My version of the '4M' routine and how to book-end your days! by Andrew Wilson

Back in 2017 I was made redundant as an Area Manager from a large UK bank. I had been there for 15 years; I was very institutionalized. I loved the bank, and it was all I really knew but that chapter closed.

I had to move forward, and I decided to move forward with what I was good at …. Helping people, and more specifically what I was qualified in, mortgage advice.

When I attended my interview at First Mortgage, Ian and Antony asked me “why are you not applying for the Regional Manager position?”

Maybe there was a bit of self-doubt or impostor syndrome with my confidence taking a knock with my exit from my previous role but truthfully, the real reason I was applying for a mortgage adviser position was the exact response I gave “I want to learn the role of being a mortgage adviser in this broker firm and fully understand it before I lead and develop others in that role”

So, it was set, I would join First Mortgage as a Mortgage and Protection adviser.

No problem, yet big problem!!

I have just agreed to a massive pay cut! Coupled with the loss of all the company benefits of working for a big bank such as company car, final salary pension, sick pay, life and critical illness cover, the real cost of the drop in income was far greater than the difference between the two take home pays. Also, I have just signed up to a 2-hour daily commute with the added cost that comes along with that too.

No regrets. I must move forward, and I did not come to this firm to earn a basic salary. I came to help as many people as I can.

One of the first things I done when I settled into First Mortgage was meet with my line manager Amanda Reid and once all the niceties and formalities were out of the way she asked me “how much would you like to earn?”. This I had given a lot of thought. Currently I am running my household finances at a deficit. I married. I’m a father. I must make this work. I could count on my fingers the number of months I had left until I had to dip into my long-term savings.

Without a moment’s thought I told her my number.

A number that would help our family achieve our goals, live comfortably and out earn the line manager who let me go from my previous role and turned my world upside down.

Unflinching Amanda said, “let’s build a business plan.”

Together we worked back from a total earnings figure, to calculate how much business I would have to convert, how much I would have to write, broke it down to a weekly amount based on current peer average and broke it down again to a daily amount. We took it further and looked at the conversion ratio of clients met to clients helped and at the end I had my formula. If I see this many people per day, convert this many to business, help them at this value and if I do that every week, I will achieve my number.

I was clear on what I had to do.

No problem. Well, I say that, but the problem is, it’s hard. It’s hard to stay consistent. Often, we know what to do, how to do it, why we do it, but doing it… every day … every week… every month… it takes more than motivation, it takes discipline.

I asked myself “What’s the key to discipline?”. Then I thought, hang on, I’ve just literally ran a marathon!! A marathon…! I trained, outdoors, all through the Scottish winter, all through the cold, dark, wet months. I completed my first marathon in May 2017, the Stirling Marathon and I am proud of my 4 hours 14 mins time. I know it’s not going to qualify me for the Boston Marathon any time soon, but it was my marathon, I done it, I made the bold statement to my friends and colleagues, I proved those wrong who scoffed at the cyclist who declared he was going to run a marathon who had previously never travelled further than a mile without wheels, but I done it.

 It’s consistency, the key to discipline is staying consistent enough to build a habit, a routine. Ah, a routine?! I need a routine.

I developed a routine that helped put me in a player mindset every day. No days off, this was not a Monday to Friday routine, this was every day. I did not want any interference creeping into my mindset. I needed to be at my best so I could give my best and better serve not only my clients, but my family.  

My Morning Routine

Wake up – In the morning it is tempting to roll over, grab the phone, switch off the alarm and start scrolling. Don’t do that. As tempting as it is, I did not touch my phone other than to switch off the alarm. Furthermore, I disabled all alerts and pings for social apps. It removed the temptation to click the app and get the quick dopamine fix. When I click the app, it’s on my terms, I choose when to open it at an allotted time of day and when I am in the right mindset.

Meditate – I go into the bathroom to do my morning meditation. I do this for peace and quiet and privacy, so I was not interrupted. I would start by being grateful. Being grateful for having air in my lungs, food in the cupboards, a safe warm house, an able body, and the ability to think. I am grateful for having a job, a car to get to that job, the ability to earn money and provide for my family and the fact that I have been given a brand-new day, the sun is coming up and it is going to be a good day.

During my meditation I also put good wishes out into the universe. I wish well to my mother, who lives alone as a widow. I wish well to my sister who is trying to have a baby. I wish well to my brother who is trying to buy his first home. I think about the other people I have come across, the goals they have shared with me or their worries and wish them the strength and ability to overcome their challenges.

I then give thanks. I say thank you for the things I don’t yet have. The things on my goal list and bucket list, the things I’d like to have, the places I like to go, the people I’d like to meet. I say thank you for having these things as if I have them already. It’s as if I am talking on behalf of my future self.

Movement – After my meditation, I get ready to start the day, before I leave the house for work, I take the dogs for a walk. This gives me some head space to start getting geared up for the day, gets the blood pumping and, let’s be honest, nothing makes you feel happier than seeing a dog’s love for you!

Mind Cleanse – On the way to work, I have a no radio policy in the car. There’s no news like bad news and there is no shortage of bad news. Jim Rohn said, “every day, stand guard at the doors of your mind”. I would be sure not to fill my head with negativity. I prefer to listen to podcasts such as High Performance or go on You Tube and listen to Jim Rohn or if I want something spiritual Joe Olsteen.

When I arrive in the city for work, I still have a 20-minute walk to the office (remember, I am not rolling in cash yet and if I can save money on city center parking I will. In my eyes, that money saved on parking is almost a family holiday every year, and how much do shoes cost anyway? I’m walking!)

Lists – When I arrive at the office, I am in a good mood and I make the point of saying to all my colleagues “good morning, this is going to be a great day!”. It sounds corny, but this is me subliminally saying to my colleagues “I don’t want to hear bad news just yet”. When I get to my office, I change from my walking shoes to my work shoes. I open the cupboard where I keep them and inside the cupboard door, pinned in clear view is my business plan. The plan I know inside out and therefore doesn’t have to be there, but it’s there as a constant reminder to keep me accountable for what I must do today. I close the door and look up at the sole photo frame on my desk. My son, smiling at me, another reminder of my why. I smile back at him.

Before I even turn on my PC, I open my notepad and write a list. I will write a list of all the good things I want to achieve today. I plan each day with a bit of wiggle room to allow me to deal with unexpected emergencies.

I then open the emails and skim them to pick out the important ones and add them to my list.

Then I begin my working day.

The morning routine in reverse!

At the end of the day, I ask myself “was today a good day?” “Did I achieve everything I set out to achieve?” “If I was self-employed, would I pay myself a salary for today?”

I then write a list of all the things I want to do tomorrow to make tomorrow a good day. Don’t use your head as a filing cabinet, get it on paper, write it down and free up some mental head space for family time.

I look back at the photo of my son and get excited at the thought of finding out how his day went and spending time with him.

I change my shoes and look at my business plan, content with the fact I am on track or aware of any shortfall and what I must do tomorrow.

I begin the walk to the car, every step physically away from the office feels like a step mentally away from the office. Leaving my office worries in the office and being sure not to take these home.

In the car I listen to the same mix of positive energy podcasts, or self-development You Tube clips.

When I get home once all the family duties are done, I make sure I have at least 30 – 60 minutes to do some high intensity exercise or weightlifting. Healthy body, healthy mind.

I limit TV time and certainly no junk TV.

Before bed I go through the same meditation cycle of being grateful, wishing well for others and giving thanks to my future me for all the good that is coming.

No social media at bedtime and certainly no phones in bed. Instead, I would read something non-fictional, something that interests me in such as mountaineering, personal endeavor, cycling, personal development and history books.

Days roll into weeks and weeks roll into months and by quarter 3 in my first year in First Mortgage Amanda sat down with me during a 121 and said, “do you know you are on track to hit the 200 club?!” The 200 club is the high achievers club for senior advisers in the firm. Not only was I meeting my business plan, but I was also exceeding it by far.

I didn’t think much of it, and I stuck to my daily routine. I know how many customers I must help and if I can stay in the player mindset, I will serve them as best as I can.

At the end of the year, I had exceeded my goal. I achieved the 200-club status in year 1 which is almost unheard of. Not only that, but I also had a great balance in my life. I committed to my son to take karate lessons with him and so 3 days a week we would go to the dojo and work towards our dan grades. This gave me accountability. In an environment where earnings are uncapped and you can work as many hours as you wish, it was important to me to have a reason to leave the office at 17:30 at least 3 nights per week, I am a father after all and when will I ever get these days back if I miss them?

On top of that I studied towards and achieved my level 4 diploma in financial planning which gave me a higher level of knowledge in my industry, this helped me better serve not only my clients but also allowed me to give good counsel to my colleagues too.

I am truly grateful for all the twists and turns life has taken so far, even the hard times which may be hard to swallow at times. My mum always said; “what’s for you will not go by you!”. Which is true to some extent, but it can seem a bit defeatist.

I prefer the quote from the greatest movie trilogy of all time, and my parting gift to you are the words of Doc Brown “Your future hasn't been written yet. No one's has. Your future is whatever you make it. So, make it a good one!”