His headphones are playing exactly what he expected. The warm-up laps were just like he visualised. It’s more like his habits have taken over. “If you were to ask Michael what’s going on in his head before competition, he would say he’s not really thinking about anything. When asked about how Phelps prepared, Bowman had this to say: Phelps would be the first person to win eight medals in a single Olympics. His swimming coach, Bob Bowman, knew Phelps could be great, but to become a champion, he needed habits that would make him the strongest mental swimmer in the pool.įast forward to the 2008 Olympics and Bowman was proven right. His 80-inch wingspan and flexible ankles make him naturally predisposed to swimming - perhaps even more so than walking on land.īut the less-told story is how his life has been built on a few habits that were intentionally inculcated into him. He has won 28 medals in multiple swim categories and still holds several world records even though he has retired. So there’s no need to fret over which habits to establish first – just start with one or two healthy habits and go from there.Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time. The nice thing about Keystone Habits is that establishing just one or two truly good habits will get things moving in the right direction.
Your goal is not to direct them to start/stop doing certain things, but to present them with options they can choose to consider and perhaps implement. Overall, he is in a much better place.Īs your clients come to you seeking better balance, greater performance, or getting a grip on things, consider introducing Keystone Habits. He’s been able to support other good habits and systems such as diet, exercise, and meditation. He’s gone from being overwhelmed to being much more at peace. The result of Karl’s Keystone Habits has been remarkable. Observing a social media fast for one week each summer.Taking a personal retreat twice per year.Volunteering at the local soup kitchen once per month.Honoring the sabbath by worshipping each Sunday and refraining from work-related communication.He also combined these daily Keystone Habits with weekly, monthly, and annual habits, including: He created morning routines that were less hectic yet made room for all the important tasks: hygiene, exercise, breakfast, and quiet time. Once Karl decided to pay the price for gaining control over his sleep, he was positioned to gain greater control over his waking hours. We benefit from bedtime routines that reduce exposure to blue light, stimulating media, anxiety-producing discussions, etc. What one does prior to going to bed will greatly influence sleep quality. Prioritizing quality of sleep, not just quantity.If you feel the need for more sleep, going to bed earlier is the solution, not sleeping later. Going to bed early enough to get adequate sleep.Getting up at the same time every day, even the weekends and vacation days.Whenever I have a client like Karl who is struggling to overcome the tide of chaos in his life, I encourage establishing a beachhead in the area of sleep. If you’re not intentional about your sleep, it makes it hard to be intentional about the rest of life. I explained that science shows how regular sleep habits is the most significant leverage point for having a quality, productive, and flourishing life. I jokingly told him I was bad at math and that it was probably more like a 12. On a scale of 1 to 10, he figured the negative impact was around a 5.
I asked Karl how he thought his erratic sleep effected the quality of his life. He adjusted his alarm clock every night to try to get as much sleep as he could, which ranged from 5 to 10 hours. If he didn’t have a morning meeting, sometimes he would sleep late. Sometimes he had to stay up late to finish emails or an important project. He confessed that his sleep patterns were all over the place. Without Keystone Habits, other habits, systems, and goals require far more time, energy, and resources.Īfter Karl laid out all that he wanted from life and how well he was doing in living the life he wanted, I inquired about the primary Keystone Habit: sleep. Keystone Habits support other good habits, enable systems, and unlock bigger goals. A Keystone Habit is a daily, weekly, or even yearly habit that supports other good things in life.
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