Principles

I resented school as a kid but I can see now that the educational system gives you a solid foundation on life. Showing up on time, developing your talents, dealing with failure: it's the same at every stage.

Honestly though?

I failed to internalize any of that until my 20s. I didn't have an internal drive to motivate me so I used deadlines to get through life. Whether it was cramming for a big test or writing a ten page essay, I was the last minute king. I got through life OK but it was a struggle to get anything done on time.

Then I read Principles by Ray Dalio several years ago. It had a tremendous impact on how I approach life as an adult.

Point is, we all have a mental framework that we've developed subconsciously. It's a way of navigating through life that is unique to each of our experiences. It's how we react to problems, experience joy, express love or motivate ourselves to succeed.

OK, duh.

But one of the most important things you can do in life is to explore your mental framework. Deconstruct it. Consider the hard facts of reality that you have to deal with. With all of that considered, develop your own system of being. Make it clear to yourself and others. Keep evolving.

Here's mine.

Quarterly Goals

I make a list of goals for each quarter (every 3 months). Monthly goals felt too short but quarterly goals felt like I could determine where I wanted my energy to go long term. I get these goals down to a page and organize it by category (i.e. Fitness, Finance, Social). I print out a few copies and stick them all over the house. At the end of each quarter I look back on how I did. The process begins again.

Typically I build on goals from the previous quarter. If I didn't accomplish anything useful, I'll reflect on why and adapt. This is the core of what I learned from Principles - it truly is OK if your way of doing things is different - just make sure it actually works for you.

Daily To-Do List

Every day I write a to-do list, which is broken up between my quarterly goals, work tasks, and general life tasks (i.e. laundry, doctor's appt.).

I wake up in the morning, do a clear-headed meditation then write down my objectives. When I wander mentally throughout the day I refer back to this list - if I can complete at least one more task, that gives me enough momentum and confidence to keep going.

Daily Quest

Here's what I try to accomplish every day. My unbreakable commitment is my Morning Routine and I've stuck to that for the last five years. Ideally I'm doing pushups and additional meditations but every day is different. but no matter what, where I am, I can commit to breathing exercises, meditation, some stretching and make a plan for the day. On the weekends that plan is usually in my head but I try to map out my objectives.

Morning Ritual

  • Ideally wake up between 6:30am and 7:30am
  • 3 rounds of breathwork (WHM)
  • 15+ minutes of meditation
    • after meditation I sit for a couple extra minutes to think through what i'm grateful for: family, friends and all that life has given me and send good vibes out to all beings everywhere. this is honestly a new thing for me but it feels natural and right.
  • 5 days a week: 15+ minutes of yoga asanas
  • Make daily to-do list

Throughout The Day

  • Read book of choice for ~30 minutes
  • 50 pushups: 5 sets of 10. i add it to my daily to-do list and bang out a set when I have down time
  • get a workout in if possible: typically I follow a training program to keep me on track
  • journal: I used to do it every day, now that I'm focused on building Sendō I'll write every few days after a workout or major update to record any insights and feelings. it's great to journal to get your feelings out from each day. you may not look back on it but you're expressing your feelings to the void which helps process things.
  • midday meditation: 5+ minutes
  • EOD meditation: 5+ minute meditation after work/towards bedtime
Up Next
Events and Races | Sendō
Essential tips on how to prepare for running events and races and offers insights into what you can anticipate on race day.
SendōMidori Sendō

Be A Part Of Sendō

Thank you for reading this post. If you liked it:

Subscribe to get updates on new blog posts, training resources, events and more. You'll get one email a week at most.
Check out some Research: our free collection of training plans, workout guides, nutrient-dense grocery lists, pace calculators, and other tools to support your quest.
Have a tip, story, or idea? It could end up in a future post. Email me anytime with questions, thoughts, or even confessions — we're all in this together.
Click here to go back to the homepage.