The older I get, the more skeptical I get about “one size fits all” solutions.  As humans, we are all just too different.  We are wired individually.  It’s what makes each of us beautiful and interesting.  And it’s why making broad-brush statements about things that work for everyone…hard to swallow.

Don’t get me wrong.  There are certainly best practices.  I promote them all of the time.

But when I see an article touting that everyone should get up at 5 am, I don’t buy it.

I am a morning person.  I enjoy getting up early (often at 5 am).  And I get the benefits of getting more done when no one else is up.  But my wife (who is amazing) is not a morning person.  She is not wired to be.  She will get more done after I go to bed than many people do all day.  If I make her get up at 5 am, she will not be productive….and we will both be miserable!

So while understanding the best practices is important, I think it’s vital to know yourself.

For example, many experts will tell you to work out first thing in the morning.  To me, that always meant rolling out of bed and putting on my running shoes right away.  That is like torture to me.  I would lay out my clothes, set my alarm, and use all of the tricks to get me going.  Then, after a week, I would be miserable and stop.  You can give me all of the hacks, but that “one size fits all solution” did not work for me.

What I found for me was that if I allowed myself to wake up, have two cups of coffee, and maybe write and read something inspiring, I was able to get moving.  As a matter of fact, I was excited to get moving.

It might not have been exactly what the experts say, but it has helped me create a habit I can sustain.

So whether its diet (everyone should eat this) or workouts (do this exercise and be healthy for life), or business (all people need to work from home), I don’t buy the “one size fits all” solution.

Identify what you want to create.  Find the way that best works for you to create it.  Then enjoy the ride in making it happen.

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