Courtesy of Tony Robbins.
Tony Robbins says everyone is capable of constant personal development.
Performance coach Tony Robbins has seven clients he works with on an individual basis, and each pay him $1 million annually. Tickets to his intensive seminars can run for a few thousand dollars, and participants get jam-packed days of group and personal training.
There are some aspects of Robbins' method for personal development, however, that don't require hours of discussions and introspection, and they don't cost anything, either.
Robbins shared some of this advice recently in a peek at his "Unleash the Power Within" event, a three-and-a-half day intensive course designed to give participants an action plan for overhauling their lives.
Robbins streamed over an hour of his talk in front of a sold out crowd in New Jersey's Prudential Center over Facebook Live, in which he broke down an annual, monthly, and daily exercise.
It's worth noting that while you may choose to spend money on the first two exercises, it's totally unnecessary. You can also immediately implement the exercises into your life.
Annually: Schedule at least two events or classes where you'll learn something
One of the primary reasons people attend Robbins' events is to develop habits that allow them to live in a state of constant personal and professional growth. It's why he recommends participating in a minimum of two events or classes that can foster this growth.
This is an opportunity for members of the audience to consider enrolling in another Robbins event, but examples for any budget or interest can include a free Codeacademy course to learn a programming language, Spanish classes, or joining a yoga practice.
Robbins' point is that you put them on your calendars as soon as possible, and once you finish one, you schedule another.
"When you talk about sh--, it's a dream. When you envision it, it's exciting. When you plan it, it's possible. When you schedule it, it's real," he said.
Monthly: Check in with a mentor
Robbins told the audience that he has three mentors he goes to for feedback. They're all around 20 years his senior, he said, and he respects each of them greatly.
"As much as I know to drive myself, you don't do brain surgery on yourself even if you're a great brain surgeon," he said.
He recommends finding one person in your life, or a few, whom you can check in with at least twice a month, to discuss progress toward your goals and debrief on successes and failures. What's crucial, Robbins said, is that your mentor or coach can be totally transparent with you, and never feels the need to skirt around the truth for the sake of your feelings.
Daily: 'Prime' yourself each morning
Robbins created a 10-minute daily exercise called "priming," based on techniques found in yoga and Buddhist mindfulness meditation.
1. Perform a breathing exercise (~1 minute)
Begin by sitting straight with your eyes closed. Inhale deeply through your nostrils while simultaneously lifting your arms in a shoulder press motion, and then exhale forcefully through your nostrils while bringing your arms back to your body, palms up. Perform the breaths in quick succession. Robbins does three sets of 30, with a brief break in between each set, but you can begin with three sets of 10 and work your way up. (Replace this with a slow, deep breathing exercise instead if you are pregnant or have breathing problems.)
2. Express gratitude (3 minutes)
Spend a minute each on three things you are grateful for. Relive them as moments.
3. Experience connection (3 minutes)
Imagine a light flowing in through your head and to the rest of your body, feeling as if the light is energizing and healing you. Let the let flow back up to your head and then flow outward to the rest of the world, imagining it reaching your loved ones as well as strangers.
4. Visualize success (3 minutes)
Spend a minute each imagining what it would feel like to accomplish three of your goals. Focus on how these accomplishments not only benefit you but allow you to help others.
You can watch the full Facebook Live look at Unleash the Power Within below.