“There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond and to know one’s self.” Benjamin Franklin (Founding Father of the United States)
“6-5-1”. I created this mnemonic a couple years ago as part of a New Year’s resolution. I’m not a fan of resolutions, but at this particular moment, I felt I needed to impart a bit more discipline into my life. You see, I’m a fairly disciplined person. Except when I’m not. I try to eat well, but I like ice cream. I try to get a workout in before work, but cold and dark mornings are my arch enemies. I try to stay engaged in my relationships, but I like my alone time.
My guess is, if you’re honest, I’m a bit like you. We get up, put in a hard day’s work, and hope for the best in between. There are a few things that you do as part of your routine, but routine and discipline are completely different things. Routines are things like brushing your teeth so they don’t turn brown, showering so you don’t smell and eating breakfast so you don’t get hangry before lunch. Discipline, on the other hand, is engaging in things that are hard. Things that take grit and determination. Things that don’t come naturally, you have to work at them.
So, back to my mnemonic, I hear the collective question from my audience, “What in the world is 6-5-1?”
6. Well, the 6 is 6am. Everything goes better when I get up at 6:00am. Remember my cold and dark morning aversion? Well, where I live in Ohio, those 2 attributes coexist for about half the year. The snooze button becomes my best friend during those long winter months and my warm blankets beckon me to stay in bed like a Siren’s song. So, what do I do? I put my phone outside our bedroom in the kitchen. I have to physically get out of bed to shut it off. And, since I’m up, I might as well stay that way. And, since I’m up, I might as well get a workout in. Everything goes better when I get my physical health discipline in before work. Starting my day off right is essential for a productive day.
5. 5 stands for reading 5 pages in a book. I have a commitment to always be learning with the goal of being a better version of myself in both my personal and professional life. What kind of book? Well, I enjoy leadership and investing books, but it really doesn’t matter. What I found is that I typically want to block large swaths of time to read, which ends up not happening in the hustle of work and family life. So, I end up not reading at all. But 5 pages? Anyone can read 5 pages in a few minutes. And, if my math is working correctly, by the time a week is done, you’ve read 35 pages. That can be a few chapters in most books. 35 pages a week is 1,820 pages read in a year. And, with the average book being 250 pages, you can read 7 to 8 books per year. Now, that’s child’s play to some people (like my wife), but to a busy professional with a family? That’s a ton. My commitment to learning happens 5 pages at a time.
1. For those who’ve been following me for some time, you know that my faith is important to me. And, if that’s true, then I need to have a discipline to connect spiritually with God each day. 1 stands for 1 chapter in the Bible. For others, this could be 1 chapter in faith book that guides you such as the Qu’ran or the Book of Mormon. I’ve found that centering my life around a higher power that can lead, guide and direct me through the hard times has been an integral piece of my daily disciplines. Reading 1 chapter per day in my Bible helps me stay grounded and reminds me of how blessed I am.
6-5-1. Simple, though not easy. The discipline to make these 3 things happen each day is real. And, I’m human. I mess up. I get busy or tired and I fail. Sometimes I fail at just one of them, sometimes I fail at all 3 in one day. But, I’m reminded I can start again tomorrow. I try not to beat myself up about it. I try to offer myself grace and try harder next time.
Routines are easy. Discipline is hard. It’s uncomfortable. But, if you’re committed to a better version of yourself, it’s entirely necessary.
If you can do it once, you might be able to do it ten times. And if you can do it ten times, it might become a habit that you can do again and again. 6-5-1 is fairly normal to me now. Borderline easy. But, disciplines are meant to be hard. So, as I set my sights on the year to come, I may think through additional disciplines I can work into my life to make me better.
Do the work. Make your own mnemonic. Can’t think of one? Use mine. 6-5-1. Get healthy. Learn. Connect. Lead.
And live on purpose today.
