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How to apply the Artistic rule of 21/90 (3 min. read)

girl at a crossroad

It is quite hard to make changes in our lives, isn’t it?
To change a routine? Your morning routine for example.
We start and then after a while, we fall back into old habits.
Even though we are pretty disciplined artists, let’s face it: making changes is often difficult.

Let me suggest a new rule for you. The 21/90 rule.
It takes 21 days to build a new habit and 90 days to build a new lifestyle.

Quote Stephen Covey

Only 21 days to build a new habit? So before the next credit card bill arrives I am used to a new habit?
Peanuts!
We can all do that!

And 90 days to build a new lifestyle? Only one season, only one quarter of the year.
You start in the winter and when spring arrives you live a different life!
This is totally worth it.

When I started out with SFM  didn’t know where it would bring me. I was a bit afraid because I threw in quite some money, and as one of the highly underpaid performing artist, this was definitely money I could use very well for other things…
I catch myself talking about it all the time, advising people about mindset, visualization, living your best life and online strategies as if I am a long-term member. Sometimes I have to laugh at myself for that.
I build new habits and a new lifestyle with all the tools I get access to. The Journey is truly amazing.

So: to go back to the 21/90 rule. If you want to try this, the trick is: You have to be consistent.
And also, if you are new to this, it cannot be something too difficult.
It cannot be something that you are likely to give up on in a few days.
Don’t try to immediately practice for 3 hours before you even had your breakfast, you will fail miserably and feeling like a failure will create a negative mindset about yourself.
Pushing your boundaries is great, but not completely off the edge in the first place when you didn’t learn how to fly yet.

So I have a couple of FUN TIPS, fun actions actually to learn about being consistent!

1. For in the morning:
When you wake up, take pen and paper, or a sticky note or something and write down what the most important thing is today. ONLY 1 thing! Choose wisely.
And then write down WHY this is important to you.
This is crucial: WHY is that 1 project, that one thing, that meeting, that email, that workout, that exercise important to you?
You do this because it is good to realize what your WHY’s are.
Believe me, sometimes I sit in my bed with my pen and paper and I really have to think hard.
What is the most important thing today? Sometimes a thought pops up but soon enough I realize it is not THAT important because I cannot answer the WHY.
And so I just sit there, staring in front of me, until I find my why.
This has to do with your purpose: the reason why you get out of bed every day.
In Japan, they call it IKIGAI, maybe you have heard about it.

This morning I wrote down:
“Dialogues with Gulian and Lisanne”
and
“Decide which part of Czech newspaper to use”

Morning routine Mel Robbins
From Mel Robbins the 5 seconds rule.

I will have my Master exam in a month and I need to prep two friends about their acting scenes and I have to choose what Czech newspaper prop looks the best for one other scène. I need something with as many hačeks as possible so that it’s clearly another language. (Hačeks: the funny V-shape  accents on the letters)
These two things are important but also fun to me because I want my final exam to look good and go smooth.

Czech newspaper to choose from for props

2. Make one Intentional Visualization Prayer for ONE particular person.

Choose one person and just make one prayer for that person a day. Obviously this will be someone that you care about, otherwise, you probably would not go through so much trouble.
Now I am not religious, but I do believe that when you ASK intentionally you will RECEIVE.

How good does it feel to do something for someone else, even when it is just a line of thoughts for a particular person.

1 prayer a day for a special person

3. It is important to realize that we are happiest in service. We are wired for service.
Did you ever notice that when you are with a 2,3-year-old child and he/she sees that you drop something, he/she will try to pick it up for you? They want to help you.
It’s important that also when we grow up, we still have that servitude in ourselves.

My favorite one, inspired by Jay Shetty
Take an empty jar.
Make a nice label for it
Mark the date.
Either every day or every week you put in a small note about a funny thing, thought, an experience you had that day / week.

Notice: I, myself do it per week. Every day was one step too much for me. So really, keep your own pace.
At the end of 2019 you can open your jar and read all the notes you gathered the whole year. And don’t forget to tap yourself on the shoulder for doing this consistently every day/week.
Jar with positive messages - mindset

Now, all three tips are about being consistent.
They are not difficult tasks and believe me, after 2 weeks of doing these, I already start to look forward to the next morning to do my Intentional Visualization Prayer, to write down what nice things happened this week or to write down why my project on that particular day is important.
It already became a bit addictive so to say. But hey: better than to shout FUCK every time your alarm goes off.

So TRY these! I think that within 21 days you will really like to do it. And within 90 days it will be part of your daily routine and you will realize the positive impact on your life.

Tony Robbins quote

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