Transcription
I'm delighted to welcome you to this lesson, and this lesson is called "Be a Freak." You're gonna say, "Robin, what are you? Where are you going with this one?" Well, when it comes to peerless productivity and pushing masterwork into the world, and stripping out all the noise so you can hear the signal, it's absolutely important that you are contrarian. It is absolutely important that you are unorthodox. It's absolutely important that you operate and run your days like most people don't. You know that to have the results only five percent of the population has, you've got to be willing to do what ninety-five percent of the population are unwilling to do.
In this lesson, I'm going to walk you through eight specific tactics so that you get enormous value, so that you really do strip out all the complexity and you hone in on simplicity, and you do real work that moves the needle and allows you to be a superstar in your field and live a balanced life with soul, versus just being busy being busy.
So, tactic number one is: Say No. A lot. Most people, as simple as it sounds, they are people of "yes" versus masters of "no." We are tribal. We are designed neurobiologically to stay within the herd. When we stray from the herd, red flags go up within us because many, many years ago, if we'd stray from the herd, we would be killed. We would be killed by warring tribes, we would starve, we would run into trouble. And so now, we are tribal. We are members of the herd. We do what everyone else does. But tactic number one is: learn to say no a lot. Because most people, someone says, "Would you like to come to dinner tonight?" "Would you like to go to a social function?" "Would you like to accept this work project?" "Would you like to go to a football game tonight?" And the majority are so afraid of conflict and being disliked, because of that ancient architecture of herdism, that they always say yes, even if they know no is a better option. So start to get to a place where you get comfortable saying no to people, so that you have the time and the energy and the space to say yes to the few things that are most important. Really important point: get used to saying no to people. Someone says, "Would you like a new client?" Say no, if, if because you might not be able to serve your current clients. Someone says, "Would you like to come out for cocktails on the weekend?" Weekend, no. I promised myself I was going to go to the gym. If someone says, "Would you like to come to lunch?" but you're at work and you're focused on a project, learn to say no. And it is so rare. It's almost a symptom of freakism to say no to people, even social engagement. Most people say yes to every wedding invitation, yes to every party, yes to every anniversary. You can change the world, or you can be liked by everyone. You don't get to do both. So number one: get used to saying no. And the more you do it, like it's like anything, we get great at what we practice the most. Say no to things that are not your highest priority, so you can say a giant yes to the few things that will get you to your Mount Everest.
Secondly, avoid doing things at the times that most people do common things. Most people grocery shop Saturday mornings when the crowds are at their highest. Most people go for lunch at noon. Most people drive to the office at 7:30 or 8. Most people go to watch a film on a Friday night at 9 o'clock. Most people go to dinner at the same time. Most people are doing the same things at the same time. So tactic number two is: to avoid doing things at the times that most people do them. It's going to free up an enormous amount of time. Maybe do your grocery shopping at a 24-hour grocery store. Maybe work out at a 24-hour gym. Maybe drive to the office at 4:30. Maybe miss the afternoon commute and drive home at nine o'clock. Just start to think about when you could do things at different times compared to when most people do them. Yes, you will be a bit of a freak, but that's what it takes to be the most productive person in your neighborhood.
Tactic number three: Most people love entertainment, and they spend many hours every day watching videos. Often the videos are superficial, and they've been designed by social media companies to hook you, to addict you, so that you can't take your eyes off of it. They know what they're doing. And things like reading a book, things like working on a piece of masterwork, things like spending time with your family in a deep conversation, things like writing in a journal, things like doing push-ups, those are not as dazzling. They're not as shiny, toy-ish. They're not as sensational. So they're easy not to do. So tactic number three is: shift from spending a lot of time chasing entertainment and focusing much more time on education. Did you know that when you read and when you learn, you actually release dopamine? That neurochemical that gives you inspiration. So by reading more, you're not only going to upgrade your skills, you're going to feel more inspired, you're going to feel happier. And from a spiritual point of view, we all have that primal hero that rests at our core, and we know that we know when we are betraying our promise. We know that when we are wasting time. And nothing is worse than the pain of potential unexpressed. The more we do work that uses our gifts, the more we live our lives in a way that honors our primal heroism, the more we respect and represent what we ultimately want to stand for, the more energy we'll have, the more happiness we'll have, which will make us even more productive.
Tactic number four is: to invest in world-class tools. When I see some people operating, let's say I work with an organization, I'll see a lot of people wishing to be virtuosos of their field but having cheap tools. And I think one of the ways towards peerless productivity is investing in the best tools you can possibly get. I would say, and here's something really think about: cheap costs more. I remember one person saying, "Oh, I always buy cheap watches," but they ended up buying a new watch every year. It's better to buy a high-quality watch that will last you 50 years. And while you're wearing it, it's a piece of art on your wrist that makes you feel better. Because if you want to push world-class into the world, you really need to experience world-class. If you've not been to a great restaurant, if you've not stayed in a nice hotel room, if you've not experienced what world-class feels like and looks like, then how can you operate at a standard of world-class? And that's why it is worth saving up and staying in a beautiful hotel room at a great hotel. It is worthwhile to have the best tools you could possibly afford, because then you're going to feel, it's not only you'll have tools that allow you to push craftsmanship or craftspersonship into the world, but it's the way you feel. Years ago, I remember reading a book called "The Magic of Thinking Big," and one of the chapters was "Go Through Life First Class." And that had a really powerful impact on me. I don't come from a family of wealth. I come from very simple beginnings. I grew up in a place where it's like a fishing town. But that idea of going through life, world-class, is very powerful. Because if you have the best tools that you can afford, if you drive the best car that you could possibly afford, if you wear the best clothes you can possibly afford, even if you go to the best hotel in your favorite city and sit in the cafe and have a coffee, the environment will lift your spirits, and it will reorganize the way you see the world and how you feel about yourself. Powerful idea: your income always represents your self-identity. So the more you can feel like a hero and someone that's world-class and something that's deserving of the best, the more you will actually behave that way in your outer world.
Tactic number five is: to live the IPOP principle. IPOP is simply: Input Positivity, Output Positivity. It's very easy to get caught up in watching the news. It's very easy to be around negative relatives. It's very easy to have a messy work environment. It's very easy to be around toxic friends. It's very easy to follow people on social media who are superficial and put people down, and they're really not representing the highest of values. Here's the key idea: if you want to really upgrade your productivity, remember whatever you input into your system, into your mind, into your heart, into your body, into your spirit, that's what you get out. So I want you to take the time to think through what are your inputs? Are you reading celebrity magazines? Are you watching or following influencers? It's all about where they're eating and gossip. Look at your friends. Ask yourself, "When I'm with this person," here's a great question, "When I'm with this person, do they upgrade my joy, or do they bring me down?" And you know what? You can't live your finest life. You can't do amazing work. You can't be ultra-productive. You can't be an everyday hero if you're surrounded by people who always bring you down.
Tactic number six, one of my favorite ones. I'm going to say it again to reinforce it: morning routine, and especially starting your day with a strong workout. If you want to get more done, you absolutely cannot miss out on installing the habit of getting up, especially getting up early. Getting up, and the first thing you do is you put on your running shoes, or you start skipping, or you start doing your yoga, or swimming, or you know, spinning, or even just walking through a forest or around the neighborhood. It will create that pharmacy of mastery for you. It'll increase metabolic function. It'll activate your highest cognition. It will extend your life. It will reduce inflammation. It will make you think better and feel stronger. I really encourage you, as your mentor in the Everyday Hero Manifesto method, to install the habit of getting up early and doing a workout, even if it's only 20 minutes.
Tactic number seven is: to avoid the energy vampires and to delete the dream stealers. I was sort of hinting about this two tactics ago. It is so important to have the discipline to, I'll put it to you this way: reason, season, lifetime. And you're saying, "Robin, what does that mean?" Well, I would suggest to you that some people come into your life for a reason, and some people come into your life for a season, and some people will be with you an entire lifetime. And if you are on a path of continuous daily growth, which I know you are, then you are going to consistently be outgrowing your peers, your friends, even significant others. Then you're gonna say, "Robin, does that mean I have to never talk to my mother again because she's negative?" Or my my uncle? Or maybe it's even your husband, wife, significant other? And I would suggest to you, maybe the answer is yes. Maybe they are so toxic, they're always bringing you down, they're putting you down, they don't see the best in you, they don't get you. Every time you say, "Here's a new business I'll start," and "Here's a new project I'll launch," "Here's a new travel I'll take," and "Here's a new dream I'll follow," they don't support you, and they don't encourage you, and they tell you the reasons. They give you a litany of reasons why you're going to fail. Well, we know that's about them, it's not about you. You can certainly get it done. But I have to ask you, why do you want those people in your life? And if it is a family member, then maybe it's going to be selective association, rather than seeing them or talking to them every day. Talk to them once a week, once every two weeks, once a month. It's really important, though, to release the energy vampires from your life and to delete the dream stealers. Because in many ways, peerless productivity is about protecting your inspiration. In many ways, being the most productive person you know, so that you honor your humanity and your gifts and your talents and your highness and your specialness, is about protecting your hope and insulating your fearlessness. And in my life, I am so careful to have in my circle only people who understand me, who are also growing, who operate at the highest of ethics, and who don't drown me in their negativity. So I really want you to think about this key idea, because it's very, very important.
And then tactic number eight for peerless productivity is: apply the micro-win philosophy. I've been teaching this idea for two decades. Small daily improvements, when done consistently over time, lead to stunning results. The great companies of the world didn't do it by revolutionizing one thing that they did one day that made them dominant in their industry. It was through evolution, small little optimizations and iterations and commitment to excellence, and then taking a product and saying, "Okay, how can we make it better?" It's really the process of relentless daily incrementalism that creates magic. And even in our personal lives, it's the one percent, what I call the one percent wins, when done consistently over time, that will either take you to an absolutely world-class life in everyday heroism, or to mediocrity, apathy, and pain. Because I think nothing so breaks a human heart than getting to the last day of your life and realizing you betrayed your potential, you didn't live your fullness, you didn't demonstrate heroism, and you didn't leave the world better than you found it.
So those are eight tactics to help you rise significantly in your productivity in a world where we are literally overwhelmed by technology and noise and things to do, where we really miss out on what's most important. And I really want you to be thoughtful around the few things and the few tactics that will really allow you to live your promise. And that's a great thing for the world. It's a great thing for yourself. And it's a great thing, I think, from a spiritual level, to honor the force that rules the world and to honor the universe, because you've been invested with gifts. And I think it's really powerful for you to live those gifts.