The Secret Sauce

by Gary McKendrick | Sep 10, 2021 | Blog

Success is easy!!

So it seems success is built upon doing these things every day, all the guru’s, the coaches, the elite, are doing it..

Your success is built upon your morning routine.

So to fast track all your desires and dreams you must do all these things every day:

• Get up at 5am, after having gone to bed at 9pm
• Have a cold shower
• Drink a pint of room temperature filtered water with sliced lemon
• Take your multi-vitamin and supplements
• Meditate for 22mins
• Do Wim Hof breathing for 12mins
• Drink a green sludge smoothie whilst watching the sunrise
• Visualise your goals for 5mins
• Hit the Gym for strength training 22mins
• Then cardio training 22mins
• Then yoga for 22mins
• Have an ice bath
• Then go cold water swimming in the sea or your local lido
• Have a warm shower & dress to impress
• Eat a vegan breakfast
• Declutter your workspace
• Journal about gratitude or something
• Read a book
• Listen to a podcast
• Plan your day
• Get out in nature for a walk
• Pay someone a compliment

Now it’s 3.30pm, you should get to work!!

The secret sauce is there is no secret; it just boils down to knowing what you want then putting in the effort to achieve it, committing to the work and doing it regardless of your mood. And waiting, it takes time.

It MIGHT involve doing SOME of those things listed but it doesnt have to so dont feel like you must.

Find the things that make you have a better day and be more productive and nicer to be around.

Which is really just sticking to the basics of sleeping well, eating well, hydrate, exercise, enjoy some silence, breathe properly, control your emotions and GET TO WORK.

You’re welcome.

Your 7W Powers To Achieve What You Want

by Gary McKendrick | Aug 4, 2021 | Blog

WANT POWER
What exactly do you want? Be very specific. And when do you want it?

WHY POWER
Why do you want it? Who will benefit – just you or others?
Remembering your WHY will help you work for it.

WAY POWER
What is the way forward? Consider all options and then decide on your way – what will you do, what help or training, what habits / behaviours you need to develop. What actions you must take to move closer towards what you want. How will you know you’re on track?

WILL POWER
When you know what you want, and why, and how to get it, you will have fuelled the fire to get started. Use this drive to start work and keep going.

WORK POWER
BUT remember, willpower doesn’t last. It gets you started but doesn’t last. When willpower runs out, all you’re left with is good old-fashioned discipline to WORK. To put in the graft, regardless of how you feel. The work is never easy or convenient. Putting in the work actually re-fuels your willpower so it’s a cycle of Will and Work power to keep you moving.

WAIT POWER
Just have patience. Most people expect results far too quickly. You must be consistent in your efforts, and wait. Your results will come. Don’t quit when it gets harder, keep going.

WHO POWER
Lastly, but most importantly, who do you want to be while you’re applying your powers.
Who do you want to become more of, and less of, in the process?
What type of character and disposition will you adopt?
Operate within your own set of principles, your standards higher than most.
Consider your Values; we make time for what we value – what gets your time & attention?
Be composed, be compassionate, no matter what.

THE BASICS of Wellbeing

by Gary McKendrick | Nov 23, 2020 | Blog

You know what they say:

Don’t abandon the basics, then you’ll never have to go back to them.

Earlier this month I did an on-line talk on mental health and wellbeing for the NORAC AGM. In preparing for it, I’d thought to myself, ‘What can I talk about that’s not just regurgitating what everyone has already heard, what can I talk about that’s really helped me and continues to help me?’.

My obvious answer was my wellbeing process based on the acronym of ‘basics’. Or, THE BASICS.

I’m a firm believer that happiness requires EFFORT. Anything you want in life requires WORK. You have to work at it to get it.  We all deserve to be happy but I think a lot of folks think it should just be a default state that requires no effort at all. However, your happiness requires commitment and discipline because there’s always going to be easier options to take.

So, my challenge to you is; every day, for 30days, follow this process and see how it makes you feel-

T = Thankful (Be thankful and appreciate, start your day with thinking about the good stuff in your life, there is always something, even during your darkest times. And end your day with some more. Write them down.  Your days become book-ended with gratitude and your focus is on the good stuff).

H = Hydrate (refresh and re-hydrate first thing in the morning, and continue during the day, at least 2litres, aim for 3. And don’t wait until you’re thirsty, your wee is bright yellow and smells of Sugar-puffs)

E = Emotions (be aware of your emotions, I like to remember that ‘heightened emotions = lowered intellect’, be aware of how you feel right now and then how you want to feel, then take action to change your state. Emotional Intelligence is the key).

B = Breathe (Stillness/Meditation, take some deep breaths, try box breathing or Wim Hof, just pause & breathe, just 5mins, we all can find 5mins a day, then increase it)

A = Activity (Body Movement, training, exercise, walks, get sweaty and feel good after. Movement = The most under-used anti-depressant).

S = Shower (Get up, get showered, get dressed & show-up, no matter how you feel, you’ll feel better cleansed, and feel even better after a cold shower!!)

I = Ingest (Consume with Care: Good Foods, Good People, Good Info from books, podcasts, etc. Avoid endless junk, booze, pills, social media, news consumption, and arseholes!)

C = Connect (Talk, open up, be vulnerable, have conversations, connect with others, don’t hide in silence, seek help, ask others if they’re okay too. And connect with yourself, stop, turn down the volume and just be where your feet are, spend 5mins alone, after all, the journey isn’t as much of an outer one as it is an inward one).

S = Sleep (Get enough, 7-9 hrs, have as much natural energy as possible. Don’t survive or get through each day on stimulants. Just get to bed earlier will you!!)

Tick these things off your list each day and I guarantee you’ll have a better day.

Always remember that your happiness requires daily effort, and if you stick to the basics then you’re giving yourself a decent chance of keeping on the right track and making yourself proud of your efforts.  And if you fall off track, that’s okay, just get back on it with a new determination.

These basics will be your best medicine. Try it and let me know how you get on.

Do I need a Life Coach?

by Gary McKendrick | Jul 12, 2020 | Blog

What even is a life coach?

Whatever it is, you don’t need one.

And you don’t need to read that book that was recommended to you.

Remember all those unread books still sitting on your shelf.

Remember all the books you’ve started and not finished.

And you don’t need to buy that new journal or productivity planner.

Remember the one you’re already using or have used in the past, or the one sat on your shelf unused, yet you’re still no further forward.

And you don’t need that new bit of wearable tech to read your mind or track all the epic data.

Remember the one you already have, and the old ones sat in the cupboard too, you do nothing with the data, though its nice to look at.

And you don’t need to do that training course.

Remember all the ones you’ve already done yet you’re still no further forward.

And you don’t need to get that qualification.

Remember that one you already have, probably related to NLP, yet you’re still no further forward.

And you don’t need to attend that event.

Remember all the ones you’ve attended, maybe even done a fire-walk, and got all excited and hand-clappy raa-raa whoop-whoop but still no further forward.

And you certainly don’t need to spend thousands of pounds on that retreat in Thailand.

All these things CAN be very useful in making progress and having ‘ah-ha’ moments of clarity BUT for many people, they’re just laziness in disguise.  Endless consumption and avoiding the hard work.

And endless consumption leads to confusion.

You see, most of us already know what we NEED to do, or need to STOP doing.

But we’ve abandoned the basics, the fundamentals, the foundations upon which we build.

With zero foundations or ones that are wobbly as jelly, you ain’t building anything worthwhile, and if you do manage to build something worthwhile, its not going to last very long.

Everything must be centred on solid foundations which support you through life and all weathers and you maintain them and build on them continually.  Building great strength, sustainability and resilience.

Don’t abandon the basics then expect a quick easy fix in the guise of a book, a course or a ‘life-coach’.

Or an empowerment coach, or a spirit guide coach, or a man-up coach – whatever they call themselves.

Hey don’t get me wrong, find a credible one, they can be life changers.

BUT firstly, consider your current results and ask yourself if you’ve done absolutely all the things in your control and power to improve your situation?

Your current results, the ones you’re not happy with, they are a consequence of your current thoughts and behaviours.

Your habits and your excuses are KEEPING you that way you are. They are perfectly designed to give you exactly what you have right now.

If everything begins with you, and your mind, then start there.

Ask yourself better questions to get better answers.

Such as:

What exactly do I want?

What bad habits are holding me back?

What excuses am I hiding behind?

What hard work am I avoiding?

What task am I putting off because its makes me feel uncomfortable?

Why do I prioritise and value comfort, pleasure and laziness over being uncomfortable, challenged, courageous, focussed hard work and delayed gratification?

What makes me happy?

When I’ve had a truly fulfilling and productive day, what exactly did I do that day, am I aware so that I can replicate it?

What makes me forget time because I’m in the moment so much?

When was I at my happiest and why; what had I achieved?

Who has already achieved what I want to and how can I learn from them?

Consider this:

Money – spend less; set up a savings account, put money in it & don’t spend it, stop buying pointless shit you don’t need

Weight – eat less / eat better / move more / break out into a sweat / start with walking briskly every day or doing press-ups until failure, if you can only do 1 then do 1, aim for 2 tomorrow, 3 the next day etc

Health – quit smoking, drinking, drugging yourself to escape

Career – find a new job then quit the one you hate

Relationships – with your partner, act like you did on your first date; and at work, act like you did in your job interview and watch your relationships improve

Home – have a clear out of all your junk for starters

Most, if not all of that, will cost you nothing in hard cash, its just doing boring tasks.  It’s making a more conscious effort and better choices; ones which aren’t fixated on emotions and pleasure-seeking.

You can also get access to your GP for free, you may get a Therapist on the NHS, and there’s things like free Apps, for Habit tracking or money-spending.

Your next stage might then be the need for some professional help like a Therapist, a GP, a Personal Trainer, or some form of credible expert to help you in a specific area of your life.  Credible experts, particularly those that are specialists in the area you need, are invaluable and money well spent, be it a Therapist, a PT, a Life-Coach, an Empowerment Coach, a Release Your Full Potential And Inner Unicorn Coach or whatever the hell title these coaches call themselves – just make sure they’re credible with a proven track record of helping people like you.

But don’t even think about or talk to any professional until you’ve got your shit together on the bare bones basics.  The fundamentals of some self-care based around feeling FRESH.

F = Fitness (just move will you, apply yourself, make an effort, sweat)

R = Recover (too much work will burn you out, make time for rest too, have some stillness, some alone time)

E = Eat well (far less junk, and eat your fruit & veggies)

S = Sleep (just sleep! get to bed early, get your 7-9hrs)

H = Hydrate (just drink your water, 2 litres a day is so easy to do)

You might just amaze yourself with starting with the basics, and you’ll soon be building on solid foundations and thinking “why didn’t I start this sooner”

There’s no magic fix.  Just take better care of yourself and see how far you get.

Very often the answer is right in front of you and you just need to knuckle down and do the boring hard work every day.

Then once you’ve mastered the basics and reached some sort of plateau, THEN crack on with the next thing, the book, the course, the coach.

Make sense?

PS I write these as a reminder to me too.