The Richardson Collective Gary Richardson

“We all want to be healthy, normal, and acceptable. We seek to shroud the shame of truth of our existence in the coping, reactional facade that is the story we tell ourselves.”

Lay the evidence and execute the volume that will give courage and resolve for those to come.

CONQUERING THE MORNING

This is not an installment of the perfect morning routine, because one doesn’t exist.

I know this may come as a shock to your daily systems at play.

But it’s true. You are a human, not an automation machine.

Structure is a sound way to give yourself guard rails so you are able to dial in and accomplish a few key items but they are not the end all be all to your value and to the value of your day.

So, how do you conquer the morning?

According to Tim Ferris, “It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking instead of thinking your way into new acting.”

This is confirmed by Neuroscientist and Ophthalmologist Andrew Huberman, who is additionally quoted saying, “You can’t change the body with the mind, you must change your mind with the body.”

The key principle of a productive morning is FORWARD MOMENTUM to accomplish the most important tasks first. Both the undesirable and the Refreshing.

The beauty of this is it threads the needle of generalization and specification, because we are all different and need different approaches for the different lives that we lead.

On the practical end, for myself, this looks like setting everything out the night before and following the automated steps I have in place to propel me to get the ball rolling even when I don’t feel like doing them.

But that may not be what you need.

So in all of your searching, listening to podcasts, reading articles, and 100s of drafts for your morning, find the one thing that gives you life and the one thing that is the most undesirable to do and utilize that as a cascading effect so the rest of your day is of the framework you desire in the cultivation of your maximization.

The perfect routine on paper will not give you the tools to act and experience in this experiment we call life. It is the daily rhythm of trial and error, cause and effect, and that is okay.

So, do the thing. Set the tone. Shift the perspective. Accomplish the goals. Have fun. Push your limits. And all of the rest of the one offs I could provide you.

Conquer the morning, and so maximize yourself, your community, and for the generation to come.

MEMENTO MORI

“Remember, you must die.”

At times Life is an ugly lie but death is an undeniable truth.

We get one go at life.

But is this not what makes life beautiful in a remarkable way?

It is constrained and causes us to contemplate its limits and the potential of what it could be.

It requires us to cherish each moment well.

It keeps us sober to the fact that one day, what we know as existence will end.

But, it is not to be feared. But welcomed.

Death is a gift to be free from the toils and burdens of life and to propel us to live excellently and rightfully.

To tend to our bodies well.

To accrue resources and invest time properly.

To prioritize good relationships.

To vastly expand our understanding and experience.

To align ourselves to a worthy aim.

While sounding potentially morbid, utilize maximum quality of self even when facing death.

Look it in the face, recognize your days are numbered, therefore propel yourself to soberly assess what truly matters and what type of person you will be.

It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

It doesn’t matter about your shortcomings.

It only matters if you will let your death be the mark of having made the most of who you are and what you were supposed to do.

“My death for the living.”

This is an excerpt from my poem ESSENCE.

It reminds me that in all things, I want to maximize myself so that even when I go people will still add value to their lives by what I left behind.

This happens with each micro moment I am granted by heaven until that day when I am no more present in this world.

Having this vantage is a privilege, not a curse. We die knowing that we lived, but truly lived and existed for the welfare of all that was meant to be in our time.

You will die. Own it. Know it. Use it. Maximize yourself today. Maximize your effectiveness. Your community. Your world. Your capacity for to propagate a better future for those will live beyond you.

THE BIG 5 are all essential to your daily existence for the maximal enjoyment and effectiveness of your life, your community, and the generations to come.

Faithfulness is the virtue that curates the outcome of wise living and the fruits of a longevity in maximizing oneself to their full potential.