I wanted to share a routine with you that my extremely smart friend, Cal Newport, does that’s extremely corny but also great.

Cal is incredible. He is an aspiring professor who just completed his PhD at MIT and is now completing his post-doc there too. While doing all of this – he was maintaining his popular blog, Study Hacks, and is now on his 3rd book. If anyone knows about productivity and stress – it’s him.

So, a while back he had a post about he drastically reduces work stress with a shutdown ritual.

When he’s done with work for the day, he says his magic phrase, “schedule shutdown, complete.”

I know. I know. Even he was embarrassed to admit it. But there’s a golden nugget for us…

Many people do the worst of their eating late at night, when no one is around, after they already had dinner.

I want you to try a new routine this week. I’ve been experimenting with it for a few months and it’s helping a lot.

As soon as you’re done with dinner, I’d like for you to go to the bathroom and brush your teeth. Even better would be to floss, and use mouth wash as well.

Then before you go back to the kitchen to clean the dishes, log on and submit your feedback.

I promise the dishes will still be there.

By doing this not only are you cleaning your mouth and in essence ‘closing the kitchen’ so to speak but you’ll also be way less likely to eat anything else while you’re cleaning up the kitchen.

Many people eat 3 dinners. While they’re preparing dinner, during dinner and after dinner. This will definitely help with the after dinner eating.

Because your mouth will feel so fresh, you won’t want to eat anything else. You’ll also be less likely to have mouth cravings – which is when you ‘truly’ just want something sweet.

One of the many reasons why MBT works so well is because lying to yourself (and us) is the worst feeling in the world. Of course, if you choose to eat something after submitting your feedback, you’ll feel compelled to report to us. And that’s okay. Honesty is key! But it just adds another barrier to eating.

“Do I really want to eat this?” “Do I really want to email my tutor about this?”

And if you feel like getting all goofy, instead of saying, “schedule shutdown, complete,” how about saying, “feedback is submitted, kitchen is closed!”

Here’s my idea of what the purpose of the mind is:

1. I don’t think our mind was designed to make us worry. I think it was designed to make us fear. There’s a very huge difference between running for your life because a Lion is chasing you (that’s real and warranted fear) and worrying about finishing work on time or worrying about how your kids did on their spelling exam.

2. What is worrying anyway? Worrying is a killer. If I can be frank, it’s a motherf@#$@$!!!! It leads to stress and anxiety, which truly wreaks havoc on our health and well being. Worrying and anxiety is about repeatedly re-experiencing the worst case scenario in advance. What are you worrying about anyway? It didn’t happen yet!

3. I don’t think our mind was designed to think about the same things over and over. At least not thoughts that make us suffer. Or thoughts that impede us from…

4. Thinking of new things! That’s the purpose of the mind, in my very humble opinion. For example, say, I think of a topic for a Daily Inspiration. The old me would’ve acknowledged it and then forgotten about it.

Then, I’d try to remember it and struggle. And then it would come back to me at a weird time. Now, when I think of something productive, I write it down. Boom. Done. Out of my head. Onto the next thing…

5. When I keep thinking about things that hinder my ability to be the best I can be – it’s time to inquire within. Why? What can I do about it? Here’s the key: If I don’t deal with it, It’ll keep haunting me.

6. For example, say, I want to mail a thank you card. But I don’t do anything about it. I don’t add it to my to-do list, I don’t buy a card, nothing. It’s just renting space in my head and bothering me. Not good!

So, now, I just write it down. Boom. It’s done. It’s actionable. I don’t need to worry about it anymore. When thoughts like this are floating around in my head it’s very draining.

7. “You worry about thank you cards?” you wonder. I do. I’m weird. What can I say?

But what about ‘real things’ to worry about. Ask yourself, “What are you afraid of?” Then follow with, “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” These 2 questions alone can you help you tremendously!

8. The purpose of the ‘3 outcomes Section’ on the Daily Feedback is so you don’t have to worry about tasks like mailing out a thank you card. Use it. It works like a charm.

Just pick 3 things that are floating around in your head and write them down so you get them out of your head already. And if they’re not actionable – just plain old things you worry about – go back to number 7 but try not to forget numero uno.

Yes, I know! Big claim in the subject line. But I believe I can deliver. Here it is…

So a monk tells Joshu, “I have just entered the monastery. Please teach me.”

Joshu asked, “Have you eaten your rice porridge?”

The monk replied, “I have eaten.”

Joshu said, “Then you had better wash your bowl.”

At that moment the monk was enlightened.

I love this little story. Because it reminds me to stop thinking so much and just take the next action.

It’s so easy to get caught up in figuring out answers to questions like, “What’s the meaning of life?” and all sorts of other mind-numbing questions.

It’s also so easy to get frustrated and intimidated when we have a long journey ahead of us.

When something seems overwhelming – like trying to lose weight – we usually choose choice C: None of the above and do nothing.

Instead, just focus on your very next meal. Your very next workout.

Focus on your very next action, your very next interaction, your very next task.

That’s it. That’s all you can do.

Although you can worry about eating poorly this coming weekend, there’s nothing you can do right now. Except, focus on your very next meal.

When in doubt…just wash the bowl.

Don’t ask questions. Don’t ponder.

Meta-cognition is defined as “cognition about cognition,” or, “knowing about knowing.” What the heck am I talking about you ask?

In other words: it’s thinking about your own thinking.

Some people out there suggest that you should try to control your own thoughts. Trying to control my thoughts seems pretty ridiculous to me though. How can you control your thoughts?

I have no idea. That’s like trying to control the wind. It ain’t happening. Having thoughts is what your mind is for. They just pop up.

But what I do believe we can do is control how we react to our thoughts. Big difference.

Thinking is a beautiful thing. And problems (or suffering) only occur when you get caught up on a particular thought.

Being aware of your own thinking is very valuable.

For example, do you always worry? Do you always assume the worst? Are you overly forgiving of yourself?

There are definite patterns we all have. If you tend to turn hiccups into huge deals and worry (for no reason) realize that’s what you do.

If you obsess over things realize this.

If you’re very forgetful don’t forget that. Ha! (Start writing things down)

The more you can be aware of your own thinking the better off you’ll be.

According to scientists the new crucial skill to making good decisions is the ability to think about your own thinking. Unless you reflect on how you’re making decisions, you won’t be able to use your instincts or gut.

According to psychologist Philip Tetlock the best predictor of good judgment isn’t intuition or experience or intelligence. It’s the willingness to engage in introspection.

Our thinking is extremely faulty. And it’s important you realize this.

Check this:

This game we’re about to play only has one rule. Don’t think about white bears. You can think about anything but white bears. Ready?

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Now banish the animals from your head.

You just lost the game! (It’s okay everyone loses the game.)

That’s what happens. Try to avoid thinking about a white bear and that thing will come to mind every minute. In fact, whenever we try not to think about something, be it ice cream or bears that thing comes to mind. Stuck in our loop of self-consciousness.

Our mind backfires. Our attempts at repressing the thought turn into a fixation.

But being aware of this is the first step – that our mind fixates on things – you can learn to not listen or trust your thoughts. You can realize that your thoughts are just thoughts.

You don’t have to necessarily react to them. You don’t have to believe them. You don’t have to act on them.

Just realizing that’s what our mind does can be hugely helpful.

2 examples:

1. Let’s say a family member doesn’t call you back. You can go into a tail spin of thinking about why they haven’t called you back. You can (and will) create all sorts of stories about what might have happened and the reasons why.

Or – you can just realize that our mind is faulty and creates all sorts of stories and that you shouldn’t believe any of them. In fact, you should just laugh at your thoughts and not pay attention to them because this is what your mind does.

2. You fixate on a certain food. Therefore, you fixate on it even more. Realize your mind is going to torture you. And play tricks on you. Being aware of this helps a lot. “Fine – let me obsess over this piece of food. I know that’s what’s going to happen. But I won’t listen to you mind! Because I know in a little while, I’ll have forgotten all about you!”

Make sense?

Make it a mindful and thoughtful day!