Do you want to be happy? Have a bit more control of your emotions? Think Install/Delete Algorithms

We need to dig deeper into creating behaviors within your “Big 3” area of life Energy/Athletics 2) Work/School 3)Relationships. But, before we talk about installing these new habits/behaviors, we have to realize that everything we do, and everything we think, are based on habits that we have either consciously or unconsciously installed to run our lives. Think about it, when you wake up in the morning and what is the first thing you do? I’m guessing you have a routine your practice every day. Spending an extra five or ten minutes lying in bed is a habit, just as it is a habit to jump out of bed and start doing push-ups to get your body moving. I’ll be that whatever you do is so ingrained in your daily process that you don’t even think of these behaviors as habits.

If you get hurt, then you may have the unconscious response of tears. If you feel happy, then you smile. If you make a mistake on the field, then you may lash out and blame a teammate. Your teammate might make the same exact mistake and get down on himself, while another teammate may make the mistake and instead take a deep breath, smile and stay present, ready to make the next play. Everyone reacts to the same stimulus in different ways. One response is productive while the other is toxic.  And although some of us are born with a positive disposition, the majority of us have to constantly work to create our positive disposition. We are indeed responsible for creating the responses to stimulus that we want in our lives.

Computer programmers, along with famed hedge fund manager Ray Dalio, calls the programming of our responses to stimulus as “algorithms”.  Daleo shares in his book, “Principles”, that the most important language that we need to learn to speak to improve all aspects of our lives is that of algorithms. If we are smart then we will heed Daleo’s advice, after all, he has used algorithms to predict the financial markets and become one of the wealthiest people in the world, and he swears that reviewing and installing algorithms will allow us to take control of our lives.

How algorithms work:  When we set an algorithm we an auto-response to a stimulus. If: X , Then –> Y.  When we do this we no longer have to waste our willpower energy when making decisions. For example, if a thermostat registers that the temperature is your home has dropped to 65 degrees, then the heat automatically turns on. All of our habits are simply If: Then protocols.  These protocols are running every moment throughout the day.  We need to take control of our life and set our own personal algorithms.

Write 100 Algorithms that are currently running your life. Circle the ones that serve you.  Draw a line through the ones that are getting in the way of you at your best.  Brainstorm additional algorithms that will serve you. Use the following topics to jump-start your brainstorming: PM, AM, at work, in the car, preparing for practice/ lift, when you feel different emotions,etc. Use the example list as inspiration!