High Performance Habits – 25 Years in 5 Min
For vitality, I did the unthinkable from my former hustle and grinder self. I took 3 days off at a meditation retreat a few days before the event. I felt so refreshed coming back.
My daily 2 hour meditation practice did wane down to an hour (didn’t beat myself up though) and I did have some super late nighters (I swear its my ADHD), but overall, I kept up on continuing my workouts, eating well, and not working harder when I needed rest.
So instead of being a hot, frantic mess days before the event, there was ease. Those two words “event” and “ease” were never in the same sentence before.
Deep Focus from Distraction
For vitality, I did the unthinkable from my former hustle and grinder self. I took 3 days off at a meditation retreat a few days before the event. I felt so refreshed coming back.
My daily 2 hour meditation practice did wane down to an hour (didn’t beat myself up though) and I did have some super late nighters (I swear its my ADHD), but overall, I kept up on continuing my workouts, eating well, and not working harder when I needed rest.
So instead of being a hot, frantic mess days before the event, there was ease. Those two words “event” and “ease” were never in the same sentence before.
3 Ways to *Actually* Build Habits in 2026
For vitality, I did the unthinkable from my former hustle and grinder self. I took 3 days off at a meditation retreat a few days before the event. I felt so refreshed coming back.
My daily 2 hour meditation practice did wane down to an hour (didn’t beat myself up though) and I did have some super late nighters (I swear its my ADHD), but overall, I kept up on continuing my workouts, eating well, and not working harder when I needed rest.
So instead of being a hot, frantic mess days before the event, there was ease. Those two words “event” and “ease” were never in the same sentence before.
Before You Set 2026 Goals . . .
For vitality, I did the unthinkable from my former hustle and grinder self. I took 3 days off at a meditation retreat a few days before the event. I felt so refreshed coming back.
My daily 2 hour meditation practice did wane down to an hour (didn’t beat myself up though) and I did have some super late nighters (I swear its my ADHD), but overall, I kept up on continuing my workouts, eating well, and not working harder when I needed rest.
So instead of being a hot, frantic mess days before the event, there was ease. Those two words “event” and “ease” were never in the same sentence before.
Finding Peace Under Pressure – (Leading Beyond Fear Part 3)
For vitality, I did the unthinkable from my former hustle and grinder self. I took 3 days off at a meditation retreat a few days before the event. I felt so refreshed coming back.
My daily 2 hour meditation practice did wane down to an hour (didn’t beat myself up though) and I did have some super late nighters (I swear its my ADHD), but overall, I kept up on continuing my workouts, eating well, and not working harder when I needed rest.
So instead of being a hot, frantic mess days before the event, there was ease. Those two words “event” and “ease” were never in the same sentence before.
3 Ways to Train Your Brain for Equanimity (Lead Beyond Fear Part 2/3)
For vitality, I did the unthinkable from my former hustle and grinder self. I took 3 days off at a meditation retreat a few days before the event. I felt so refreshed coming back.
My daily 2 hour meditation practice did wane down to an hour (didn’t beat myself up though) and I did have some super late nighters (I swear its my ADHD), but overall, I kept up on continuing my workouts, eating well, and not working harder when I needed rest.
So instead of being a hot, frantic mess days before the event, there was ease. Those two words “event” and “ease” were never in the same sentence before.
Lead Beyond Fear: Without Burning Out
For vitality, I did the unthinkable from my former hustle and grinder self. I took 3 days off at a meditation retreat a few days before the event. I felt so refreshed coming back.
My daily 2 hour meditation practice did wane down to an hour (didn’t beat myself up though) and I did have some super late nighters (I swear its my ADHD), but overall, I kept up on continuing my workouts, eating well, and not working harder when I needed rest.
So instead of being a hot, frantic mess days before the event, there was ease. Those two words “event” and “ease” were never in the same sentence before.
Master Relaxation to Perform Higher
For vitality, I did the unthinkable from my former hustle and grinder self. I took 3 days off at a meditation retreat a few days before the event. I felt so refreshed coming back.
My daily 2 hour meditation practice did wane down to an hour (didn’t beat myself up though) and I did have some super late nighters (I swear its my ADHD), but overall, I kept up on continuing my workouts, eating well, and not working harder when I needed rest.
So instead of being a hot, frantic mess days before the event, there was ease. Those two words “event” and “ease” were never in the same sentence before.
3 Secrets to Success: Staying in the Zone
Ever notice how when you’re in the zone, you can accomplish anything? But how do you turn on that “flow” like a button?
Here are 3 Secrets of Success to Stay “In the Zone”
1. Music
Nothing unblocks the brain better than syncing brain waves with music. When I need to focus, I put on baroque music.
Frederic Patenaude writes how Baroque music, such as that composed by Bach, Handel or Telemann, creates an atmosphere of focus that leads your brain into deep concentration in the alpha brain wave state. Learning, memorizing, or reading to this music is highly effective.
On the flip side of cultivating more quiet focused “yin energy”, if you’ve got more yang energy, try dance music. When I’m feeling scattered, I play Eye of the Tiger or something to get me super pumped and clear out that yang energy. I have a dance playlist I bust out if need be!
Scientifically, getting blood and oxygen flowing to your brain better circulates any blocked toxins or energy in your system. It allow your nervous system to flip from a fight or flight sympathetic mode to the “rest and digest” parasympathetic mode where you more easily focus and get stuff done!
Action: Create a dance playlist that will get you pumped up and ready to go! If that occurs as hard, then simply pick a few of your favorite songs. On my google play, I have a radio station for baroque and a playlist for dance music. Now with online stations like Google Play, Pandora, or Spotify–you can create a playlist in seconds.
2. Morning Ritual
As your brain wakes up from sleeping, the first (and last) 30 minutes of your day have a more powerful impact than any other time of the day. Why? Because by default, your brain generally wakes up in the alpha wave state–the optimum state for focus, relaxation, and creativity.
I have tested this concept for years purposefully starting off with what I know I shouldn’t like work email, facebook feeds, and responding to app notifications. Then I compare those days with other days where I start with exercise, reading spiritual or business books, or mindful eating. My ritual varies over the weeks, but typically go through 30 day sprints of different rituals depending on what my body and soul needs.
The result of my testing? I’ve discovered what works best is a minimum of 1 hour of spiritual time with myself first before I eat or work. I’m the only person I’ll ever end up always being with as long as I live, so it’s important to make time for myself first and cultivate my relationship with my soul (or true self, source, higher power, god, universe–whatever name fits best for you!)
Action: Test what works best for you! Track it each day for at least 1 week, but ideally 3-4 weeks to see your patterns. Then notice how whatever morning activity you picked, plays out on your performance and productivity for the rest of the day.
Warning! Watch out for 2 night time temptations that will serious impact your morning ritual. (Remember, your morning ritual really begins at night so be sure to create your bedtime ritual as well.) Those 2 nighttime temptations are:
- Screen time: I have the program Flux installed on all my computers that naturally mimics the sun in my computer screen, taking away blue light (that keeps your brain active instead of slowing down to alpha waves with the fall of nighttime). So if I’m accidentally on my laptop later at night, I’m still able to get sleep without any blue light trying to trick my brain to staying up.
- Eating: It takes 2 hours for your tummy to digest food. I always make sure to eat any last snacks or food at least 2 hours prior to bedtime
If I simply follow good habits for screen time and eating before my bedtime between 9:30 pm – 9:45 pm, I pop up with lots of energy between 5:30 am – 6am. That’s right, no coffee, no alarm clock. Just natural energy like a child.
HOWEVER, if I miss that window by a mere 15 minutes, I’m lucky to bounce out of bed by 6:15am and usually find myself groggy. Especially as you age, creating CONSISTENT rituals and routines becomes more and more critical to having your morning ritual work for you. Not to mention optimizing your health as you age.
3. Moving Meditation
I don’t know about you, but I cannot SIT STILL long enough to meditate. Yes, I’ve attended silent retreats where you sit still meditating for 4 hours at 4am or been in silence for several days, and I can adapt and learn that. However, coming out of a retreat, it’s simply not practical to sit for hours each day in my normal living.
Luckily, I found Body and Brain Yoga–a yoga practice based on the Tao–a 4000 year old philosophy grounded in harmonizing yin and yang energy of oneself with nature.
Basically, I’ve coined the term “moving meditations” as mindful exercises designed to circulate your chi or life energy, as well as your blood and oxygen which naturally clears out toxins, blocks, and pain in your body.
I highly recommend this awesome free app called “1 minute change” that gives you 1 minute exercises you can do each hour to break up the monotony your body faces staring at a screen or sitting. The difference with these exercises versus regular ones is that it’s mindful instead of results focused. So success is not based on what you accomplish but how you feel at the end. Is your brain is in a more alpha state that’s calm, focused, and creative? In other words–are you now “in the zone?”
I’ve given myself various challenges: 10 mindful push-ups, 1000 intestinals (kind of like crunches but focused on activating your gut or core with heat by focusing your mind there), 1 minute exercises per hour for 21 days in a row, etc. Find what works for you.
You can stop “accomplishing” exercises (still ego based) and instead allow each 1 minute exercise to nourish your soul. Instead of treating my body like a machine to take care of that are separate from my mind, these exercises allow you to mindfully integrate your brain with your body as one, resulting in a much more calm and present state.
Now What?
Next time you need to focus in your business, especially when you really don’t feel like it–you really can turn on being “in the zone” like a button. Just experiment with these 3 Secrets to Success to Staying In the Zone: music, morning ritual, or moving meditation. Track your patterns and discover what will work best for you!
Stay tuned for next week when I reveal more on creating your Mojo Checklist–a surefire tool to keep you on track with accomplishing what’s aligned with your greater vision for yourself and the world WHILE boosting your ability to stay in the zone.
Higher levels of performance for anyone?
Anna S. Choi helps conscious businesses and social entrepreneurs attract more clients through her signature program The Client Accelerator for Conscious Entrepreneurs. She takes clients from scattered marketing approaches to an intentional strategic marketing plan. If you’re interested in gaining focus, clarity, accountability in a community of conscious entrepreneurs, please watch this free training video on attracting clients or join her email list.
How to Face Fears and Stay Bright No Matter the Outcome of the US Election Day
Today is the US election day. Regardless of the outcome, will you be like this or this?
What future will you create?
What a perfect opportunity to practice being bright and choosing light over being anxious.
It’s easy to be bright when all is well in the world.
But how do you be bright when you feel stressed or weighed down by what’s happening in the world?
One way is simply to not watch the news. Turn all devices off. Go be with your family, spend time in nature, or meditate alone.
However, shutting things out entirely may not address an essential skill to learn given humans, well, must interact with other humans one way or another.
It misses the opportunity to build up your ability or muscle to be with the hard things in life powerfully–to surf in the tsunami of life.
It’s easy to be bright when all is well in the world.
But how do you be bright when you feel stressed or weighed down by what’s happening in the world?
One way is simply to not watch the news. Turn all devices off. Go be with your family, spend time in nature, or meditate alone.
However, shutting things out entirely may not address an essential skill to learn given humans, well, must interact with other humans one way or another.
It misses the opportunity to build up your ability or muscle to be with the hard things in life powerfully–to surf in the tsunami of life.
What if you could be your greatest hero and face the fear head-on?
And yes, even love the fear?
Often, our fear comes in the form of a friend or loved one with opposing views or beliefs.
While one method is simply to avoid triggering or taboo conversations to maintain the peace, what if you could use it as an opportunity? What a superpower that could be!
Consider that
1) every human share the experience of being human
2) we all live on our precious planet earth, and
3) we live in a world with many diverse beliefs and behaviors–allowing, facing, and embracing fear is an essential skill in today’s world.
How else will we learn?
Here’s a simple exercise to help you stay grounded when anxious, stressed, or fearful of another with seemingly opposing values.
Often, our fear comes in the form of a friend or loved one with opposing views or beliefs.
While one method is simply to avoid triggering or taboo conversations to maintain the peace, what if you could use it as an opportunity? What a superpower that could be!
Consider that
1) every human share the experience of being human
2) we all live on our precious planet earth, and
3) we live in a world with many diverse beliefs and behaviors–allowing, facing, and embracing fear is an essential skill in today’s world.
How else will we learn?
Here’s a simple exercise to help you stay grounded when anxious, stressed, or fearful of another with seemingly opposing values.
Staying Grounded when Stressed or Fearful
1. Move your body. Do a soul-nourishing movement of your body, yoga, or workout to clear out and purify any stagnant or toxic energy that might be stuck inside.
2. Close your eyes and get into a sitting posture. Take a few deep breaths in and out.
3. Now imagine a bright sun above you pouring down energy and light on you, filling up your whole body.
4. When you charged up energetically, notice who comes up in your imagination. If they are someone that triggers you, picture that person or thing you “hate” you “can’t stand” in front of you neutrally.
5. Now smile and breathe allowing them there. This is the first step of allowing and accepting the fear the way it is and the way it’s not.
**IF YOU MAKE IT THIS FAR THAT’S GREAT!!**
If you feel you have more energy to give continue on; otherwise, rest and begin again the next day to continue building that muscle.
6. Imagine or feel energy pouring into them and send them love and light. Notice how your body, heart, and/or mind feels. Often they will open up and you will feel lighter.
Bonus: Once you’ve mastered this exercise by doing it at least 5x without getting more upset by the end, you can actually attempt to have a loving dialogue with someone of the opposing view. Or not–it’s most important to work with your own fears first.
If you do choose to have an actual dialogue, I’m not going to lie–it can be highly triggering having done it many times myself for the character development of unconditional love.
However, for me, once I energetically recovered from the initial conversations…I was proud and had more courage to start another conversation.
I’m always surprised in the end, how we actually share a lot more in common than I realized.
When they don’t become “the other” and dehumanized, I become the fear itself. When I’m able to dismantle the fear, I’m left in a deeper inquiry of what really matters in life and where will I focus?
What will you choose today? And every moment?
To be in fear and contracted or in love and expanded?
Your body won’t lie. Just put your hands on your belly or chest, and despite what your mind may be rattling off, if you have deep breaths–you are grounded.
Now is the time to practice this skill of allowing and accepting fear–to embrace the fear.
Regardless of what happens in the world, you’ll be equipped with an essential 21st Century skill, unconditional love.
THAT is a superpower worth cultivating for years to come!
***
Anna S. Choi helps growing, six-figure earning, overachieving, conscious business leaders–who are exhausted meeting the demands of their day–prevent burnout as they scale their impact. They want to build habits for staying happy, energized, and focused to perform at their optimum given the demands, complexities, and uncontrollable environments that suck up their energy. Learn more at www.annasunchoi.com.
If you are on a path of making a better version of yourself, you can also read other blog posts that I have published HERE. Or you can contact me, and I will be glad to talk to you and discuss how we can improve your situation.
