Tools 1 – ElPropósito5 min de lectura

Remo y Vela (Part 1)

Throughout the year I try to give myself feedback on what I’ve done well, what I’ve done poorly and what I could do better. In fact, those are the three questions I start each day with (I prefer doing this review in the morning). Two powerful habits also go with me every day. They’re acronyms I discovered bit by bit and kept refining. The first covers the four things in my power to do each day to reach my personal and professional goals. I called it REMO, Spanish for oar, and I’ll explain the metaphor shortly. The second covers everything someone else has created and made available to humanity that I can tap into. I called it VELA, Spanish for sail. Together, REMO and VELA bring together eight great habits that I try (note the word try) to practice every day. I’ve summarized them before, and in this post I want to revisit them, this time with the many experiences and stories I’ve gathered over the years and how they’ve served me personally and professionally.

Let me start with the metaphor. The sail and the oar are both instruments on a boat. I’m passionate about navigation, especially aviation, and what both worlds share is the need for instruments that get us from one place to another. I’ve always thought of my life as a boat, and I’ve tried to make sure that boat always knows where it came from, where it is and, above all, where it’s headed. When we row, it’s because the boat needs a push toward its destination, and nothing does that better than an oar. Without one, the boat could drift. REMO begins with R for Rezar, to pray. I’m Catholic, Apostolic and Roman, and this wonderful habit means thanking God and the Blessed Virgin Mary for a new day and praying a Rosary, offering it for a specific person or cause. In this habit I’ve found the peace, faith and joy to set out on my day with all my strength and with the hope that something good will happen for me and for the people I love.

Next comes the E. This one is demanding, especially on days when I don’t feel like it, because it stands for Ejercicio, exercise, and it’s what I do right after praying. If I’m short on time, I pray the Rosary while I work out. There’s plenty of theory about exercise and no shortage of experts. For me, triathlon has been part of life for several years, so I keep a routine built around its three disciplines, with swimming as my favorite. More and more I’m adding strength training with weights. Exercise is known to be one of the greatest dopamine boosters, and it leaves me with a deeply rewarding feeling, ready to start the day. A mix of cardio and weights is my favorite. On days when I stayed up late or had a dinner and I’m not in the mood to train, I’ve found something that works: I remind myself how I feel after a workout, because that’s where I want to be. That feeling comes from knowing we are mind, body and soul, so I train the body through exercise, and I love it.

The next letter is M, for Meditación, meditation. I’m a loyal follower of Mario Alonso Puig, and one of his videos struck me. He explains very clearly how mindfulness reached the West and, more profoundly, the world of medicine as a way to prepare mentally before surgery. That stayed with me and led me to practice breathing exercises and work on focusing and training my mind. So first I pray, then I exercise (followed, of course, by a shower and getting ready), and before I sit down at my desk comes a part I also enjoy a great deal: meditation. Later I discovered Wim Hof. His isn’t a traditional mindfulness practice, but his exercises surprised me when I saw him meditate live with Jordan Peterson. If you’d like to learn the method, there’s a Wim Hof app, and its guided meditation is one of my favorites. Again, it’s not traditional, but it works for me and helps me focus on what’s next before I dive into the flood of work.

Finally comes journaling, the O in REMO, which stands for Organizarme, getting myself organized. Little by little I discovered the magic and the essence of keeping a journal. For many reasons, I held the limiting belief for years that journaling was pointless. Then I discovered the power of writing down every idea, thought and fear running through my mind at a given moment. It’s like taking a snapshot of my mind and putting it on paper. Journaling lets me give structure to what I want to accomplish that day and, above all, capture my reflections on the day before: what went well, what went poorly and what I could have done better. The structure also includes how I’m feeling and what I’m grateful for, followed by a reality check on the three or four things that will make my day effective and leave me fully satisfied once they’re done.

I think that’s enough on REMO for today. Next Sunday I’ll write about VELA.

Warm regards and all the best,

Rodrigo Baccaro

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

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