In Australia, as in some other countries, Monday of the Easter long weekend is also observed as a holiday. In 2011 this unusually co-incided with another National holiday here and in New Zealand, ANZAC Day.
This is a national day of remembrance to honour the soldiers who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I, although it now broadly also commemorates all those who served and died in military operations for their countries.
At a lunch function today I happened to look in on an area where some teenagers were flicking through TV channels. As to be expected one after another of these was either covering ANZAC day marches or showing archive footage of wars.
None of this was of any interest to these teenagers until they happened to stumble on a program about Knights of old, still fighting a war, albeit a very different type.
- Knights in Armour
Later, the images I had seen of so many young men fighting in past wars came back to mind. A lot has changed through time and much hasn’t; wars are still very much a feature of our global reality.
What is unchanged is that no army expected to be victorious is sent into battle without being prepared. They are trained and know what to do. They also wear appropriate protective clothing and have weapons to use.
I thought back to the knights I had seen on horseback. From a purely psychological point of view, I think I would have have felt more prepared being a Knight.
While heavy armour must have been very cumbersome to wear, it just appears to have offered far more of a barrier to danger.
Regardless of times, protective clothing and improved weaponry, how do men and women feel just prior to a military skirmish?
No matter how physically prepared or protected they are, I am sure many did then as they do today, feel fearful, anxious and concerned about what they are about to encounter and whether they will survive to see another day.
How do they get through this? By also putting on their emotional armour and then doing what they have to do.
While we may not all be fighting wars, many of us when we are forging into unknown territory and expanding beyond our comfort zones, have to fight emotional wars within.
We may even comes across similar emotions and self limiting beliefs, some of which can stop us in our tracks, simply because we weren’t prepared for them.
We can never be totally prepared for what we’re going to encounter either, but we too can be better prepared if we will also put on our emotional armour and strengthen our self belief.
It’s what allows us not to crumble completely when something doesn’t turn out as we thought it would. It’s what allows us to get back up again and continue our journey.
We can’t afford to let every rejection and obstacle stop us or else we will never move ahead.
Just as a Knight had to put on his armour every time before he went into battle, so we also have to put on our emotional armour every day.
I do this every morning by:
- Consulting my written a plan for the day ahead which I prepare the night before. I know exactly what it is I’m going to be doing and where I may need to support myself more.
- Tuning into and accessing my connection with source energy / God / the Universe. Knowing that I can count on a source greater than who I am physically assists me to know that I can deal with whatever comes my way.
- Spending 10 minutes envisioning my day ahead. I see all the planned events of my day happening exactly as I want them to occur. Then I decide to expect this and nothing less.
- Having a serious self talk session as if I was having a motivational meeting with my staff. I often use affirmations and afformations at this time, re-affirming my love for myself and my innate ability to do whatever I have chosen to do in the day ahead.
If you still deal with daily emotional issues reactively as they come up then I want to encourage you to get suited up every morning. Put on your emotional armour so that you are better prepared for when things don’t work out as you thought they would.
If you already go through a daily ritual to put on your emotional armour, what exactly do you do? Your contribution may just help someone reading this post.
Be Happy!
ANZAC Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/edwin11/500805604/
Knights Image: http://www.sxc.hu/profile/ColinBroug
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Great advice Marcus. I think most of us just get up in the morning and don’t prepare at all for what the day bring.
I want to give this a try.How did you get yourself in the habit of remembering to do this stuff every day?
I’m thinking of writing a note to myself and leaving it by my bedside as a reminder.
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[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
April 26th, 2011 at 1:23 am
Hi Cathy,
Welcome to my blog and thanks for asking a really great question.
I had to work on making it a habit to be honest and it took me a while to do this.
The first thing I did was schedule it on my planner so I know it is the first activity of my day.
I did what you suggest, left myself notes and more than one.
I would leave post it notes on the mirror in the bathroom, on the fridge, on my computer…. All said the same thing, “Have your prepared yourself for this day?”
I made a rule that I could not do anything else until this was done and I simply held myself to it.
As you no doubt know Cathy it takes about 30 days of doing something consistently to develop a habit. Now I don’t even think about it.
The last work related activity I do at night is plan the next day and that almost sets the tone for when I wake up, as the first thing I do is go over in my mind what it is I will be doing that day.
In my case it’s also a good memory test. Ha ha
~Marcus
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Hey Marcus,
I must confess, it’s not easy to stick to something as positive as planning one’s day consistently. It takes a conscious constant effort to make it second nature.
What I do every morning is start with about 50 push-ups thereabout to put my body in shape to do whatever I want to do with alertness. And it works for me.
I proceed to pray, study scriptures depending on how it finds me or push it to later in the day. I then proceed to watch my mind movie to keep my plans in check. What I do next depends on my schedule for the day.
But I consider these first activities the bedrock of everything I’ll do throughout the day.
I tell people not to beat themselves up if they go a positive routine and dont quick to it at first. It takes practice and like you said in the comments, and if you take a 30-day cycle,YOU will make some tremendous progress.
Thanks for sharing your valuable insights, Marcus!
Tosin
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
April 26th, 2011 at 8:28 am
Hi Tosin,
I appreciate you sharing your routine here with us.:)
As with most new things we start in our lives, they are tough at first to make a habit but the more we do them, the easier it becomes.
I like the fact that you watch your mind movie in the morning too Tosin.
~Marcus
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Hey Marcus,
Great advice on how to start your day from emotional point of view. I write 5 tasks and I go on for the day to complete them but I never imagine how I wan’t them to be done. And if you expect good then good will happen. Point to be noted. I will put 10 min to get prepared for the day from now on.
Thanks for the Post
lali
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[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
April 26th, 2011 at 8:23 am
Hi Lali,
Expecting things to work as we want them to is an extremely powerful tool to use so I am sure you will find adding this to your daily routine will add value to your day Lali.
I appreciate your comment.
~Marcus
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Hi Marcus,
I can be proud that I do plan my day ahead. Although I do offer myself some flexibility with the plan, I stick to it. The flexibility may increase the time slot for a task a bit or I might do some swaps in the time slots to my convenience.
But at the end of the day I see that everything is taken care of. I can’t help myself being this much organized and this accounts for
1. writing on my blog about being organized and managing time.
2. Running a blog successfully while doing a full time job as a Scientist which is not just a 10-5 job but takes more of my brain.
Thanks for the wonderful post.
Cheers,
Jane.
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Marcus Baker Reply:
April 26th, 2011 at 9:05 pm
Hi Jane,
We are all different and have to find what works best for us and our circumstances which is exactly what you do.
Being fleixible in all things is necessary as long as this does not become a long term compromise.
As long as we do what we set out to do on most days we will feel that we are managing ourselves effectively.
Thanks for adding your thoughts here Jane.
~Marcus
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Hi Marcus,
It is a nice experience to read about your mornings.
I don’t have any routine for mornings except a breakfast but I want to learn ways to organize myself like you.
Thanks
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Marcus Baker Reply:
April 26th, 2011 at 9:02 pm
Hi Nazim,
It does not have to take long to do this Nazim and yet the difference it makes is significant. Give it a try my friend and you will see how much more effective you will be for the day.
Thanks for leaving a comment Nazim.
~Marcus
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Marcus, aloha. Not surprisingly, we start our respective days exactly the same way. Going through the routine does indeed arm me for the day.
Because I have worked from home for so long, I must admit my “work clothes” are quite relaxed. That being said, when I first started working from home I did get dressed as if I were going to the “office” to work. It made a psychological difference for me. As I put on the “work” clothes I turned on the “work” mindset.
Several people I know still dress as if they were going into the office because they find it makes a difference in how they work. It is something I strongly recommend to people who feel they have trouble starting their day.
Researchers have found a correlation with the dress of children and their behavior. Since we are “big children” it is no surprise that the same holds true for us.
Marcus, this is a great analogy. Thx so much for sharing it. Best wishes for a terrific week. Aloha. Janet
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Marcus Baker Reply:
April 26th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Hi Janet,
Thank you for sharing this very useful tip.
I have to admit most days I am fine to work in whatever I am wearing but on those days when I find myself having a challenging focus day, the first thing I do is get dressed as if I was going to a business meeting and nine times out of ten it helps my state of mind. Amazing really…
There are many things we can do to move us to the right mindset. The key is finding what works for us personally.
As usual I appreciate your thoughtful response here.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
~Marcus
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Hi Marcus,
I like your actionable tips.
Just today I returned to my 5 – 10 minutes of stillness each hour, on the hour. It helps me to embrace the feelings I tend to bury or plow through without being mindful of them.
When we pull back we can more easily attract. The way I look at it, every hour I am letting the universe do 5 to 10 minutes of heavy lifting while I get out of the way
Then I can proceed to deal with the inevitable energy shifts in a more calm and confident manner.
Thanks for sharing Marcus!
RB
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Marcus Baker Reply:
April 26th, 2011 at 8:54 pm
Hi Ryan,
You make perfect sense! Taking a break like you describe definitely helps us to re-align with what’s important and then the rest follows a whole lot more easily.
Thank you for sharing your habits here and the rationale behind this.
~Marcus
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Hi Marcus,
I see you are a friend of “Sticky Notes” too. I have them all over the place. (Maybe I should buy stock in the company, haha.)
It’s not easy to stick to a routine. It takes a lot of discipline, and a conscious and consistent effort. I do better sticking to some things versus others.
I just bought “The Seven Minute Difference.” Can’t wait to read it
Have an awesome day!
Ilka
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[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
April 26th, 2011 at 8:51 pm
Hi Ilka,
Absolutely. I have no idea where I would be without “Sticky Notes” We could probably share the stock in that company Ilka. LOL
I agree with you that creating some habits can be a challenge but then I guess when it is important enough to us we will just do it, somehow.
I have not read that book Ilka. Maybe some blog posts from you on your insights would be an excellent idea??
~Marcus
[Reply]
Ilka Flood Reply:
April 28th, 2011 at 6:36 pm
Planing on some blog posts about it, but first I have to get a chance to read it. My husband hogged it, lol
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Hi Marcus!
I actually do all the things that you do to get ahead of my day and be emotionally prepared. I am quite organized and want everything to go as scheduled and without a hitch.
Lately, though, in addition to your list,I would add in a 1% possibility that things may not really go according to plan and I should be prepared for it. In the past, I would get really pissed off if one thing would go wrong and it would affect my entire day. Now, I take a deep breath and say to myself: “Well, things like this do happen and I will not let this minor glitch ruin my entire day. This, too, shall pass.”
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Marcus Baker Reply:
April 27th, 2011 at 7:07 pm
Hi Elmar,
Appreciate this comment, thank you. You are so right, just because we plan for everything to go perfectly does not mean it does and not allowing it to mess our day up completely is important.
I have come to accept that whatever happens is meant to be so rather than resist what is, I embrace it as being perfect even though it may not be in keeping with what I expected.
~Marcus
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Hello Marcus,
Everbody has to think of some way to push those negative thoughts away. You seem to be grounded in faith, which makes you successful before you even show up to work. Everything else is a bonus.
Lou Barba
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[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
April 27th, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Hi Lou,
Welcome to my blog and thank you for adding to the discussion here.
You have hit on a very foundational factor, that of belief and faith and you are right it is what underpins everything.
~Marcus
[Reply]
Marcus,
I imagine that the shirt I am putting on in the morning has a “magical” protective element to it that keeps negativity from penetrating it.
Works for me.
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[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
April 27th, 2011 at 6:57 pm
Hi Justin,
I like the magical mix with the practical there Justin and I can well imagine that it works well too.
Thanks for sharing what works for you. I think I may just add that to my morning ritual.
~Marcus
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Wonderfully written Marcus! I guess that our own emotion is our biggest adversary and if we won’t put on any armour, we would be vulnerable from it. I love the things you do every morning. Those are perfect ways to prepare ourselves before starting the day. And I believe that to maintain the emotional armour, we must have daily preparation.
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[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
April 28th, 2011 at 1:19 am
Hi Charlene,
Daily preparation is a must I find, although it took me a while at first to make this a reality. I always thought I was doing it without actually doing it.. We humans are funny beings aren’t we? LOL
I appreciate your feedback Charlene.
~Marcus
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Hey Marcus,
What an empowering post! I absolutely love your four step action plan to start your day. I need to modify my morning to include these.
The first one I’ve got covered – going through my plan for the day prepared the night before. And the 4th one I usually take care of on the way to work.
But #2 and 3 have not been on my radar. I especially like the idea of taking 10 minutes and envisioning how your day is going to play out, in the most positive fashion.
Thanks for sharing your mornings with us, Marcus.
As always, I learn great things from your posts!
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[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
April 28th, 2011 at 1:15 am
Hi Bob,
I’m pleased you found my daily steps useful too.
The 10 minute envisioning really does make a difference which I am sure you will find is true for you too Bob.
I appreciate your visit and positive feedback Bob.
~Marcus
[Reply]
Excellent analogy Marcus.
I think it’s very like this – getting suited up for the day ahead (or not) and I’m sure there’s nothing like going into battle unprepared (I hope to never actually find out).
I found that this even worked literally for me – For some time I didn’t bother to get dressed in the mornings, very much enjoying the luxury of working from home. But I found that I was never quite in ‘battle mode’. These days I get dressed as I might to go out, knowing that I don’t have to go anywhere at all, since it seems to help psychologically in terms of feeling ‘suited up’ for the day ahead.
I do some of the things you suggested some of the time, and I meditate every day which helps me to come from the right place throughout the day – but I feel a little discipline in preparing would pay off.
Thanks for these encouraging and motivating thoughts!
All the best,
Jym
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[Reply]
Hey Marcus,
We must always have our emotional armor on. I know I will never be caught without mines on, because things don’t always go the way we plan. Most of the time things go left instead of right, but when your prepared for the worst it won’t get you down. Being a entrepreneur means you must always be able to keep your motivation up when times are tough. If you can’t do that then you will have a hard time making it, because everyone goes through tough times.
God bless,
William Veasley
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[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
April 30th, 2011 at 1:52 am
Hi William,
Welcome to my blog and thank you for sharing your insights on an important topic.
Things definitely don’t always go our way since this is how we learn and expand. Being prepared like this allows us to not give up when the tough times come.
~Marcus
[Reply]
Your post has reflection of planning,gratitude and enthusiasm for positive purposes.
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Marcus Baker Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 10:14 pm
Thank you for your feedback. Much appreciated.
~Marcus
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