A Quarterly Ritual that Changed My Life (and May Change Yours)

Eric Partaker, award winning coach and mentor to CEOs and leaders throughout the world, shares with us his quarterly ritual that changed his life. In a nutshell, it’s all about taking time out to evaluate your recent journey by asking 5 key questions. Eric calls it the 10x Day, here’s what he has to say:

The 10x Day.

Let’s face it… It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind, forget to look beyond our two feet, and not appreciate how far we’ve come.

Unless I consciously decide otherwise, this happens to me by default.

The 10x Day is a set of questions I ask myself every quarter to combat this tendency.

After contemplating the 5 questions further below, I feel:

• Grateful about the road I’ve just traveled
• Clear about the future I want to create
• Focused on the actions that will take me there
• Confident in my ability to make it happen
• Immeasurably more excited and energized

As the quarter nears its end, take a day, or at the very least an afternoon, to answer the following:

1) What were your Top 3 Big Wins from the last 90 days… and why?

In our constant pursuit of more, we miss the amazing things we’ve already achieved. Taking a moment to think this through “sets the record straight”. Don’t rush it. What are you most proud of? And why?

2) What were the Biggest Challenges? What did you learn?

Our true potential lies just outside of our comfort zone. What were the moments that tested you most? Zero in on each discomfort or hardship, and the valuable lesson within.

3) If you were “Fired” and someone came in to replace you, what would they immediately start doing and stop doing?

We often know what we should be doing more of, or less of, but fail to sequence or focus properly. As a result we continue doing too many things, making one mile of progress in one thousand different directions instead of 1,000 miles of progress in a single direction.

4) If you had to 10x Your Current Growth, what would you do differently or better?

This question builds on the previous and really drives focus in two areas. Firstly, what are your “genius zone” activities? The things that feel like play to you, appear like genius to others, and drive exponential growth. Secondly, this question prompts you to think about the missing “whos” in your life… as in, “who” can I be partnering with or adding to the team to fill experience gaps, take “non-genius-zone” activities off my plate, and move much more quickly.

5) What are your Top 3 Goals for the next 90 days? And what is the #1 Obstacle for each + Plan to Overcome?

Perhaps you want to double-down on one of your Big Wins, explore one of your Biggest Challenges, or further invest in your 10x Ambitions. It’s up to you! Just remember, choosing your goals is only half the battle. Identifying the likely obstacles for each and how you would overcome them is the other half.

Booking a 10x Day once per quarter can literally change your life. Take these questions for a test drive and let me know what you think!

About Eric Partaker

Eric has been named “CEO of the Year” at the 2019 Business Excellence Forum, one of the “Top 30 Entrepreneurs in the UK”, 35 and under, by Startups Magazine, and among “Britain’s Most Disruptive Entrepreneurs” by The Telegraph. His work has featured on over 7 major TV stations, in the Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. He has also appeared as a guest judge on The Apprentice with Lord Alan Sugar.

Over the last 20 years Eric has advised Fortune 50 CEOs while at McKinsey & Company, helped build Skype’s multi-billion dollar success story, founded several companies, and helped scale over 100.

Eric has completed a coaching certification and apprenticeship with Professor BJ Fogg, who leads Stanford University’s Behavior Design Lab. He also continues to research evidence-based studies in psychology, neuroscience, habit change, leadership, and peak performance.

Eric coaches and mentors CEOs and leaders throughout the world, helping them reach peak levels of performance, in both their businesses and lives. He draws from his world-class work experiences, cutting-edge research, and behavioral science from Stanford University – as well as the approaches and techniques used in the worlds of elite sports and the military – areas where peak performance is key.

Follow Eric on LinkedIn for more content like this.