RTG: Respect The Grind
Four days after I started a ‘power week’, Friday was a day where I tried to push away from the grind. Unproductivity. Tiredness. Respect the grind.
The grind. The work ethic. The determination.
The process.
For those playing the long game, this concept is key to perspective.
It’s something I’ve grown to love.
It allows me to enjoy myself whilst still understanding that work needs to be done and targets met.
Monday — wake up at 7:30am
Tuesday — 7am
Wednesday — 8am
Thursday — 6am
This was the forming of a ‘power week’. Not letting my foot off the gas and working hard throughout the day and having the nights to relax.
Today. I failed to respect the grind. Returned to old tendencies and felt the consequences.
Yes. It’s a way of life. However, adaptation to the mechanics of the grind is harder than it may seem.
Yesterday, I woke up at 6am. Attended the conference from 8am-6pm. Had an osteopath appointment at 7:15pm. But most importantly didn’t yawn once. I wasn’t remotely tired.
It’s important to mention that the above schedule is a relatively recent adoption. It’s not established nor is it old practice.
It’s the forming of a new, positive habit.
After my appointment, I met Ollie for drinks and a drive around. The last time I was probably going drive his car. We explored Central London including Buckingham Palace and drove alongside Embankment and Canary Wharf.
It’ll be sad to not drive the car that took us a thousand miles across Wales for charity last year.
I got in at 1am Friday morning.
If I was to keep up the latest time that I had awoken across the week, I’d get seven hours of sleep.
I didn’t set an alarm. Mistake one.
Mistake two came when I finally woke up but didn’t leave my bed.
All other four times, I was up within seconds.
My grind in the morning starts with dynamic movement and positive habits such as not snoozing and getting up and out of bed almost immediately.
Mistake three came as I exited the shower and spent too much time on my phone.
Missing any opportunity for a good, hearty breakfast before university.
I had all the time in the world. I wasted it.
I attended lecture, half-asleep and progressively getting more and more lethargic across the day.
I yawned with friends and during meetings. Not because I was uninterested but I could feel the lack of productivity creeping in.
Mistake four came much later when I got home.
I laid in my bed. Tired and yawning with more frequency.
I feel asleep.
It was the epitome of a day of tiredness.
I still feel tired now.
The other four days I didn’t need a nap — just a tea here and there.
I will stipulate the body needs rest.
The grind accounts for that. It’s not always about work on your professional goals but personal ones too.
I don’t feel so awake right now.
I should probably get on with some work to be able to fix that.
I didn’t respect the grind today. My body, my mind is paying the price.
The process. The motivation to get better cannot be done half-heartedly.
Lesson learned today, well and truly.