Brian Johnson breaks down his personal-optimization framework into three categories: Energy, Family, and Service. For each, he defines his best self, lists the benefits, and prescribes one daily practice like a sunrise trail workout for energy or 30 to 60 minutes one-on-one time with his son for family.
Questions this episode answers
November 9, 2017.
Over 10,000 premium members.
Qualifying for the Spartan World Championships at the end of the year and placing in the top 20 in his age group.
At least 30 minutes (target 60 minutes) on weekdays and hours on the weekend.
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Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Optymyze one. Now, we all have areas of our lives we want to optimize. Stephen Covey tells us to think about our roles and goals. Tony Robbins calls it categories of improvement.
The challenge with those is that we.
Can get confused with a near infinite number of roles and categories. I like to boil it down to my big three Energy plus Family plus Service first, energy. For me, it all starts with energy. If I have a tough time getting out of bed in the morning, I'm going to have a tough time living optimally. Therefore, I prioritize making sure my energy is strong. Then we have family why do I want to feel radiantly alive and energized? First and foremost, I want to be an exemplary husband and father. I'm the only one in the world who can be a great husband to my wife and father to my children. In the midst of striving to do great things and make a difference in the world, it's easy to forget that it all starts at home. And then the third component Service. The other reason I keep my energy strong is to be of service. I want to be, in the words of French movement philosopher George he, fit to be useful.
So here's how I like to approach it.
First, start by identifying what you at your absolute best would look like in each of those categories. Then capture the benefits you'll experience when you live from that ideal. Then think of the number one simple thing you can do and every single day to make sure you're in integrity with that ideal. Then schedule that thing into your masterpiece day. And of course do it. For me, it looks like this Energy.
Me at my best.
I am a world class athlete, which is defined as qualifying for the Spartan World Championships at the end of this year. Now I need to place in the top 20 in my age group, so it's kind of a JV version of World class. But it was still a big stretch for me when I set the goal and it has great pull power. The benefits of hitting that goal and living into that ideal, AKA the why a la Nietzsche's he who has a strong enough why can bear almost any how are these I am radiantly alive. I am grounded, I'm powerful, I'm calm and I'm confident and I'm energized. I'll take it. And the number one thing I will do every day sunrise trail workout. I'll show up on the mountain and bang out my one hour workout. Consistency of training, obviously oscillating intensity, etc. Is my secret weapon.
How about you?
When you work through those three parameters on the energy, what do you come up with? Then we have family. Me at my best. I'm an exemplary husband and father. Now, I love to work and create, obviously. And I'm committed to being a great husband and father. An exemplar that standard fires me up. The benefits? Joy, presence, love, kindness, patience, consistency and celebrating my 50th anniversary with my love. The number one thing I will do every day to make that happen. Quality time. One on one with my son every day. Defined as at least 30 minutes target 60 minutes during the week and hours on the weekend of just me and him.
How about you?
We have a worksheet to go work through all this by the way. And then finally we have service. Me at my best. I am an exemplary social entrepreneur, philosopher and teacher and community leader. I am committed to using business as a force for heroic good while continuing to study, embody and teach wisdom. And I love making a difference in our optimized community. The benefits? Well, the joy of doing what I'm here to do. Flow, energy, enthusiasm, connection, impact, et cetera. And the number one thing I will do every day to make this happen. My AM one deep work time block Before I go online. I will do my morning rituals and deep work period. As they say all the time. You couldn't pay me to hop online and blow up my brain before doing my creative work. My mind just isn't quite the same after going online. I'm all about accreting a little more value every day and repeating that every day. Allowing the gains to aggregate and compound as the creative power magnifies itself incrementally. It all starts with that first deep work slot every morning. How about you? Three plus one equals magic.
Hey, this is Brian with a quick question for you. Do you know what the word optimize literally means? It's from the Latin optimus, which means the best. In our case, we're talking about helping you create the best version of you. So another quick question. What's the best version of you look like? How does that version of you show up in the world? Helping you be that version of yourself all day, every day is what our Optimize membership program is all about. Now, we obviously give away a ton of content for free and we give our 10,000 plus premium members a ton more members get hundreds of Philosopher's notes, which are 20 minute book summaries that help you apply the best big ideas from the best optimal living books to your life today. Plus members get dozens of hour long optimal living 101 masterclasses. More Wisdom in less time for your busy life on everything from the science of setting and achieving goals, how to optimize your energy via the fundamentals of nutrition, movement, sleep and meditation, and how to be super productive day in and day out. While of course enjoying the whole process. Every facet of your life optimized equals you at your absolute best.
