Master The Basics

This is a concept you’ve heard your entire life but hopefully, this different perspective on it adds the reasoning you need to take it more seriously. 

Any high performer will tell you that in order to reach great heights you need to master the basics. Those who are dedicated to the fundamentals build a strong infrastructure that can support the rest of their life. But on top of that, and what a lot of people overlook about the fundamentals, it’s not just about maintaining the way that things are… Mastering the basics is the best mechanism for growth.

That’s because fundamentals are dynamic. They’re not something that you’re meant to rinse and repeat exactly the same each time. As you get more reps in with the basics, you find ways to increase them, elevate them, and hold yourself to a higher standard within them. The basics relate to the foundational activities you need to get done, that must not be neglected. What that definition misses is that the extent of those activities is variable.

For example, one of the basics might be to do your morning routine, non-negotiable. Isn’t it possible that you could elevate your morning routine so that it becomes more intense, more beneficial, and higher quality? When you elevate the basics, what you’re doing is elevating the foundation that everything else rests upon, helping you reach higher heights but with the focus still being on the fundamentals.

I call this concept “raising your baseline”. With a raised baseline you create a better, improved normal. You come to expect more of yourself, you strive to become more of yourself, and when you do have “bad days”, they’re not so bad because you’re falling down to a higher platform.

Doing the right things is just the first step. It’s how we do things that makes all the difference. And as it relates to the basics, it’s a lifelong pursuit to always increase the quality of how you show up to the fundamentals of life.

To wrap this up, let me share a perspective from a mentor, Brian Johnson with Heroic. He says that it’s hard to have a bad day when you complete the 3 most important things in your energy, productivity, and love. That’s what prioritizing the basics can do for you, and no one is beyond it. So embrace it and make sure you’re staying consistent with what’s most important!

If you need a refresh on the basics, to implement the ones you’ve been missing, or you're ready to take your fundamentals to a consistently higher level, you'll want to check this out!