Five Super Habits to Build a Winning Attitude.

Dear friends, I hope all of you are having a joyful holiday season and celebrated a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones. As we soon embark on another year, most of us have completed or we are still finalizing our goals for 2024. Whatever may be the case, whether you want to see a new You or wanting to reset, rewire and renew yourself, there is one dimension without which success is incomplete.

I'm talking about the daily disciplines and winning habits. Success habits of outstanding leaders and in life require immense determination, commitment and devotion to the process of each day. The discipline drills, checks and maintains our routines like a perfect system. Without systemization we cannot achieve total integration of personal and professional accomplishments.

Above all this it starts with authentic intentions of practicing gratitude.

As leaders how do you set the tone for a peaceful and purposeful day that aligns with your values and behaviours?

Here I'm sharing 5 super habits of success which builds a winning attitude.

Habit #1: Reflect on The Transient Nature of Life: One of the foundational pillars of this practice is the profound understanding and acknowledgment of the impermanent nature of all things. Every morning before the cacophony, take a moment to immerse yourself in this truth. Find a quiet corner where you can sit undisturbed. Try to find the balance to achieve between calm and alertness. Close your eyes and visualize yourself as a trivial dot within in the grand scheme of things of this universe. This visualization isn't to diminish our significance but to understand the preciousness and brevity of our existence. Understanding life's transient nature serves as a poignant reminder.

Firstly, it underscores the value of each day when we truly grasp how fleeting our time is and how we tend to prioritize what truly matters over trivial distractions and conflicts. Waking up with this mindset prepares you to navigate the day with a deeper sense of purpose. In essence this morning ritual isn't about confronting mortality with fear but embracing the present with love, reverence and action.

Habit #2: Set Daily Intentions Not Goals: While both goals and intentions drive our path, they do so in fundamentally different ways. Goals inherently focus on outcomes, achievements, and results. They provide a destination. While intentions on the other hand throw clarity on the journey. They are present moments that anchor us deeply and are rooted in our values that help us to be the person (leader) we aspire to be daily. This habit at its core emphasizes the distinction between what we can control and what we cannot. Goals often link to external outcomes, may sometimes fall outside our realm of control, and despite our best-efforts unforeseen obstacles can arise and distort our plans. Intentions however reside firmly within our will. They are daily affirmations of our personal values that help us to make a conscious choice of how we wish to navigate the world regardless of external circumstances. As you begin your morning after having cleared your mind through meditation, & self-talk, journaling, etc., reflect on how you wish to experience your day rather than rushing to check-off the tasks to be accomplished. Ask yourself "who do I intend to be today?"

do you intend to be patient, embracing each moment as it comes without rushing?

do you intend to be compassionate, both towards yourself and others? - understanding that everyone is engaging with their own battles.

Perhaps you intend to be courageous, confronting challenges head on and stepping out of your comfort zone?

Write down these intentions. These aren't tasks to be ticked off. They are reminders of the character you aspire to embody. It does not matter what you can endure, but how you bear it. In leadership, intentions become our daily compass in this endeavor they guide our reactions, actions, decisions and behaviors.

More than just passive aspirations they become active choices that shape our day.

By setting daily intentions you are committing not to outcomes but to virtues.

You're not defining success by what you achieve but by how you act, respond and exist in the world. It's a visible shift in your perspective aligning with your intelligence and ensuring that regardless of the day's uncertainty you have a clear vision of your leadership journey.

Habit #3: Journal your thoughts: The act of journaling should be deeply rooted in your leadership and life as a practice. It isn't just about recording events, but it is a deep conversation with oneself. It's an act of introspection, of grounding, and at times of relieving from emotional stress. The very act of translating thoughts to words on paper can be profoundly transformative. Start by choosing a book/journal/diary that resonates with you. This is your 'sacred space' devoid of judgment and bias. It's where your thoughts raw and unfiltered.

Writing about your lingering feelings from the previous day or anticipations about the day ahead, or your reactions, frustrations, etc., helps clear mental clutter much like sweeping the courtyard of fallen leaves.

Next step is to shift your focus to gratitude in the medley of life. It's easy to get enmeshed in what we lack or what we desire, but journaling teaches us the value of appreciation for the present. Encourage yourself to list three things you're truly grateful for, whether it's the warmth of your blanket a loved one's smile or the mere privilege of waking up to a new day. Beyond gratitude, delve into self-reflection. Ponder on a on a personal challenge or ask yourself questions:

Am I living in alignment with my values?

where did I act out of anger?

This isn't an exercise in self-criticism, but rather one of self-awareness and growth. Lastly set an intention for the day through your journal.

Write down a simple affirmation or commitment based on your personal virtues. This serves as your moral compass guiding your actions and decisions throughout the day.

Remember your Journal is a mirror reflecting your inner world. it's a tool.

Habit #4: Practice mindfulness and meditation: While mindfulness may hail from different cultural roots, ancient Greece and Eastern traditions, they converge beautifully in their focus on living a centered-purposeful life. As a leader you need to be attuned to the nature of the present moment so that you can see things with absolute clarity and know everything about your environment - culture, teams and people.

Most leaders get disturbed not by the sudden events, but by their views and negative impressions (of the events) they set in their minds. The importance of our perceptions and the power of silence in the present moment, which I have emphasized in my previous letters are crucial to this practice.

Mindfulness is about grounding yourself in the 'here and now'. It serves as an anchor to the current moment when your mind wanders. It brings our attention back to our breath without judgment. The key here is detachment. You are the observer not the participant. This practice aligns fluidly with the emphasis on distinguishing between events and our judgments about them.

Remember this helps in guiding your actions and reactions for the day. Incorporating mindfulness and meditation into your morning routine is more than a calming ritual. It's a staunch practice in recognizing and cherishing the present and cultivating a mental fortress of equanimity against the uncertainties of life.

Habit #5: Practice acceptance of fate: In the vast mosaic of many teachings lies a golden principle - deeply profound yet simple. This is not a call to surrender passively. Rather you as a leader can embrace courageously of whatever life brings, be it joy or sorrow, triumph or tribulations. Every morning as the sun ushers in a new day we are also greeted by the uncertainties of life. Plans might go astray, hopes might be subdued, or unforeseen challenges might emerge. It's in these moments that this principle invites us to not merely accept but to wholeheartedly perceive carefully whatever comes our way.

Imagine for a moment the freedom and liberation that this perspective offers. As leaders when we are faced with adversity, sometimes we crackdown and cringe. Instead of lamenting why is this happening to me, you might change your narrative and ask, "how can I grow from this? "Such a shift doesn't trivialize the weight of hardships rather it illuminates on the lessons and the strengths that emerge from them.

Remember what stops your way, becomes your way. Every event no matter how trifling, is seen as an opportunity to grow in our lives. It's an empowering reminder that we are not mere puppets of fate but active participants who possess the skill to transform every challenge into an opportunity for growth, wisdom and gratitude.

As you start your day carry this with you let it be your 'inner GPS' guiding you through storms, and with gratitude forward. This practice isn't about suppressing emotions or adopting a life of austerity. It's about understanding the nature of existence, focusing on what's within our control and cultivating an inner reservoir of balance and peace.

While these five practices offer a structured path for you to lead with consciousness, courage and mindfulness, let them be fluid in your life, adapting and evolving to your personal needs.

So, which one of these will you incorporate in your daily routine? I would be eager to read in the comments down below.

Daily renewal of our commitment is essential to live with awareness, intention and virtue. The true essence of learning is not just in understanding but in embodying and living the wisdom.

I hope these practices resonated with your inner core somewhere. I'm thankful for you joining me in this journey of conscious leadership transformation, and until the next edition in January'24, immerse in these practices and let them transform your mornings days and ultimately your life.

Wishing all of you a very joyful and a prosperous 2024 new year!

Warm wishes,

Zavahir Dastoor