daily schedule can be tricky.
There can be many things out of your control and sometimes one of your daily routines may take a hit. Maybe one of your family members really need you or maybe your work schedule changed last minute. Or maybe it's a simple issue with will power?!
That's ok! It's not about perfection, it's about progress.
Moving forward the only thing we can do is simply identify patterns and try our best to be proactive.
Take a listen to today's episode in order to learn about the ways I try my hardest to stick to my daily schedule.
00:00 Intro
02:42 Your routines are too packed
04:53 Your routines are too sparse
06:16 Not important enough
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I've been having some trouble meditating for a little while now. After going through a death in the family, my mind has been all over the place. For most people they start off having trouble meditating in the beginning of their journey.
Am I doing it right?
I can't clear my head!
This is a waste of time!
Just a few of the emotions that most beginner meditators might experience. For me it was a little different. I started meditating very organically. I was having my breakthrough year in Belgium diving deep into who I was and what I was capable of. Going down the personal development rabbit hole, I realized that meditation should be something I should try. For the first few weeks it was of course unnatural but very quickly I began to almost immediately fall into a very clear and zen like state. This is in part due to the fact that I was in a similar state during the rest of the day (doing what I loved, everyday in a new country). Amazing.
When I came back home I still had some clarity but not anywhere close to what I was experiencing over seas. And now it's like starting from square one.
Today I'll be discussing three tactics that can really change the way we experience and approach mediation which I'll be implementing myself!
00:00 Intro
01:30 Realign Your Why
05:27 Reassess Your Physical Environment
06:18 Capture Your Thoughts
11:05 Wrap up
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I've been committed to many things for many years. My family, my business, my health, etc. I can say that I've felt fairly passionate about these things because if I wasn't, it would be quite hard to stay focused.
But what happens when something new catches your attention? The shiny new endeavor that you're so enthralled by! What happens is this new passion starts to take up "mental ram". You're thinking about it, dreaming about, researching it, and so on.
Ultimately this new shiny passion will eat into your time. This is where routines come in.
Today I'll be talking to you about my current passion of working out and body building and how it's starting to eat into my mental and physical focus.
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Just over 2 years ago, I lost my mom to Covid. While it feels like just yesterday, there has been, and still is, a long grieving process.
Today I'd like to share with you how routines have played a role in this entire process. From the complete crumble of my life, to waking up each and everyday, I've realized that there was only one question that was constant...
"How am I going to live this day"?
In the beginning I never even bothered trying to look for an answer. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered.
But as time went on routines had a role in bringing back some sort of certainty because there wasn't much of that elsewhere in my life.
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Just over 2 years ago, I lost my mom to Covid. While it feels like just yesterday, there has been, and still is, a long grieving process.
Today I'd like to share with you how routines have played a role in this entire process. From the complete crumble of my life, to waking up each and everyday, I've realized that there was only one question that was constant...
"How am I going to live this day"?
In the beginning I never even bothered trying to look for an answer. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered.
But as time went on routines had a role in bringing back some sort of certainty because there wasn't much of that elsewhere in my life.
Sign up today to attend one of my workshops!
Head over to Amazon today to pick up your copy of the Ritual Design Planner!
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Today on the show, I explore just some of the things that can help develop a clear and calm mind. Mental health is a topic of discussion that is finally getting a lot more attention and beginning to lighten the stigma.
From as light as needing a "mental health day", to as serious as seeing a therapist, developing activities within your routines is key to creating a more peaceful and relaxed inner self.
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If you've ever heard the term hustle culture... there are probably a few images (or people...ahem....Gary Vee) that come to mind.
People flashing stacks of cash, showing off their sick rides and popping bottles at the club.
You might also be thinking of the exact opposite. The rugged entrepreneur who is uber focused and determined to make it happen. You might think of the minimalist solopreneur who sets up at a coffee shop and grinds it out.
I believe this is today's version of hustle culture. I believe the Lamborghinis and the stacks of cash are still ever present, but losing more and more steam to the "hard working" entrepreneur.
If you think about it, it's much easier to just take a picture of yourself and post #riseandgrind instead of going to the bank and withdrawing your entire life savings or sneaking into an airport to take a picture in front of a jet you don't own!
So working until your eyes bleed has become a leverage point for many people looking to "flex" and I get it. Hard work is the only thing we can control.
We can't control our talent
We can't control our parents
We can't control time...except for how we use it.
So today, I'm going to talk about how I believe we got to this version of hustle culture, some pros and cons, and whether or not I think working hard actually has diminishing returns.
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When it comes to trying to achieve a goal, I’ve learned many things throughout my life.
I’ve failed many times….
I’ve succeeded many times!
Throughout these triumphs and defeats, I’ve picked up a few strategies that are instrumental if you want to ACTUALLY achieve a goal. Because let’s face it. It’s way easier to set a goal than it is to achieve it!
For me, I’m setting my own goal of gaining 20 lbs of muscle. I’ve always been invested in my health and taking care of my body. Through recent diet discoveries, I’ve learned that it might be possible to finally gain some size a have a body that I always wanted.
So today on the show I’ll be going over a few tried and true tactics, something glaringly obvious but often overlooked things and a few mindset strategies.
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How do we develop an intentional daily routine?
Not just something that we check the boxes because someone on instagram told us to do. But a routine that is carefully crafted to bring out the best version of yourself.
Maybe you already have a specific routine and you woke up to realize...I have no idea why I'm even doing this?!
Or maybe you've realized that you've been doing something daily for quite some time and you've actually made no progress? It's almost like you're just going through the motions...
I noticed this the other day when I was working out. I realized that I've been pretty much lifting the same amount of weight across numerous exercises for quite some time! If I was really being intentional and making my workouts part of a serious intentional daily routine, then I'd see either more weight being put up or more reps with the same weight...some type of progress!
Today I'm going to show you the two most important ways to develop mindfulness throughout your daily routines.
The long term strategy is really understanding the Goal Hierarchy. Basically...
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We all have short term objectives and metrics that we want to hit. These support...
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Our long term goals and domains of our life we want to improve. These support...
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Our life vision and purpose. When we remember that the reasons we're going to the gym are much bigger then to just lose those love handles, we can become much more committed and intentional about the workout coming up.
I also go into some other short term strategies that you can implement immediately. Check out today's episode to learn the rest.
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This DAY BY DESIGN cohort opens today and is closing Monday, June 27th. Sign up today and master your 24 hours! Stop hitting the snooze button! If you woke up today and told yourself “that’s it. I will never hit snooze again”, then this is the episode for you.
Maybe you were late to work...
Maybe you slept through your morning routine you planned for...
Or maybe you’re just sick and tired of rushing around in the morning.
Whatever it may be, the vow you’ve made to never hit snooze again is a serious one because now you’re left with…how am I actually going to do this?! How am I going to win the battle of the bed?
Understand that if anyone knows how serious this is…it’s me.
I once technically got fired from a job from oversleeping! Granted there was a lot more to the story then just oversleeping once but this was still the nail in the coffin. So please understand that this process I will be laying out has been tested and proven on myself for many many years.
Today I will walk you through the three things you need to master in order to be a champion of the morning! It breaks down like this…
- Have a PM routine in place - this doesn’t have to be some serious personal development evening routine but just something that can enable you to wrap up everything for the night. Make sure the kitchen is clean, work things are ready…etc. I’ll explain why this is crucial.
- Master your sleep - If you’re under slept, your body will do everything to work against your mind
- Conquer the first few moments - If you’ve ever had the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other arguing about whether 9 more minutes of sleep will actually do anything…I’ll teach you how to shut them both up!
This DAY BY DESIGN cohort opens today and is closing Monday, June 27th. Sign up today and master your 24 hours!
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The morning routine that helps me thrive has been a staple in my success.
It was the first thing that I ever started in this world of personal development and to this day has been the most powerful. There was something powerful about beating the battle of the bed and getting up a bit earlier in order to work on myself. I usually don't compare myself to people but it's true that people who practice a morning routine are in the minority.
It's nice to be able to get as much sleep as possible and especially on those cold winter mornings...nothing is better than staying under those warm covers. The problem arises when your dreams and ambitions are falling by the wayside... and for most of us, a morning routine is perfect to get this work done!
You're up before anyone else. Even if you just compare yourself to your family and say "I'm the first up in the house" can give you a psychological win.
Being up before anyone else gives you focus and attention. You're not being pulled in numerous directions and having other people trying to suck your time.
You respect yourself. It says to your subconscious that you are willing to invest in you first thing in the morning.
It's programming your mind. Whatever you choose to do in the morning just make sure it's positive because as we're transitioning brain waves from sleep to being fully awake, our mind is very susceptible to either positive or negative programing!
If everything goes to crap, it still was a win. If you're entire day was terrible you still got to spend time in the morning investing in yourself and working on you!
Take a look at today's episode as I break down my morning routine, how I structure it and exactly what I do.
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Getting out of a rut can be tough. Sometimes we're not even sure exactly why we're feeling the way we do but we know something has to change. And further more, the process of actually getting out of a rut is very difficult.
For me I've had numerous times in my life where I felt a little stuck but there was one pivotal point where it was a hardcore rut that lasted about 18 months.
This included an identity crises, career shift and financial strain! To the point where I maxed out every single credit card, had no money in my savings, and didn't have $17 to go pick up pizza.
So I definitely don't want to see anyone have to go through what I went through. If you do end up finding yourself trying to climb your way out of a rut, I'll walk you through the three steps that I took that got me out.
Granted these are steps that worked for me and these were not steps that were manufactured but that happened to me (which I'm so grateful they did). All I did was dissect them and make them easier to replicate.
What's really cool was that on the other side, I was better than ever! I had so much more passion and energy. I fell in love with a new career and my relationships in my life got even stronger. So when people say "I would never change a thing" and "I'd do it all again" well...I understand.
So today's episode will explore my process with getting myself out of my own rut and into a better place!
00:00 Intro
00:29 Darkest before the dawn
01:27 Poor patterns
03:28 3 Steps
03:40 Step 1 - Realization
06:00 Step 2 - Emotionally clean up
07:13 Limiting Beliefs
09:19 Step 3 - Change your environment
10:48 Take advantage
13:02 Control your schedule
13:27 Review
15:12 Conclusion
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Have you ever found yourself making some plans after work to get somethings done, partake in your hobby or a little self care and instead find yourself consistently binging 5 epsiodes on the couch?
The first of possibly many more Q&A Tuesdays answers this question from kd2013 on Youtube...
"It's happening every single day the last 2 months or so. How do I break the pattern?"
You're in luck KD because today I give you two specific strategies to have a productive afternoon when you get home from your 9-5!
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Do you ever find yourself jamming your day right full right up until the last minute and then all of a sudden it’s time to go to bed? Or maybe it’s simply that you're too stimulated by TV or food too close to bedtime and you have trouble falling asleep.
Whatever the reason may be, today I’m going to walk you through how you can implement a night wind down routine so you can feel good about your evenings and transition smoothly into bed until lights out.
In this episode I'm going to break down what actually is a night wind down routine and some of the misconceptions some people have revolved around routines at night.
Next we'll talk about the goal of a night wind down routine and some of the life domains you might want to focus on using this routine.
Finally I'll be touching on some troubleshooting regarding consistency and how we can best implement this routine.
I will not be teaching how to actually track this routine. If you’re looking to better track your routines, the Ritual Design Planner might be for you.
If for some reason you can't get to bed on time because you find yourself falling down youtube rabbit holes and doom scrolling, then you're probably suffering from something called Revenge Bedtime Procrastination.
I did an entire 5 step episode you can check out here!
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Revenge Bedtime Procrastination... Picture this...you look at the clock and it’s 10:30. You’re pumped because you know after one episode of your favorite show, you’ll be in bed at 11:00 which is perfect. It’s exactly what you planned.
One episode comes and goes...and the dreaded “next episode starting in 15 seconds” pops up on the screen.
Without having to move a muscle, you get to give yourself that reward of another 30 minutes of relaxation and leisure with...just...one more episode.
It’s now 12:30 and after binging half a series, you start doing the math. “If I get to bed right now, I can still get 5 and half hours....that’s not too bad”.... You go to set the alarm on your phone and want to just quickly check how many likes you got on your recent post on instagram.
All of a sudden, as if awakening from a coma, you realize it happened again. You fell down a social media rabbit hole and it’s 2:00 in the morning. Another crappy night of sleep.
So why does this happen? With all the best intentions of getting to bed on time, all we seem to want to do is stay up as late as possible. It’s a problem in our mind because we don’t consciously want to stay up but subconsciously there is a different conversation happening.
This is a problem that has come to be known as “Revenege Bedtime Procrastination” It’s when your conscious, responsible self knows the benefits of getting a good nights rest and intends to do so but your emotional state is in need of more. We’re simply trying to avoid having to start the very next day and if we stay up as late as possible, then in a way we can achieve that.
It’s actually getting revenge on ourselves for either an over worked schedule, or something worse.
Today I’m going to break down a very simple 5 step framework that will help you finally overcome Revenge Bedtime Procrastination teach you how to finally get to bed at a reasonable hour.
00:00 Scenario
01:07 Why does this happen
01:24 Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
02:09 Step 1 - Realize this is a problem
03:18 Step 2 - Find the deeper problem
05:38 Step 3 - Uncover the trigger
07:28 Step 4 - Build a plan 08:31 Step 5 - Create Consistency
09:55 Take action immediately
10:38 Don't be hard on yourself
Download the Revenge Bedtime Procrastination guide right here! https://upgrademyrituals.com/procrastination/
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If you're looking to learn more about Ritual Design, head over to http://upgrademyrituals.com/what-is-ritual-design/
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Hey! I just wanted to first say thank you so much for being a UMR subscriber! Without you I'd just be speaking into a microphone...and that would be weird.
A few things...
First I'm going to be releasing new podcast episodes on Wednesday morning instead of Thursday morning. Not too important but something to take note of.
Next I'm pretty excited about.
Usually I've always created my podcast first and then popped a camera in front of me to share on Youtube and other social sites.
Now I'm going to flip it and place my attention towards Youtube first. What does that mean for you as my precious podcast listener? A few things.
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You'll hear a much more concise and prepared outline of what I'm trying to teach and get across.
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You'll hear some cool music which will ultimately make this more interesting to listen to!
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You'll still get context for what you're going to hear with me setting up the episode.
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Full interviews will be exclusive to the podcast.
I'm really excited and I think you'll love it!
Lastly, I'm so pumped to announce the launch of the UMR Gear shop! We have a few selected items up to start and will be adding more on a regular basis!
Check it out here! https://upgrademyrituals.com/shop/
Thank you again for being a subscriber to the UMR Podcast!
Sign up today to attend one of my workshops!
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It's easy to be consistent with bad things and hard to be consistent with the good things. It's easy to watch movies, smoke a cigar, or eat the ice cream. It's hard to put in the hours on your side hustle, practice the guitar and organize your office.
So ultimately the question is... What problem with consistency do you have?
What are the things that are slipping by that are having a negative impact in your life? What are some of the things that would be beneficial to be a little more consistent with?!
Today in this episode, I get deep about how I accidentally uncovered this issue!
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Have you ever set out to start a routine and something derailed you?
You had the intention set to workout first thing in the morning and an hour later you find yourself snoozing for the 5th time?
More often than not, this has to do with the triggers we set in order to begin our routines.
Today on the episode, we're going to dive into the concept of gateway action items. These are the very first action items that we schedule in each routine of our Ritual Design. More importantly, we're going to discuss some positive triggers we can put in place in order to help us defeat procrastination and nail our gateway action item!
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Have you ever arrived somewhere and immediately got a weird feeling?
Or maybe you stepped behind the wheel and automatically felt upset BEFORE anyone actually cut you off?!
Or maybe you simply walked downstairs from your living room to your office and felt completely overwhelmed?
Well today, we're going to teach you how to leverage location based triggers for the good. More so, we're also going to explain how to try and avoid the negative ones!
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It's a part of human nature to let your emotions get the best of you.
Today on the show, I'm not only going to show you how to actually leverage emotional triggers for your benefit, but I'm going to teach you two other types of triggers that you may not have realized were running the show.
These triggers might remind you of the cue presented to us in Charles Duhigg's book "The Power Of Habit". It's a similar concept except what I've realized is the more we organize these cues, the better we become at taking advantage of them or avoiding them.
The three types of triggers are...
Emotional Triggers
Time Based Triggers
Location Based Triggers
So if you've ever wonder why it's so hard to kick your fast food habit, it may be because your route home from work passes by 5 different fast food joints! Or maybe you've noticed that every night at 8:45 you can't help but strap on your headset and go gaming for hours when you told yourself you were going to set boundaries.
These are just some examples of how we can be triggered into falling into bad and unhealthy patterns.
In today's episode I'm also going to give you some examples of how to actually use triggers for your benefit!
00:00 - Intro
01:17 - Power of Habit
01:47 - Examples
07:40 - Time Based Triggers
09:49 - Location Based Triggers
12:49 - Emotional Triggers
16:36 - Day By Design
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If you're a parent, you're going to want to stick around for this one!
Our guest today is Jessica Irwin from Rooted In Routine. Jessica is a pediatric occupational therapist, a childhood routine expert and most importantly, a mom (the proof is in the pudding)! She has worked to establish routines for toddlers in numerous disciplines ranging from daycares, preschools, elementary schools and private practice.
Today on the show, Jessica and I have a wide ranging conversation digging into all the aspects behind how we can establish routines for toddlers and young children. We discuss...
02:48 - The science behind why children crave certainty
07:02 - The details behind sleep and nap time routines
23:02 - The ever increasing demands by the education system that inhibits time for play
27:09 - What to do when a routine is not going according to plan
You can find all about Jessica and how she can help you at https://rootedinroutine.com/
If you're looking to jump in and get going, you can find her comprehensive routine guides for each age group below.
0-3 Months Comprehensive Routine Guide https://www.rootedinroutine.com/routineguides/p/0-3-months-comprehensive-routine-guide
3-6 Months Comprehensive Routine Guide https://www.rootedinroutine.com/routineguides/p/0-3-months-comprehensive-routine-guide-xmtww
6-9 Months Comprehensive Routine Guide https://www.rootedinroutine.com/routineguides/p/0-3-months-comprehensive-routine-guide-xmtww-gc5sn
9-12 Months Comprehensive Routine Guide https://www.rootedinroutine.com/routineguides/p/0-3-months-comprehensive-routine-guide-lnygc
0-12 Months Comprehensive Routine Guides Bundle (Includes 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, and 9-12 Months Guides) https://www.rootedinroutine.com/routineguides/p/0-3-months-comprehensive-routine-guide-5nsmb
12-18 Months Comprehensive Routine Guide https://www.rootedinroutine.com/routineguides/p/0-3-months-comprehensive-routine-guide-lnygc-m6dby
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It's that time! The first quarter is up and this is an important time for a few reasons.
Obviously it's the time to check in and see if you've accomplished your quarterly goals! Maybe more importantly, it's a great reminder of how time can play tricks on us. While one year seems like a long time, 3 months can often fly by in a blink of an eye. This is a problem for us over achievers.
So if you're someone who uses the Ritual Design planner, this is pretty straight forward. After you finish your 13th week, you'll be presented two easy pages that help you execute a quarterly review. But if you're not familiar with the Ritual Design planner, no worries.
Today I'm going to walk you through how to wrap up your quarter and keep track of you progress.
If you're looking to review your quarter using the Ritual Design planner, you can pick one up here. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0954N8ZZ2
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What is your philosophy behind your days off?
Sometimes your days off are incredibly important in order to build the life you want instead of escaping the one you have. It's the only time you have to really dig into deep work and make progress on what you're working on. This is what's called a weekend warrior. I used to hear this many times through my career as a musician.
Other times you may need to actually shut off for at least one day. You may need that mental break and remove yourself entirely in order to recharge and refresh.
Today you get to listen into a live coaching call where myself and Abhinn go deep into his schedule. We really look at the reasons behind WHY he wants to make a change and what he wants to feel at the end of his day off.
This very well may be a good thought exercise into your own philosophy behind your days off.
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Implementing a child's daily routine is fairly common practice for most parents and teachers.
Considering I work with adults and distilling how Ritual Design can help upgrade their lives, I thought maybe we can learn something from a child's day. Most kids have such structure that it might be beneficial to dive deep into why this is the case.
So today on the show I talk about the four ways we can look at a child's daily routine and use this to our productivity quest and personal development.
If you're interested in sleep training your own child, you should definitely check out Taking Cara Babies! https://takingcarababies.com/
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Working with children is an entirely different animal.
Especially when you realize that the brain of a high school and college level student has not technically finished forming!
So I asked myself..."is it possible to teach some of the personal growth and productivity philosophies that I teach adults to teens"?
Well today I brought on Keith Senzer in order to help my learn how he's been empowering today's youth.
Keith Senzer is a youth leadership empowerment coach. He helps teens find their true north and follow it through their words and actions, to create a more loving, accepting, responsible and committed adult. Keith runs numerous styles of workshops for children of all ages.
I was very excited to have Keith on today because I wanted to to see if some of the concepts we I teach to adults can be also taught to teens.
Sign up today to attend one of my workshops! http://upgrademyrituals.com/webinar-sign-up/
Head over to Amazon today to pick up your copy of the Ritual Design Planner! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0954N8ZZ2
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Your PM Routine can be something of a silver bullet. Not only does it help maximize your evenings but it can help set up the next day for success.
You may be reading this saying to yourself "after dinner I'm shot. There's no way I can be productive at that time of night". Well you don't have to! It all comes down to priorities. This is why Elon Musk has different priorities compared to the rest of us. No one is holding a gun to his head saying you have to develop all of these world changing companies or I'll shoot....
With that being said, today I dive into some of the best use cases for the PM routine!
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The After Work Routine is often overlooked. Most people when wrapping up their work day are simply thinking about....being finished with work!
They're ready to get home, kick up their feet and relax a bit (which is totally cool).
But planning specifically when you'll spend time to relax is the strategy because otherwise we'll be left the outside influences. That never works. If you've ever told yourself "ehhh just one episode" and 2 and a half hours later you get off the couch asking yourself what the hell happened then you know what I'm talking about.
Or maybe you find yourself bringing home the problems you have at work and unloading them on your family.
Today we're going to unpack the After Work routine and why it's another crucial part of Ritual Design.
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The Before Work Routine is one of the more difficult routines to implement. That is if we make it really challenging.
Welcome back to the second episode in a four part series where we discuss the fundamental four of Ritual Design. The fundamental four are the four primary routines throughout the day. When we first wake up, before work, after work and before we go to bed.
Today we're going to dive into the Before Work Routine.
Why even have a before work routine?
#1 There are four major inflection points that make or break someones day (the fundamental four) and transitioning from home to work is definitely one of them.
#2 Without a before work routine, the average person may do something like this. Leave late, get stuck in traffic, emotionally beat yourself up while you'r sitting in said traffic and finally get to work only to immediately have people demanding your attention before you even turn on your computer!
Not a clear and calm way to start the day!
Check out today's episode for the strategy behind the BW routine!
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Creating a consistent morning ritual can be tricky.
But it's worth it.
Welcome to the first in a four part series where we discuss the fundamental four of Ritual Design. The fundamental four are the four primary routines throughout the day. When we first wake up, before work, after work and before we go to bed. What better place to start than your AM Routine! You've probably heard many people tout the "millionaire morning" or the "CEO morning routine". I believe this has gotten so much traction is because it truly is one of the most powerful routines you can implement.
So today I'm going to dispel the three most powerful benefits of the AM routine and a few strategy ideas in order to actually create a consistent morning ritual.
If you're looking to learn more about Ritual Design, head over to http://www.upgrademyrituals.com
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Learning How To Hit The Reset Button is different to many people.
Sometimes it's a simple walk around the block and other times it's a week long retreat!
We get to a point where we're trying to make progress and we're trying to instill healthy routines in our lives and just can't seem to get ahead. There's always something that is interrupting us or stealing our attention. There's always something that is a mess and causing stress and it all feels too much (especially with the ambitions we have)!
Today I teach 5 ways that I know how to hit the reset button of life and start fresh.
If you're looking to learn more about Ritual Design, head over to http://www.upgrademyrituals.com
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Weekly planning is extremely powerful in addition to your daily Ritual Design.
We have 13 weeks in a quarter and 52 weeks in a year....that's not a lot of week!
While mapping out your day and designing a perfect system of daily rituals is a huge part of personal productivity, having your weeks mapped out is a close second. I often tell people that if they can only do one routine, the Keystone routine (the one you do once a week) is where you might want to start.
So today on the show I break down my weekly planning process.
Ultimately it's divided into two sections...
The previous week review and the upcoming week prep
Take a listen to today's episode and dive into the weekly planning process!
If you're looking to learn more about Ritual Design, head over to http://www.upgrademyrituals.com
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Goals vs. Domains… This might not be a burning question for you but it might have peaked your interest!
What is a domain?
How do I set goals?
What is a smartER goal?
Let me start by saying that I believe it’s not a question of goals vs. domains. I think you should actually use both. Although if you’re someone who is just starting out in the personal development world you may wish to take it slow and only set goals or focus on life domains.
So first let’s define the differences.
Goal: a result or achievement that is objectively measurable Domain: an area or category of your life that is difficult to track progress
If you notice the big difference is whether or not we can measure the outcome. If I want to become a better father, that is almost impossible to measure. If I want to lose 3 percent body fat by the end of the quarter, that fits all of the SMARTER goal framework and can be tracked.
Take a listen today to hear all the details and how I actually score my domains.
If you're looking to learn more about Ritual Design, head over to http://www.upgrademyrituals.com
Day By Design may be open so head here if you'd like to enroll! http://upgrademyrituals.com/program/
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You see, this is the time of year that some people are beginning to take action on their goals. They feel motivated and ready to go by the turn of the calendar.
But for some it's tricky. Some people may not know even what they want to achieve and what goals to set. Without a life vision, there is no hierarchy that dictates what goals you need in or to live congruent with a vision and purpose.
So today I go through the 5 parts of my life vision which you can feel free to pick and choose in order to create your own!
Day By Design closes tonight! Enroll in this cohort and take control of your schedule once and for all!
If you're looking to learn more about Ritual Design, head over to http://www.upgrademyrituals.com
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This show speaks a lot about my system called Ritual Design but we haven't really gone deep into WHY it's so beneficial.
I wanted to take some time today to speak about what it actually did for me, how it organically was born and hopefully what it can do for you.
Like most good things, Ritual Design was born from the bad! I was in a bad place in my life and I had no idea where I was headed. I was becoming very negative and realized I was putting a tremendous amount of limiting beliefs on myself.
This all changed when I got a simple piece of validation from a college professor from my undergrad. This professor made me realize that I was good enough to go study at the Royal Liege Conservatory in Belgium (which was something I though was impossible).
Sure enough the next year I found myself living abroad in the French part of Belgium studying for my Masters!
This began an incredible journey not only for my music career but for me as a human! This year was truly my introduction to personal development which started by binge watching Ted Talks! I had a lot of time walking and taking the bus so as long as I had my phone, I had access to everything I needed!
I became obsessed and this obsession manifested first with a morning routine. This is usually where most of us start if we want to make progress on our lives but I quickly realized that a simple morning routine might not be enough.
I came back stateside and was face with many obstacles I avoided for the previous year while studying music. So if I was to continue down this positive road and continue to transform my life, I need something much more encompassing and holistic than just my AM routine. This is where Ritual Design began to blossom!
Enroll today to get on the Day By Design waitlist! http://upgrademyrituals.com/waitlist-day-by-design/
If you're looking to learn more about Ritual Design, head over to http://www.upgrademyrituals.com
Head over to Amazon today to pick up your copy of the Ritual Design Planner! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0954N8ZZ2
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Last week I recorded part 1 of the CDP framework teaching you how to realize the choices you have in order to make better decisions and develop positive patterns.
This is a specific framework that really any productivity plan boils down to. We can have everything laid and planned to the T but if we're not taking action, nothing matters.
So if you haven't listened to episode 60, take a listen first.
Today is an inside look of how the CDP framework came to be.
I speak about some fairly rough points in my life and the choices that I had presented to me. I also speak about my Step Dads journey quitting smoking.
The most important thing to remember as you dissect the CDP framework yourself is the micro and macro. Every day you'll be presented with very small choices which is usually the answer to making a behavior change. Other times you'll have huge life altering decisions to make and you may not even know it. The only thing you can do is your best!
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Choices, Decisions and Patterns sound like very important parts of an equation that can have serious impact. You're right! They are.
But how they work together is even more important.
The CDP framework is at the heart of every major or minor shift in your life. It's literally where the rubber meets the road. You can have the perfect ideal day laid out in front of you with every goal and domain set to take action on but if we don't end up following through, we'll never get there. So the CDP framework is a simple process to help you see the somewhat hidden choices, make better decisions and create more positive patterns.
Even better, there is a way this framework all fits together. You see, if you begin to realize that you are RESPONSE - ABLE (sound familiar...) we can begin to see the choices we have more clearly, make better decisions and develop better patterns. If we reverse the order and we have a negative pattern that is developing, we have to decide up front to make a change. When the choice presents itself you're that much more equipped!
Listen today to learn all about the CDP framework!
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The 5:00 a.m. club is something of a cult like following. It's extremely attractive for high performers that want to instill a morning routine and get things accomplished before the rest of the world wakes up!
I myself am a huge proponent of a morning routine but I'm not romantic about the time you decide to wake up. I myself only wake up at 6:30 and my AM routine consists of some reading, breathing, stretching and a workout. I don't need to sacrifice sleep in order to have a solid hour to invest in myself so no....I am NOT a member of the 5:00 a.m. club!
Todays episode I share some specific questioning that you have to ask in order to decide whether or not you should join the 5:00 a.m. club.
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Today we're going to do is we will they'll be talking about something called Fringe Minutes.
We had our first baby 5 months ago and we're elated and so incredibly thrilled. Everyday is a new challenge because I'm while I work a full-time job, I’m also playing “Daddy Day Care” while running a business at night! So how and more importantly when do I get anything done?
That’s where Fringe Minutes come into play. When you have 3 minutes here, 2 minutes here, 45 seconds there...can we leverage that time to actually get anything done! Sure we can!
The trick is to know what to do with these Fringe Minutes.
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The holidays are coming up and we always, myself included, have setbacks around the holiday season.
It starts with Halloween. We buy a huge bag of candy which about a quarter of it gets handed out so of course...we end up eating the whole damn thing! Next is Thanksgiving which is just a nightmare and might put us in a weird mindset! Lastly we have a busy December of parties, drinking and eating out. It’s a mess.
During the last three months I don’t necessarily hold myself to a strict diet. My calorie intake stays the same. I try to eat as much as I can for weight gain and muscle mass. My lunches are set considering I use a meal delivery service and even dinners are pretty healthy and regulated. The desserts are where I fall off!
So today I share two methods to hold yourself accountable this holiday season (not just regarding diet)!
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What happens when your plan starts to crumble? You've been waking up early for the past few months to implement a morning routine and then all of a sudden you start going off the rails. You're hitting the snooze button and saying F$%K IT!
I made this episode for you today because for the first time in many years my own Ritual Design has begun to degrade! That might sound dramatic but when you have a big life event (ehhmm...having a baby) things can be thrown for a loop. I've found that certain routines are slipping and certain tasks are not getting the attention they deserve.
So today I take you on my journey of how I'm reassessing my own Ritual Design.
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The beginning of July marks the heart of the summer...but it also means we're halfway through the year. This is a great time to conduct a mid year review.
What progress are you making on your annual goals?
How effective is your Ritual Design?
Are you happy with your current domains?
While there are many more things we can track and review at the halfway point, today on the podcast I breakdown my very simple method of checking in at the middle of the year!
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This concept is really important to anyone trying to make progress in their lives. Where we are today in our jobs, family, friendships, physical and mental health are primarily dictated by our subconscious mind. Our deep rooted belief patters tell us whether or not it's even worth trying! Today on the show I dissect my simplified version of the belief wheel. This is nothing new to the world of personal development but very important. The more we understand it, the more we can use it to our advantage! If you'd like to get your hands on the Ritual Design planner, as well as a one time founders discount of 30% off, sign up for the launch on 6/14! http://upgrademyrituals.com/coming-soon/ If you're looking to learn more about Ritual Design, head over to http://www.upgrademyrituals.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6z794lRhHJfMVWtys-\_Bdw?sub\_confirmation=1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upgrademyrituals Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upgrademyrituals
Happiness is a tricky thing. It feels fleeting and when we do experience it, often times its hard to really know how it came to be. We're just...happy!
Today I break down what I believe happiness actually is and with knowing the true nature, we can begin to try and shape our day to day to cultivate more and more of it!
If you guys are ready to get your hands on the Ritual Design planner, just a little over a week away. Head over to this page to get notified and your founders discount!
http://upgrademyrituals.com/coming-soon/
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This is going to be a very meta episode! Have you ever had something happen that was completely out of your control and it was less than a positive experience?! Of course. We all have.
Today I'll give you an update on the launch of the Ritual Design Planner which is officially June 14th! You can sign up here http://upgrademyrituals.com/coming-soon/ to get launch reminders but also get a huge founders discount!
So while this product was supposed to launch months ago, I ran into some things that, at least I thought, were out of my control. Take a listen to some of the ways I worked through this issue.
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This might be one of the more important episodes I will put out on this podcast! Today is a sneak peak of the Royal Ritual Program that outlines exactly what Ritual Design is! I take a birds eye view of the fundamental 4, the actuator, to clog, the variable routine and the keystone routine. Each section gives examples of how you might use it to optimize your day and find balance!
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Not sure exactly what made me make this episode but with all the keyboard warriors out there, it was bound to happen. At some point in your life if you follow anything I teach on this channel, you may have someone give their opinion. Usually unsolicited.
Today we discuss some of the reasons why others have an issue with your development, and some ways you can deal with the unwanted!
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If you have ever suffered from binge eating or have a really poor relationship with food, this episode is for you. Today I am so happy to have a wonderful colleague and long time friend Cina Hoey on to talk with us about her work as a psychotherapist.
Developing daily routines to induce behavior change may only be the beginning. We learned a tremendous amount regarding what it may really take to move forward from trauma and develop positive dietary habits.
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Our daughter Quinn is just over a month old at the time of recording this and boy do I have things to report! This is the second installment of the baby chronicles after the first time I made some....predictions!
Actually, I wasn't too far off but there are certainly things I'm learning everyday trying to keep daily routines, let alone an entire Ritual Design. The biggest thing I found was that having a plan when your schedule gets even tighter is extremely important. Take a listen to today's episode to get all the realizations!
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If your mind and body is telling you that you need rest, you better listen! The last couple of weeks I took a bit of a break because we had one of those major life events....we had a baby!
I knew one thing for sure. There was going to be a slew of uncertainty! I had no idea what to expect so I knew that I would need to take some time off. I still am getting my bearings of my schedule and the lack of sleep.
So I thought today would be a great opportunity to talk about some of the details and philosophies that I think about when I take some time off!
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Everyone eventually has to a make a pivot. Whether it's a new direction in their career, a different hobby or maybe a new found outlook, making a shift and pivoting is all part of the process.
But what you're bound to experience is judgement. Not just judgment from others...but judgment from yourself. Today I go over the ways we can think through some of these issues and make our pivot with a clear head!
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We've probably all at some point had dreams about work. Half the time they're just dreams about doing menial tasks! How annoying! When I'm working I'm working but when I'm sleeping....PLEASE let me sleep!
Today on the episode I discuss three easy ways you can avoid having dreams about work leveraging the often overlook AW routine.
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If you're listening or watching this, that automatically means you have a level of comfort compared to many people in the world. Ultimately we'll always face challenges that come our way and living with certain levels of comfort puts us at a disadvantage.
This is why we must create scenarios to practice getting out of our comfort zones. Create hard situations for yourself whether it's a polar plunge or having that difficult conversation with your Mom. Today I give some thought on my own experience living uncomfortable.
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Today on the podcast, I break down something called the Zeigarnik Effect. This is a realization that when you stop a task in the middle of doing it (writing a sentence, doing homework, etc), you are much more likely to be able to jump right back into the middle of the task.
When it comes to Ritual Design and productivity, this could either be a positive or a negative. Take a listen to find out if the Zeigarnik Effect could be used to your benefit!
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Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed by all the things that you need to remember? Or even worse, have you had a great idea only to forget it later on?
The simple concept of capturing every thought, task and idea that comes into your head is a huge staple of productivity. Today on the podcast, I discuss different strategies to implement a capture system in your own planning efforts.
"Your brain is for having thoughts, not holding them". David Allen
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I just got finished reading WHEN by Daniel Pink. This is a fantastic book that unveils the science of timing. The first portion of the book revolves a lot around the slump during the middle of the day.
Today I go a bit deeper discussing the physical aspects of how your actual lunch can affect your efficiency and productivity midday!
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Introducing the first segment of The Baby Chronicles! Every once in a while I will document my journey becoming a father and how/if/when my personal development will change!
That's right! My wife is expecting and we have just one more month to go! We're super excited (and slightly nervous)! One thing I know for sure is that change is upon us. I'm not sure exactly what will change but I do know that my daily schedule will be one of them!
So how does somebody invested in Ritual Design and bettering themselves continue to do this with a baby? We'll see!
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I heard this term last week and thought it was so incredibly relevant for an older version of myself! So I figured I'd use this opportunity to see if any of you out there suffer from Revenge Bedtime Procrastination?!
When I first heard this I fell in love with it! Staying up late even though you have to be up early the next day was something that I thought only a select few people did. I thought it solely categorized people that were depressed and didn't want to start the next day as long as they could. Upon looking into it, there is many other reasons why people might push off bedtime to the wee hours of the morning.
Take a listen today to hear my story of how I used to battle Revenge Bedtime Procrastination!
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If you're sick and tired of seeing Instagram posts that mention "the 7 simple steps to perfect your mornings" or something like that...I feel you! The pressure that is put on people saying a great morning routine is the only path to success might be overwhelming.
On today's episode I go deep into chronotypes and brain waves to try and uncover if the mornings may not be the optimal time for you!
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Some people love apps and and make sure everything they need is in their phone. Some people love writing things down on scrap pieces of paper. Some have a mixture of both but which ever way you go, you need a rock solid method to set goals and schedule your day.
This episode I give some pros and cons to each method of planning so you can figure out what might work for you.
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Are you in debt? Probably. Statistically you probably have some sort of debt and if you're anything like me you have A LOT of debt! And that's ok as long as we have some routines for our money.
Today on the podcast I share something that is very personal to me. I also talk about the four specific routines that I do with my money to help my financial future.
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There are a few old and tired phrases like "give it your all" or "lets give it 110%" that may not be as tired as we thought.
Today's episode will focus on the choices you have when something gets in the way of completing your routines. Do you abbreviate everything to try to fit it all in? Or do you cut out certain tasks and focus entirely on a select few? Take a listen today!
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If someone wants to lose weight, being stressed with their job will certainly get in the way. If you want to start a side business, negative emotions can certainly be a hinderance.
Either way, developing the entire person is necessary to achieve whatever goal you're seeking. This week's episode is an excerpt from a live training that I hosted on Monday. These workshops will continue the beginning of every month!
This workshop was revolved around the SMARTER goal framework and how we can develop goals stemming from finding the domains in our lives that we'd like to improve. Take a listen!
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Every year I always set annual goals. I looked at the calendar and saw 12 months ahead of me to make serious moves...and every year something happened.
Either my direction changed and the goals were no longer needed or they needed to be tweaked along the way.
I think, especially for the creative minded, an entire year is just too long to set goals and expect to keep on the exact same path. Life moves way too fast and we need to adjust to world around us.
That's why this year I'm experimenting with simply setting quarterly goals. In this weeks episode I talk about some of the pros and cons of which ever you choose
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So it's the final episode of the worst year of my life. Quite possibly yours too. I decided to talk about judgement (on the micro and macro) considering I found myself being human. I judged people and how they handled this year and while very slight and very short, the judgement was still present.
It got me thinking that business owners and high performers are usually quite critical of themselves and when they miss a goal, they might have the tendency to judge themselves. In 2021, we need to give both ourselves and others a bit more slack.
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The inner turmoil of wanting to "use" the weekends is tricky. My immediate thought is to work straight through all 48 hours...but that's not REALLY what I want. I want to feel a certain way about my time off...or my time on. I want to feel accomplished and relaxed at the same time.
Is that even possible?
I think so but we have to implement something called the variable routine. Without it, we just end up drinking out of a fire hose which is usually gets pumped with errands, yard work and in laws!
Please leave a review on iTunes if you liked it!
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Technology has become such a huge part of our lives over the last 10 years with the adoption of the mobile device. With that being said, we all know the issues around too much screen time.
So today on the podcast I talk about ways you can implement dark hours within your routines. What times of the day will you keep your phone off, locked or away? How will this help more than just your physical well being?
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Have you ever cheated on a test?! Of course not!
Have you ever KNOWN someone who has cheated on a test?! Maybe. Maybe that person just made a bad judgement call.
Or maybe that person is just a short term thinker. They'll do anything to make sure they succeed in the immediate future but often forget about the long term. They might forget about their legacy and their what failures will ultimately teach them along the way.
Take a listen to this week's episode to hear some interesting ideas about setting good intentions, as well as a ridiculous story from my high school days!
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The holidays are right around the corner and that usually means some pretty rough eating! Cookies, candy and cakes are all staples of the holidays and we're left with a choice...to binge or not to binge?!
The question can be eliminated if you decide to make dessert part of your Ritual Design....or just enjoy yourself and have the dessert! Either way works!
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This is the first of the Solopreneur Series where I sit down with solopreneurs, business owners and side hustlers to take a peek into their daily routines.
I've known Dennis Buchanan for quite some time and just recently he started implementing an early...very early morning routine! Some might say he joined the 5 am club!
Dennis runs the Long Island Gaming League (https://www.facebook.com/LIGamingleague/), as well as Onerecourse (https://www.onerecourse.com/).
If you're looking to learn more about Ritual Design, head over to http://www.upgrademyrituals.com
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As I record this episode, I'm currently revamping my digital life. This means a new computer (M1 Macbook Pro), new hard drives and dock. What this also gave me a chance to do is tidy up my digital life. This includes everything that lives and enters my computer.
Emails, files, media and more all need to have a system of process and storage.
After everything is all organized, that is when we get to revisit our routines and see if we can make any tweaks.
When do I check email?
How do I process documents?
Where do I save my photos?
All these questions can help you organize your digital assets and life!
If you're looking to learn more about Ritual Design, head over to www.upgrademyrituals.com
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If you've found yourself hunched over your laptop sitting on your bed trying to get things done, you might have noticed it was less than effective! Even more, trying to implement a daily routine in a distracting environment is a killer.
Today I go over the three things you should think about when designing your environment to be more effective and implement a solid Ritual Design.
If you're looking to learn more about Ritual Design, head over to www.upgrademyrituals.com
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Have you ever seemed to look at the clock and ask yourself "where did the time go"?! We'll that question maybe should be taken a bit more serious!
Today I talk about two simple ways you can implement a time audit. Really track every minute of the day to see where your time is going and maybe if you can make some changes.
If you're looking to learn more about Ritual Design, head over to www.upgrademyrituals.com
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I'm right with you. The virus has us all looking at life with blinders on. How long will this last? What will change? Will it get worse? I have no answers to any of these questions. Hopefully today we'll be able to talk about some ways to deal with these tough times of uncertainty.
The last couple of weeks I've been really sloppy with all my routines. I thought this might be a great opportunity to walk through the way I approach this issue and how I get out of a funk. It's a process and takes a while to master but when you have a plan it's a whole lot easier!
Today on the podcast I play a recent interview I had with the found of a wonderful software called Week Plan. Aymeric is a great guy and I figured this would be a good opportunity to give you more context on who I am and where Ritual Design was even born from.
I also mentioned about my workshop I'm hosting on Monday night. Check it out here and join me live
https://upgrade-my-rituals.mykajabi.com/registration-page
Have you ever wondered how kids can fly out of bed so excited? Meanwhile it's just a Tuesday at 6:00 am! This is something that every child has innate within them and it really shows why children are so special. Take a listen today as I unpack how we can back to this child-like energy!
If you like today's episode please let me know by leaving a review!
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Have you ever tried to create a new habit or establish a new routine with no luck? There's actually an easier answer than you think.
Today I use my diet as an example of how I changed my identity to meet my goals. If you are a "healthy person" vs someone who's trying to diet than the conversation around eating the chocolate cake ends before it even begins!
Listen in to see how you can shift your identity to get to the root of your problems and make the changes you want to have stick!
If you're looking to learn more about ritual design and upgrading your day, head over to www.upgrademyrituals.com
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Happy New Year! It's 2020 and we're about two weeks in. Some of you might have set some New Years resolutions. How are they going so far?!
I find it interesting that we wait until a day on the calendar whether it be next week, next month or next year to become a better version of ourselves. You can decide in an instant to change the things you do and the ways you think but the practice of doing that is really tricky!
Listen in today to learn how I approach the calendar and how I use it to my advantage!
If you're looking to learn more about ritual design and upgrading your day, head over to www.upgrademyrituals.com
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I hear from a lot of people that they don't have time for a morning routine. When the conversation begins around implementing the entire ritual design...well the conversation ends as soon as it begins!
The abbreviated routine helps you get as many of the important segments of your routines in as possible, while mashing them together and saving time.
Check it out!
If you're looking to learn more about ritual design and upgrading your day, head over to www.upgrademyrituals.com
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As Thanksgiving just came and went and December is in full swing, I find myself always reflecting a lot on the entire year. What did I accomplish and what fell short? I also reflect on how I'm tracking my routines and ritual design. If there are any changes that need to be made, this is usually the time of year I do it! Take a listen today to possibly get some ideas on how you can track your own daily routines and rituals!
The things we tell ourselves and the words we use can ultimately make or break our productivity. We can either hinder our subconscious mind or leverage the right type of wording to empower our creativity and problem solving skills!
Today on the podcast I talk about the worst word in the dictionary....but! I also teach you an alternative that opens up all the doors!
If you're looking to learn more about ritual design and upgrading your day, head over to www.upgrademyrituals.com
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Do you ever find yourself saying "what's the point"? What's the point of starting my diet when I know I'm going to a party on Saturday? It's already Thursday and I've eaten pretty poorly as it is.
What's the point of studying because I know I'm not going to pass.
These are some of the limiting beliefs and sayings that we all fall victim to from time to time. Today I give you a reframe that might help!
If you're looking to learn more about ritual design and upgrading your day, head over to www.upgrademyrituals.com
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Every time I hear someone tell me the way I need to start my day I start to turn off. Number one this person doesn't know me! They don't have context and do not have the nuances of my life. Secondly even if I start my morning ritual slow and ease into the day doesn't mean I can't end my ritual with an intense, endorphin pushing adrenaline rush!
Take a listen today this Quick Tip Tuesday and see how you can truly work a morning routine to fit your style and situation!
If you're looking to learn more about ritual design and upgrading your day, head over to www.upgrademyrituals.com
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The difference between peace and pleasure at first may be slight but today I dig into what they're really about. Don't take it from me! I show a clip from someone with a lot more clout than I have.
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Today I'm sharing my method to bookend your routines around the most stressful parts of the day. If you're someone who is stressed but adding a bunch or routines and rituals makes you feel even more stressed, than today's quick tip will definitely help!
If you're looking to learn more about ritual design and upgrading your day, head over to www.upgrademyrituals.com
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The keystone ritual is basically the 80/20 of your weekly ritual design. If you never heard of the 80/20 rule (the pareto principle), it basically states that only 20% of the things or actions we take produce about 80% of the results. To really nail your weekly rituals on a day to day level, your keystone ritual is crucial. This is a once a week routine that sets your week up for success and makes each day that much easier.
If you're looking to learn more about ritual design and upgrading your day, head over to www.upgrademyrituals.com
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Do you own an Alexa device or a Google home? If so, your daily routines are about to be upgraded! Todays quick tip is how I incorporate these voice activated devices in my daily rituals. You may be wondering why not just use an alarm on your phone? Well you certainly can but there is a huge psychological edge. Watch todays episode to find out exactly what I mean.
If you're looking to learn more about ritual design and upgrading your day, head over to www.upgrademyrituals.com
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Today on the podcast, I teach you about the clog that interrupts your daily routines.
What stops you from finishing your routines? How do you actually start to unclog your mornings?
Is it motivation or mindset? Or is it a specific tactic that is a cure all? I dive into the concept of your clog and how to make sure it doesn't derail your ritual design.
Learn more at upgrademyrituals.com
Did you ever find yourself procrastinating...and you knew it?! Our brains are amazing. Even when we intellectually know something we'll do anything to "save energy".
One of the best habits I've started building was getting the hardest things done as early as I could in the day. This builds incredible amounts of momentum for me knowing that everything else is cake.
Plus the mornings are when I drink my smart juice!
Take a listen to todays episode if you feel like your schedule can't allow this to happen.
If you like what you hear and want to learn more, head over to upgrademyrituals.com
Are you being productive or just busy? What is it that you're actually making or creating? Many of us run around all day like a chicken without a head and at the end of the day feel as if we got nothing accomplished. That's probably because we got nothing accomplished.
Watch the episode to hear some personal examples from my life and ask yourself "what can I do to actually get more accomplished"?!
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Don't believe me? Watch this. If anyone has done something that looks like you then you can too. We all have our problems and issues that we have to overcome but we are 100% in control over those too! Maybe we can't control if bad things happen but we certainly can control how we react to them!
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The 4th quarter is really interesting to me. It always has been. One one end it means that we're winding down, getting to see some family, and reflecting. On the other hand there is this awesome push for trying to go hard for the next 70 days are really be productive on all your goals you set. And then there's my favorite time of year....Jan1?!?!
Check out the third episode for more clarification
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Did you ever find yourself snoozing no matter how much you promised yourself you wouldn't the night before? I have an easy hack for you today on the first installment of Quick Tip Tuesday. Each Tuesday I'll be putting out an episode that is between 2 and 5 minutes long that is a simple quick tip. The more we can get to the meat and potatoes the better we can become!
Learn more about what this is all about at upgrademyrituals.com
Hey! Firstly let me say thank you so much for listening! My name is Kevin Mecchella and I'm the founder of Upgrade My Rituals. To make an upgrade in one's life takes a lot of things but the one thing I know for sure is it takes consistency. What are the things you do every single day to move the needle? What are the routines and rituals that help you get the menial tasks done faster and at the same time, achieve what you want in your life?
This show will teach you my system of ritual design and how you can implement this in your own life. We'll also talk about general productivity, goal setting and habit building around your own ritual design.
Please let me know what you think by leaving a review!
[1:50] Overview of routines
[3:20] My start and my mistake
[4:35] Late to the maturity game
[5:40] Shifting to entrepreneurship
[7:40] Why routines were so crucial for me