The CIA
Mental Edge
Daily Routine
The CIA Mental Edge Daily Routine
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Andrew Bustamante - EverydaySpy.com
Summary
The mental edge that every covert CIA spy develops comes from a routine. New mental
synapses, increased cognitive processing, and faster neural circuits give you the ultimate
advantage over your competition and can be built everyday with this simple practice.
M OR N I N G
1. Let Your Body Lead
From today forward, your alarm clock is dead to you - you don’t need it.
99% of what you I don’t care what super-soldier you follow on social media
or what magic number of sleeping hours you were told you
have been told
need. 99% of what you are told about sleep is garbage that
marketers created to sell books, clicks, and online ads. Your
about sleep is
body will tell you how much sleep you need - you just need to
marketing garbage. follow it.
70% of Americans do not get enough sleep because of bad cultural sleeping habits. For
56% of Americans, sleep deprivation starts in the 6th grade. By the end of high school,
72% of students are not getting enough rest. Once you become a parent, you lose another 109 collective sleep-hours per child in the first year they
are alive!
You were forced to
rewire your brain to
Why do we get so behind in our sleep? Because even
though your body’s biological needs change every year,
follow an alarm clock
the daily grind of everyday life does not. And to keep
grinding each day, you were forced to rewire your brain to instead of your own
follow an alarm clock instead of your own internal clock.
internal clock.
The first step to reset your brain’s wiring and gain an incredible mental edge over everyone else is to let your body tell you when to start the day - not your alarm.
2. Get Hydrated
After your body naturally wakes, your next goal is to drink .5L (16 oz.) of water as quickly as possible.
Yes, I’m being literal. Wake up, pour yourself water, and sip/chug/shoot consecutive
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until you’ve finished .5L (17oz.). It doesn’t take long
Your next goal is to glasses
- less than 5 minutes of focused effort. And the mental and
drink .5L (16 oz.) physical benefits are almost immediate.
of water as quickly This rapid consumption jumpstarts your body’s nervous, digestive, and immune systems by hydrating your most sensitive
as possible.
organs first before you put them under any demand. Unlike
the typical morning routine that includes coffee, breakfast, scrolling through social media,
or reading the news, rapid hydration adds resources to your body’s systems (read: water) rather than draining system resources (digestive enzymes,
mental processing, and sensory organs).
This rapid
consumption
Within 10 minutes of finishing your hydration routine, you will
jumpstarts your
feel more alert, aware, and mentally activated than you ever
did before this routine. It’s simple biology, but also a strategic body’s nervous,
advantage over the tens of millions of people who are under-rested, dehydrated, and resource-deprived every morning. digestive, and
immune systems.
3. Get Quiet
The human brain has two mental functions that cannot run at the same time: absorbing
information, and indexing information.
CIA field operators
avoid sensory inputs
like music, TV, and
strong flavors at the
beginning of the day.
Whenever you use one of your 5 senses (sight, hearing,
touch, smell, or taste), your brain goes into ‘absorb’ mode.
In that mental state, your creativity, problem solving, communication, and other cognitive skills are limited. For this
reason, CIA field operators avoid sensory inputs like music, TV, and strong flavors at the beginning of the day.
Additionally, the stress hormone cortisol is naturally highest in the first hour after you
wake up. The mix of high cortisol levels with sensory inputs
can quickly translate into feelings of anxiety, frustration, and
irritation to start your day. If you’ve ever had your mood turn
foul before you even got to work, now you know why.
The simple fix is
to give your brain
space to index
The simple fix is to give your brain space to index (instead of
(instead of absorb)
absorb) in the morning. Spies create mental space to index by
in the morning.
physically putting yourself into a place that does not engage
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your senses. A place with a neutral smell, no noise, low/no light (definitely no screens),
and comfortable sitting/lying options - all before you consume anything with a strong
flavor (like coffee, toothpaste, salt, or sugar).
Giving your brain at least 15 minutes to index/orient itself after a night’s sleep frees
cognitive resources you will need to dominate the day ahead. You can call this ‘quiet’
time meditation, prayer, reflection, or whatever you want. But at its core, it’s just mental
indexing.
4. Ideate
With your body fully hydrated, your mind clear/sharp, and your mood positive/cortisol-free, you will naturally begin to ideate.
Ideation is the more Ideation is the more advanced version of creativity and
the foundation for gaining a useful mental edge over othadvanced version of ers.
creativity and the
Creativity is the act of combining existing concepts into
foundation for gaining new ideas. But ideation is the act of creating new cona useful mental edge. cepts that have not been realized; developing ideas that
have never been considered.
Your new morning routine will give you increased mental capacity to see distant, disparate, and non-traditional connections in everyday information. These links get overlooked
by everyone else because their minds are distracted and overwhelmed within a few
minutes of waking up.
Each new concept and connection you make will literally
change your brain (aka: neuroplasticity), literally creating
new brain matter and a distinct mental edge over those
around you. And ideation is only the beginning of the mental edge you are building with this routine...
Each new concept
and connection you
make will literally
change your brain.
5. Gut Engineering
You’ll notice I haven’t said anything about eating yet. You are hydrated and your head is
clear, but what about your stomach!?
Nothing is going to destroy your mood, self-discipline, and ideation faster than hunger -
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Nothing is going to
destroy your mood,
self-discipline, and
ideation faster than
hunger.
so you need to engineer what goes into your gut.
The biggest problem with ‘getting quiet’ is that indexing
information spikes your mental energy levels and makes
you want to skip eating and jump right into ideation. You
will absolutely feel excited, focused and energized - but it’s
a mental booby-trap! Do not let yourself skip-out on eating.
Instead, eat some fruit and/or vegetables right after you finish your ‘quiet’ time. A small
snack of raw carrots, strawberries, or even applesauce is
going to prime your digestive system for more food and
prevent you from skipping breakfast.
Ideation can happen anywhere, so let it happen in the
kitchen and at the breakfast table! You’ve set yourself up
for an incredibly productive day - but you must feed your
physical body the calories it needs to carry you forward.
A small snack of raw
carrots, strawberries,
or even applesauce is
going to prime your
digestive system.
A F T E R N OON
6. Put Food First
Yes, we just talked about food. And yes, we are talking about it again because it is that
important!
There is no faster way to kill your brain’s processing power than by letting yourself get
hungry.
30% of all professionals skip lunch on a regular basis. 51%
30% of
less than 30 minutes for lunch, opting for small packaged
professionals skip take
snacks rather than a balanced meal. And worst of all, 66% of
lunch on a regular millennials believe that working through lunch is an effective
way to get ahead in their chosen career!
basis.
Instead of seeing food as an inconvenience to your ambiCIA operatives eat a
tion, reputation, or diet, recognize it as a force-multiplier.
Every strength you have - mental, physical, emotional, cre- series of small meals
ative - gets stronger when your body is properly fueled.
every 2-3 hours.
Always have a plan for what and when you will eat. CIA operatives rarely eat large,
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heavy sit-down meals. Instead we’ll eat a mix of smaller servings every 2-3 hours. A mix
of raw/pickled foods (fruits, vegetables), cooked foods (meats, grains), and cultured
foods (dairy) eaten throughout the day is easy for your body to digest, prevents hunger,
and has massive benefits for weight loss, lean muscle growth, and improved sleep.
7. Get Uncomfortable
Brain stimulation is the secret behind building a massive mental edge.
And the fastest and easiest way to stimulate your brain is to learn something new. But not
all learning is equally stimulating…
CIA, covert operators are in a constant state of learning:
Covert operators At
languages, driving skills, defensive tactics, technical tools, etc.
are in a constant But what you don’t see in the Hollywood movies is that we
throw ourselves into personal hobbies that are equally
state of learning: also
challenging and uncomfortable; musical instruments, art forms,
languages, driving exercise techniques, academic learning.
skills, defensive The worse you are at something, the more stimulating that
tactics, technical practice is for your brain. And the more stimulated your brain,
the sharper your mental edge. Not because the specific skill
tools, etc.
you are learning has to have tactical utility, but because the
process of forcing your brain to learn (aka: ‘absorb’) something new increases the information you will index later, which drives your ideation.
For example, being bad at the guitar may feel embarrassing and frustrating. But it also opens up a whole
world of new information and experiences that simply
don’t exist for someone who never tried to play a guitar.
The same is true for coin collecting, sailing, pilates, and
krav maga.
The worse you are at
something, the more
stimulating that practice
is for your brain.
Staying in your comfort zone will never give you an advantage over others. Instead, get
comfortable being uncomfortable and you’ll have an incredible mental advantage where
others are mentally stuck.
8. Get Physical
Exercise is well-known for its positive mental effects, so it absolutely deserves a place in
your new routine.
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Field operators always But the big idea you need to know is that field operators always prefer exercise in the afternoon rather than
prefer exercise in
the morning or evening. Similar to getting ‘quiet’ in the
the afternoon rather morning, afternoon exercise is an opportunity to switch
your brain back into ‘index’ mode.
than the morning or
While most exercise engages your sense of touch, exerevening.
cise can be repetitive and even rhythmic (running, biking, swimming, etc.). Sensory demand is reduced when the body enters a state of rhythm
because your brain enters a trance-like state that’s perfect for indexing information absorbed from the day’s events.
By ‘engineering your gut’, ‘putting food first,’ and ‘staying
hydrated’, your body will be primed for physical exercise.
Again you will get all the benefits of weight loss, lean
muscle growth, and improved sleep. But you will also get
renewed mental focus, energy, and another ideation boost
by giving your brain time to index information mid-day.
While everyone around is you waiting in line for coffee
or raiding the vending machine just to make it through
the day, you’ll be in peak mental (and physical) shape to
outperform them at work, in business, and in the field.
You will get renewed
mental focus, energy,
and another ideation
boost by giving your
brain time to index
information mid-day.
9. Break the Routine
Now that you’ve started to see the power and wisdom of your new routine, you need to
break it!
Routine is important,
but it should never be
set in stone.
Routine is important, but it should never be set in stone.
The whole reason you ‘got uncomfortable’ was because
the more you repeat the same skill, process, or habit, the
less effective it gets over time.
The way you maximize your mental edge day after day is by intentionally breaking your
routine to keep yourself in that ‘uncomfortable’ space. Breaking the routine can look like
eating at different times, changing what you are learning/practicing, or altering your
exercise routine.
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A long vacation can break a routine. A family trip can
break a routine. Do not avoid these breaks and changes
- embrace them because they are paying dividends far
beyond what you would get if you followed the exact
same daily routine.
The way you maximize
your mental edge each
day is by intentionally
breaking your routine.
If you are looking for small mental gains, sticking to a simple routine can help you. But
if you want an immense mental edge that you can use to get ahead, you have to break
your routine as part of the routine.
EVENING
10. Digital Cleanse
There is no greater threat to maintaining your mental edge than your own mobile device.
And the highest risk of your mobile device ruining your mental edge happens in the evening.
The highest risk of
ruining your mental
edge happens in the
evening.
There is no way around the digital world. Mobile devices,
laptop screens, and digital tools are everywhere for a reason. They make you more efficient at work, keep you connected with friends and family, and deliver awesome conveniences for everything from grocery shopping to home
repair. But in the evening, your mobile device flips from
being a value-add tool to a mentally-draining distraction.
Every app on your cell phone was designed to steal your attention. The constant barrage
of notifications, messages, and updates quickly drains your cognitive resources and overwhelms your brain’s ability to absorb and index information. While you can maintain
high levels of mental engagement during the afternoon, continuing at the same pace into
the evening poses risks to sleep, mental recovery, and the next day’s routine.
Every app on your cell
phone was designed to
steal your attention.
As early as possible each evening, put your mobile device on silent mode and place it somewhere out of sight.
While much has been written about the damaging effect
of blue light from mobile screens, the bigger risk to your
mental edge is the psychological addiction of checking
your phone. The constant interruption of beeps, vibrations, and alerts locks your brain in
‘absorb’ mode and prevents indexing. Delayed indexing means it will be harder to fall
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asleep, take longer to enter REM sleep, and your daily sleep cycle will become unpredictable.
The best way to set your morning routine up for success is with an effective evening routine. And your new routine starts by silencing and putting away your phone as early as
possible.
11. Human Connection
Spies value human connection over all other forms of information gathering.
Human beings are
willing to give
away their greatest
secrets if it means
connecting with
another person.
Hacking servers and stealing thumb drives make for great
TV, but they are the weakest ways to collect real-world
intel. Because human beings crave personal connection and they are willing to give away their greatest secrets if it
means connecting with another person.
You may not be stealing secrets, but your brain and body
crave human connection just as much as any spy. And
when you engage in human connection daily, you increase
your mental edge exponentially.
Ideation, creativity, and being ‘uncomfortable’ happen automatically when you engage
friends, family, and strangers in person. Your brain is put into a dynamic mode where it
must consume, process, and respond to information in
real-time. This is totally different from how your brain
interacts with a digital device, where the brain only
consumes and doesn’t need to process or respond.
Your brain enters a
dynamic mode where
it must consume,
Lastly, the human connection is critical if you ever inprocess, and respond to
tend to get to the last two steps of this CIA mental edge
information in real-time.
routine.
12. Get Romantic
One thing Hollywood has gotten right about spy life is that field officers love sex. And
lucky for you, sex has huge benefits that give you a powerful mental edge.
The average adult has sex 54 times per year - approximately once per week. However,
because not all adults are in steady relationships, the frequency of sex actually changes
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often. When a new relationship presents itself, you may
The mental benefits have sex daily or even multiple times a day. As partners
of sex do not come enter into long-term relationships, marry and have children,
frequency can drop considerably with sex happening every
from the act itself, few months (or less).
but rather the
The mental benefits of sex do not come from the act itself,
physiological effects but rather the physiological effects of ‘human connection,’
of human connection. hormones released during intercourse, and the way sex
naturally ‘breaks the routine.’
When you intentionally work toward romance, your brain is forced to look at the world
through your partner’s perspective. This mental exercise may seem small, but it is a major
shift from the way your brain works the rest of the day - where you primarily engage the
world through your own point-of-view. The information and insights you gain thinking as
your partner contributes to ideation and enhances the human connection you share.
When you intentionally
work toward romance,
your brain is forced
to look at the world
No matter what the sexual outcome, it is virtually assured through your partner’s
that there will be no predictable routine, which further
benefits your mental edge as the brain struggles through perspective.
When romance is successful and sex follows, your brain
is flooded with oxytocin - a hormone that boosts connection, attachment, and happiness. When sex doesn’t
happen, the romantic effort still builds human connection
(and keeps you away from your mobile device!).
the discomfort of romance.
13. Pre-Sleep Rituals
The final step to maximizing your mental edge is establishing a consistent pre-sleep ritual.
Rituals are designed Rituals and habits differ in one important way; habits are
designed to ensure a specific action takes place, rituals
to ensure a specific are designed to ensure a specific outcome beyond just the
outcome beyond the action.
action you take.
For example, you may have a habit of locking your front
door when you leave the house. The purpose of this habit
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is to ensure your door is locked and your home is safe. In contrast, many in the Jewish
faith place a small ornament on their door frame called a mezuzah. Each time they pass
through the door, they touch the mezuzah as a ritual to remind themselves of their commitment to their faith and honoring God in the way they run their home.
Locking the door is a habit. Touching the mezuzah is a
ritual. A person may do both, just one, or neither. But the
two are not the same.
The same is true for your pre-sleep ritual. You likely already have a series of pre-sleep habits: shower, floss,
brush teeth, let the dog out, read a book, etc. But these
habits serve no greater purpose than themselves. Now
that you are committed to building your mental edge,
honing it, and sharpening it each day, you need a ritual.
You likely already
have a series of presleep habits, but these
habits serve no greater
purpose than the acts
themselves.
Build your ritual by giving your brain 10-15 minutes to quietly index the events of the
afternoon and evening after you finish your nightly habits. Reflect on the human connections you have (or you are building); observe the way your body feels after a day of
healthy food and good hydration; remove any distractions that will engage your 5 senses
during the night.
Your goal is to let your mind index any remaining information so that you can have a
clear head and positive mood as you go to sleep and prepare to ‘let your body lead’ the
next morning.
A B O U T T H E A U T H O R Andrew Bustamante, Founder of EverydaySpy.com.
Andrew is a former covert CIA Intelligence officer, decorated US Air Force Combat
Veteran, and respected Fortune 500 senior advisor. Learn more from Andrew on
his Podcast (The Everyday Espionage Podcast) and by following @EverydaySpy on
your favorite social media platform.
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