Welcome to the Week... "The Tornado"

Good Morning & Welcome to the Week:

As you get ready to win this week (yes, you will rock it), I want to share a small, yet powerful habit that has had a massive impact on my life. It's called the 5-second rule and no, it's not about dropping a precious piece of chocolate on your kitchen floor and thinking it is still salvageable… news flash, it’s not. 

Back in 2011, Fitlife Foods was in its infancy, and our kitchen was in a tight location attached to our first store in South Tampa. As a solo entrepreneur just getting started, I used to spend a lot of time in that location, especially in the retail store working with the team and customers. Given I was no expert in the kitchen, I would spend less time entrenched in their daily operations. 

During our first holiday party, one of our cooks, “Mr. G” as he was affectionately called was talking to my wife Laura. He said to her,… “Do you know what we call “Mr. D” (what he called me day to day) when he comes into the kitchen? Laura cringingly asked, “What?” He revealed that they called me "the tornado." Why? Because I would sweep in, scatter everyone's focus and leave a trail of chaos for others to deal with. 

When I found this out, I laughed it off, but it struck a chord. However, it was really a wake-up call when a couple of years later I walked into our St. Pete store and the manager at the time actually kicked me out of the store and asked me to come back in for messing up the “energy” in the store. 

From then on, I began pausing for five seconds before I would walk in the door pretty much anywhere; like I was about to walk on stage. Whether for a meeting or coming in the door to my home in the evening, I would stop, focus on my breathing for 5 seconds and make sure the impact I was about to leave would be a positive one.

Why the 5-Second Pause?

Meditation is all the rage these days, but for many —finding even 10 minutes can be a challenge. I take 2 minutes a day just sitting in silence. However, adding 5-seconds to every situation you walk into on a daily basis can add to this time when accumulated. This pause helps me avoid lost time by remembering things when I am rushing. 

The combination of leaving a better “wake” and saving myself time by remembering things can have a significant impact. 

We’ve all been there, we rush out the door in the morning, try to get back home after a long day, are heading to the airport, are about to walk into an important meeting or are about to gather with friends of family.

Stop for 5 seconds, breathe and ask yourself 3 questions…

• Am I remembering everything? (Say remembering vs. forgetting) think about the mental checklist.
• How can I reframe what is going on with me right now, especially if I am frenzied?
• What impact am I leaving or am I about to leave when I walk into this (home, meeting, pick up of a kid, etc.)?

Take 5 seconds at the entrance and exit of the 6 to 12 locations you visit daily. You will find it adds up to nearly an extra 2 minutes of mindfulness per day—that's almost 6 - 12 additional hours per year!

As you approach this week, how can the 5-second rule save you time and help you build stronger relationships. It may even help you remember to bring your computer as you are leaving for the airport vs. having to turn around and drive an extra 20 minutes…. no, no this never happened to me. :-)

Find a trigger to help remember the 5 second, maybe it’s a doorway or getting into your car and just watch what happens to yourself.

Get out there, make it a great week and go feed your journey!

David