Matthew Biswas
MDI Contributor
Across North America, schoolchildren and parents face the new school year and everything that comes with it. Autumn means going back to class and embracing forgotten routines and habits. The fall is jampacked with morning alarms, packed lunches, dividing up the pickup and drop-off schedule, shuffling across the neighborhood for extracurricular activities, music lessons, sports tryouts/practices, choir practices, volunteering, etc.
September also signals the final few months of 2024. Many of us look back on the year and wonder where did it go? What happened to all the changes I was planning to make? The new outlook, new body, new hobbies, new habits. Don’t worry – there’s still time.
The back-to-school season presents a perfect opportunity for men to reassess their habits and set the stage for achieving their business, fitness, and personal goals in 2024.
Come back to class with me as we compress the principles of Mentor Discover Inspire (MDI) and draw insights from experts that my team and I have reviewed over the past year. You can make this fall “term” a turning point for lasting change.
So class is in!
Home Room:
Embrace the Power of Tiny Habits – James Clear, in Atomic Habits, emphasizes that success is built on small, consistent actions. Clear’s mantra is getting 1 percent better every day.
- Forget about setting goals. Build a system that makes your habit easy. Want to get more exercise?
- Have your gym clothes ready.
- Exercise at the same time – no matter how long or how short – just get there, get started.
- Build identity-based habits – also known as “Act as If,” live inside the identity of the person who has habits like you:
- Writers write every dayMusicians practiceLeaders are readers
- etc.
- You can skip a habit one day – you can’t skip two.
Home Room is where you start the journey of new habits. Get 1 percent better every day, and the December report card will be what you were looking for.
Phys Ed Class:
Discovery: Optimize Your Brain and Body – Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman offers valuable insights into science formation and habit elimination and how the process of brain rewiring works.
To improve the chances of adopting and maintaining a new habit, one should perform it in the first phase of the day, which lasts for zero to eight hours after waking.
Huberman suggests the following activities after waking to maximize your body and brain power:
- Cold exposure – cold showers, short walks in cold temps with minimal clothing, etc.
- Access to sunlight – 5 to 10 minutes is enough to kick-start your brain.
- Reasonable amounts of caffeine – read that again.
- Exercise – key to a healthy appetite, sound sleep and so much more.
Once your body is primed – you can take on a new habit.
Huberman suggests that the second phase of the day, 8 to 16 hours after waking is the best time to improve an existing habit e.g. playing an instrument, skills improvement, etc.
Whether you are trying to learn a new skill or quit a destructive habit, do not overlook the link between your body and your ability to make changes in your habits.
Recess:
Connection: Enhance Social Interactions – Vanessa Van Edwards, in her book Captivate, provides strategies for improving social interactions that can be applied both in business and personal life. The “new school year” is a great opportunity to enhance your connections with others. The tactics for stronger business, social, family, and romantic connections are similar. Van Edwards suggests:
- Embrace your imperfections – don’t try to force your way into the cool kid’s table in the cafeteria. Be where you can be the most comfortable.
- Don’t be a conversational narcissist.
- Don’t have one-sided conversations – all about you!
- Don’t interrupt – If they won’t stop talking, consider saying goodbye versus forcing your way into their monologue.
- Find genuine ways to gush about people, not gossip about them.
- Use your hands – hands are trust indicators as only robots keep their hands to their sides.
As the leaves fall, plenty of opportunities come up to meet new people. Whether it’s other parents at karate lessons or a conference or cultural events such fall fairs, film festivals, etc. Van Edwards has lots of tips on how to make social situations ripe for new relationships.
After School:
Make This Fall Your Catalyst for Change – The back-to-school season is more than just a return to routine; it’s an opportunity for men to reset, refocus, and realign their habits with their aspirations. By embracing the principles of MDI and learning from experts you can take actionable steps to achieve your business, fitness, and personal goals in 2024.
Let this season be your springboard to a year of growth and fulfillment.