Anyone who works in or is slightly obsessed with tech can’t stop knocking their knees over the incoming 5G network and all the phones that will ensue because faster download speeds and a lower percentage latency amongst data transfers — the ability to consume more faster — is clearly what we should be concerned with in times like these (not). But there’s another 5G, a network of daily practices we think is more important right now, for better living and fuller days, one right after another.
The 5G Method of Dolvett Quince is an alliterated daily ritual that starts when you wake, giving you an extra, natural boost that comes full circle by the end, rounding out an engaged, more fulfilling way of living. For those who believe in karma — a ‘what you give is what you get’ mentality — you’re going to love this daily practice where you get back exactly what you put into it.
Gratitude
With so many terrible headlines in the news and things to caution us from going outside, there has to be something to balance out — better yet, cancel out — the bad. As we’ve discussed, gratitude is a growingly popular way for people to start their day on the right foot.
Gratitude is simple, short commitment every morning to be thankful for the things we have: a comfy home we can afford, food in the fridge, clothes on our back, our kids, our pets, the men and women closest to us, the ability to choose and live freely every day and the even the tiniest of things we take for granted like the air we breathe (and tacos, which we also inhale).
Each morning when you open your eyes, think of five things you’re grateful for. They can be anything at all, whatever comes to mind that you’re glad to have in your life, even if it’s poop bags before taking your dog on a walk. Sit with those for a minute until you feel their fullness — the five things, not the poop bags — then move into your day with a bit a gratitude under your belt. The more you do it, the more it’ll rewire your brain to have positive thoughts, as opposed to constant negative ones.
Guidance
Guidance not only informs you and mentors you, but it also only gives you direction, motivation and perspective. It’s very easy for us to get wrapped up in ourselves and not see the bigger picture, that life and the things in it are bigger than us and that it’s our daily duty to become better but also make the world around us better.
Whatever or whoever guides you — God, meditation, Alan Watts YouTube videos — should be a regular source in your life, one which not only teaches but gives you the space to make those necessary moves to better yourself and your community. It should be something or someone you trust to commit yourself to learn from weekly, if not daily. And it should be someone who doesn’t judge harshly or ridicule, but constructively pushes us to be better than we were yesterday, incremental improvements that make a massively positive impact over time.
Graze
After you’ve made some good choices for your mind, it’s time to make good choices for your body. Higher quality in the kitchen means better, cleaner, longer energy. Especially if you’re a creative person, you’ll feel the difference. Find a food plan that strikes a balance between what’s on your plate that’s right for your specific body. If you love red meat, that’s fine, but maybe not every meal. You need more green than red in your belly.
Starting the day with a fresh, homemade smoothie is a good start, especially if not a breakfast believer. But a healthy, fresh lunch is crucial to maintaining your energy going into the back nine of the day. Lay off the refined sugars and corn-based foods, they’re going only going to slow you down. If you can’t resist, you’ll make up for it later when you “go.”
Grazing is fuel for the tank. If you want to be fuel-efficient, you have to take care of what’s under your hood and in the tank. You’ll go further, accomplish more and be less likely to leave a mess behind. Otherwise, you’ll be on the side of the road, sweaty and lost, with nobody excited to stop and pick you up. Making better choices makes a big difference later on.
Go
Once you’ve got that food in the tank, it’s time to put that good, clean energy into the world, be it work or workouts. It’s our job to show up every day and do the best with what we’ve got. To do nothing is a much stronger statement, one we don’t implore anyone to exercise. When the day begins, we’re lining ourselves up, getting ready and set to sprint. Once you’ve got a little gratitude and good food on your side, it’s off to the races.
By following these steps in this order, you’re setting yourself up for a spike every day. They’re not mandatory for a good day, nor should they feel like incessant chores; they’re simply setting you up for success. Not every day is going to be the best day, but you can at least put it in the cards that that’ll be the hand you’re dealt. By flaking out on these kinds of routine, you’re giving yourself excuses for why the day went south. Hold yourself accountable for how your days go, but leave a little room for luck to sneak in through the cracks.
Give
What goes around comes around. It’s the best way to end the day. If you’ve ever experienced the joy on Christmas day, seeing someone’s face light up because of something you thought to bring into their world, you know the joy of giving. If you’ve ever volunteered at a soup kitchen, clothing drive or nursing home — it’s OK if it wasn’t your favorite thing to do — you still know the joy of giving back. Whether that means you mentor someone in return, plant a seed for someone else’s tomorrow or literally give back, it’s all for the betterment of yourself and your personal microcosm, in spirit and community.
Look around you at those closest to you as well as those in your community you may not know. Who’s struggling? Who could use your help? What are some simple, daily practices you can employ to making someone else’s world brighter? It doesn’t have to be big, in fact, it can be the tiniest thing. A simple hello as you pass a stranger, a job reference to a friend in need, flowers to your lady, leftovers from a nice dinner out given to the less fortunate.
If you’re open to making this a routine, these ideas and opportunities will constantly present themselves to you. We just need to find the empathy to see what those around us need and what we have to give. Oftentimes, it doesn’t involve much sacrifice, just a little of what we have or a little extra effort.
Give this 5G network of ideas a try, see if it doesn’t bring you more joy than staring into the black hole that is your phone all day. We spend so much time trying to improve what we have on the outside, maybe it’s time to look inward for a change.
So live your life and live it well, but be sure to help along the way.
Dolvette Quince is a personal trainer, mentor, actor and entrepreneur. And he’s most definitely Man Enough.
For more on Dolvett and his 5G Method, visit his website and follow him on Instagram.
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