How to Change Your Life in 6 Months (Creative Monk Mode)

3 months ago, I decided to go all in on graphic design. 

And when I say “all in”, I really mean it.

Previously, I was running a couple of online businesses, which I have now handed off in order to pursue a career in design. This means I essentially have no income other than the money I make from my design work. 

I admit, it’s an incredibly risky move. I feel like I’ve pushed forward all my chips to the centre of the table, without even looking at my hand of cards.

On top of this, I have quit drinking and partying as well as removing all negative habits and vices I previously indulged in.

I currently find myself in an intensive 6 month period of relentless focus, drive and creative pursuit. 

In other words, I'm in “monk mode”.

What is Monk Mode?

The concept of monk mode has been floating around the internet for a while now, but the idea was popularized by a series of videos by the Youtuber Iman Gadzhi.

In short, monk mode is the concept of taking an extended period of time to commit yourself entirely to a set of goals. By extension, it also involves removing any detrimental habits that don’t serve that mission.

Monk mode relies on the idea of complete immersion; narrowing the scope of focus to a singular objective.

This means setting some non-negotiable targets for the duration of the monk mode. Mine are as follows:

• No alcohol / partying
• No junk food
• Heavily reduced social media usage
• Strength building / exercise 5 times a week
• “Deep work” sessions only

Here’s the interesting part about immersing yourself in your goals to such an extreme extent. I don’t actually work for that long (on an average day), and I detest this modern idea of hustle-culture and 16-hour work days. But in spite of this, my productivity and creative output is through the roof, because my lifestyle is so free from distraction and artificial stimulation.

The Power of Immersion

I know that for this “monk mode” period to be a success, I have to completely immerse myself into a mindset of intense focus and productivity.

If you study the greatest businessmen or the greatest athletes of all time, they all have one thing in common: they are obsessed with their mission.

In the words of Conor Mcgregor: “there is no talent here, this is hard work, this is obsession”.

Obsession often comes as a direct result of complete immersion in an activity, as well as the removal of peripheral distractions and indulgences. This is why it’s so beneficial when we stop wasting our energies on instant gratification and scrolling social media.

And instead fully immerse ourselves in a singular, positive direction.

A Balancing Act

At this point you may be wondering “but isn’t it important to maintain a healthy work life balance??”

Generally speaking yes, but the power of carving out periods of time to push yourself far outside of your comfort zone is undeniable.

Within the last 3 months, I’ve built an Instagram following from 0 to over 16,000. Words escape me when trying to express my gratitude for this incredible opportunity, as well as the love and support I’ve received for my artwork. However, I don’t think I’d have been able to grow an audience anywhere near as quickly without monk mode.

I hate to make such a grandiose statement, but monk mode has, quite literally, changed my life.

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If this idea resonates with you in any way, I’d highly recommend committing to a period of intense focus towards a particular set of goals: it might just change your life too.

First, set your goals. Write out exactly where you want to be in 6 months, as well as writing down the kind of person you want to become.

Then, figure out your “non-negotiables”: the habits and practices you have to stick to no matter what. For most people, this is usually just one singular vice or bad habit that is holding them back. Maybe for you it’s video games, weed, TikTok (the list goes on). But if you’re reading this, it’s very likely you already know exactly what that one bad habit is (personally, mine was alcohol and partying).

Remember, if you want what other people don’t have, you must be willing to do things that other people don’t do.

Thanks for reading. I love you all.

George

Instagram:@waveindex

Twitter:@waveindex_