039: the Best Daily Rituals for High Energy and Rockin' Productivity Podcast

#039: The Best Daily Rituals for High Energy and Rockin’ Productivity

March 24, 2014 ______Introduction ● The 5 am Miracle - Episode #39: The Best Daily Rituals for High Energy and Rockin’ Productivity [Intro Song] ● Good morning and welcome to the 39th episode of The 5 AM Miracle. ● I am Jeff Sanders and this is THE podcast dedicated to dominating your day before breakfast. ● My goal is to help you bounce out of bed with enthusiasm, create powerful lifelong habits, and tackle your grandest goals with extraordinary energy. ● In this week’s episode I share a few of my favorite daily rituals that boost my energy and allow me to get more accomplished than ever before. ● But first, let’s begin with a New Behind-the-Scenes Segment! [Fade Music Up and Out]

● I thought this week would be a great time to introduce a new segment to the Podcast called Behind-the-Scenes. ● Every week I will tell a personal story that highlights a recent success in my life or something I am struggling with. ● The topics will vary considerably, but I want to provide a little more insight into what I do and how I think, which will hopefully clarify a lot for you as I give out so much advice here on the podcast.

● In the past I have covered these same ideas inside the Tip of the Week segment, but I realized that didn’t make much sense. ● I want to reserve the Tip of the Week for more traditional tidbits and quick recommendations, like a new iPhone app I just started using or a great book I just read.

● For my first Behind-the-Scenes segment, I want to make a quick announcement about my recent Website re-design.

● Old website theme was OLD and broken ● Last Tuesday, I lost control of my site ● I knew this was going to happen ● I planned ahead, but didn’t know what to expect ● I have been working non-stop to redesign everything ● It looks the same -- or even better -- and that’s a good thing ● If you notice anything funky on the site, feel free to shoot me an email and let me know: [email protected] ● I really appreciate feedback to keep everything working well.

● Now, let’s tackle the Tip of the Week! [Opening Night Music]

● Now, for this week’s Tip, I’m going to share an app I use every single day while driving around town.

● Say it Mail it ● $2 iPhone app ● Record your voice and email the recording to yourself ● Great tool for mobile note taking and ideas ● I use this app EVERY SINGLE DAY

● Used to use Dragon Dictation, but I had to click too many buttons ● Say it Mail it = 4 total taps on the screen (Dragon was more than 10) ● I barely even look at the screen anymore, because I know where the buttons are ● Not as safe as I would like, so use sparingly at stop light. ● SAY IT MAIL IT is only available for iOS devices, but I found 2 great alternatives for Android phones. ● Dragon Dictation ● Evernote for Android

● Suggestions? ● Let me know if you have a better method.

● Now, let’s jump into this week’s feature segment. [World Music Interlude]

● Last week I went into detail about my weekly review process. ● Part of that process is reviewing my daily rituals. ● I intentionally review rituals every week because they are incredibly important to my short-term AND long-term success.

● I used to have more than 20 rituals listed on my Daily Rituals Spreadsheet, but as of today, I have only 5.

● This number changes frequently, depending on what’s most important in my life AND what I want to keep track of in detail.

● Many of the rituals I am going to talk about in a few minutes are so habitual that I don’t need a reminder to do them.

● Also, before we dive in, I will note that I am intentionally using the word RITUAL, and not ROUTINE, or HABIT. ● There is a slight difference between these words and I want to clarify that distinction up front.

● The word ritual has a religious connotation, but in this context it refers to a series of behaviors that happen in a specific order. ● For example, a morning ritual might include drinking water, exercising, eating breakfast, and showering -- all in that exact order, every day.

● A routine is something you do over and over, like with a procedure or instruction manual. ● What makes routines unique is that they normally refer to tasks that are mundane, or incredibly boring. ● The dictionary definition even said that routines are dull and uninteresting. ● So, our goal today is to avoid routines all costs.

● A habit is something you do over and over, almost involuntarily, meaning that there is little intentional thought about it. ● Although you may think about forming a new habit quite a bit, once it’s formed you don’t have to think about it any longer. ● Habits can be positive or negative, and it’s definitely possible for a morning ritual to become a set of habits. ● Although, I don’t recommend that approach and I’ll explain why in a few minutes.

● Now, let’s review some of the key benefits to daily rituals and how your daily productivity can explode when you implement a few key strategies. Benefits of Daily Rituals

● Short-Term Benefits

○ 1) Clarity about what you’re going to do when you wake up, go to work, or arrive at home

○ 2) More energy because you become very efficient at getting things done

○ 3) Simplicity in every area of your life because you will likely cut things out that don’t matter

● Long-Term Benefits

○ 1) The power of the Compound Effect as little choices add up to major accomplishments

○ 2) Significant gains in productivity and completing major projects

○ 3) Major skill development in any area you choose

○ 4) Can become much healthier with a cleaner diet and better exercise regimens How Morning Rituals Make You More Productive

● 1) You have a limited amount of time, so you can’t waste any precious minutes -- choose wisely.

● 2) If you know you have a lot to do, it makes for great motivation to get up early and get started! ● The more I have scheduled, the more likely I am to be on top of my game and ensure that everything gets done. ● It’s true that if you want something done, give that task to a busy person.

● 3) If you schedule your most important tasks early in the day, you are certainly more likely to get them done. ● Don’t schedule time to write your novel at 8 pm. It won’t happen.

● 4) Rituals force you to ask yourself the most important question: what are the most important parts of life that I don’t want to neglect because I slept in or because I wasn’t intentional about my time? ● Many people neglect not exercising, or making time for reading, or working on their most important project. ● Rituals allow you the opportunity to get into rhythm and overcome the inertia that stops most people from never getting started. Why You May Not Want Your Daily Rituals to Become Habits ● I view daily rituals as a constant evolution of who I am becoming ● My goal is to challenge myself to do things I normally would not do

● As an example, I normally wake up and drink a liter of water ● Water was new to me a few years ago and it’s so important that I refuse to give it up ● But, it’s an intentional choice ● Drinking water is not a habit because I choose to drink it every morning ● It’s not an involuntary decision.

● The danger of habits is that they are NOT always the best choice forever. ● Some habits are great now, good later, and bad in the far future. ● Choose your habits wisely. ● Change, evolve, do something new whenever you can. ● Create a set of rituals today and intentionally change things every week during your review, or once a month, or at least every quarter. ● In other words, don’t let your rituals dig you into a rut. ● Always be on the lookout for opportunities to do things better and more intelligently.

My Morning Rituals

● Now, for the good stuff. ● Here are my current morning rituals that I go through every day of the week -- even on weekends.

● 1. Wake up at the appropriate early time. ● Notice, I didn’t say 5 am. ● I changed my approach to my wakeup call about a month ago. ● Most days I do wake up around 5, but not every day. ● 5 am is arbitrary. ● If they whole world work up at 5 am normally, this podcast would probably be called the 3 am miracle. ● The point of an early morning wake up call is to have a written plan for your day AND to maximize the time you have available. ● Some days I need to stay up late, so waking up early works against my goals. ● But, I try to wake up close to 5am to keep my wake up times as consistent as possible. 2. Get dressed in workout clothes and feed Benny (my pug) ● My dog wakes up when I do, so feeding and playing with him is an absolute must-do as soon as I’m up. ● I also put on workouts clothes immediately. ● This helps motivate me to workout, even if I don’t feel like it. ● Starting the process is a key strategy to following through with the whole thing. 3. Take my vitamins (B12 and D) ● My vitamins dissolve under my tongue, which takes about 10 minutes, so I while that’s happening I move on to step 4. 4. Check email and my tasks for the day with Nozbe. ● I use to avoid email until later in the morning, but I found that I feel more energized for the day if I can get to Inbox Zero immediately. ● I also like organizing my task list as soon as possible to remind myself exactly what’s going to be happening. 5. Walk Benny while drinking my 1 liter of water ● My morning walk with my dog is a great way to wake up. ● Plus, when I drink water at the same time I wake up even faster. 6. Make an espresso and eat a few bananas ● At this point my energy is starting to accelerate big time. ● Waking, water, espresso, and bananas is a killer combination for morning energy. 7. 20-30 minutes Reading (Bible + a personal development book) ● With my mind more alert, I like to read as much positive material as possible. 8. 30-45 minutes of Exercise ● Running, hiking, Burst Training, weight lifting, and/or yoga. ● I keep the workouts quick and explosive. ● Some days I workout in the evening, but I sleep better if I workout early in the day. 9. Breakfast smoothie ● I have talked extensively on the podcast about my morning smoothie. ● It is essential for me consume as much high-energy foods as possible, especially when I’m exercising more and training for marathons. ● If I have a busy morning and I skip any other part of my morning routine, I don’t skip this step. 10. Shower, Get Dressed, and Get to Work ● At this point I have been awake for about 3 hours. ● My morning ritual is long and full of lots of great activity. ● Depending on your schedule, you may or may not be able to handle a 3-hour system. ● Find what works for you. Productive Workday Rituals 1. Complete must-do tasks (anything that is due today) ● I have written a lot recently about must-do tasks, and I have done so because this has revolutionized my ability to focus and get work done that matters. ● The first thing you should do every day is what matters most. ● Nothing else. 2. Inbox Zero (reply to every email within 24 hours) ● No matter what, I reply to every email that has arrived in the last 24 hours, but most often I get to them well before that deadline. ● You can read my blog post about Inbox Zero at JeffSanders.com/inboxzero 3. Complete important projects that aren’t quite so urgent. ● Honestly, this is the fun part of my day. ● I love working on projects that don’t have a looming deadline. ● It allows me to be more creative, to try new things, and without the pressure to perform, I usually produce higher quality work. 4. Listen to personal development audio (podcasts, audiobooks, etc.) ● I listen to podcasts and audiobooks every day. ● Some days more than others, but whenever I have a mundane task, or I’m exercising, or walking my dog, I always find time to listen to inspiring and helpful content. My Evening Rituals

1. Make dinner // spend time with my wife, Tessa ● Tessa and I eat very different foods, but we try to eat at the same time and catch up with each other.

2. Do any household chores ● I don’t like doing household chores during the week, but if I have any, I do them at night.

3. Walk Benny ● I walk Benny again before bed.

4. Set out workout clothes and plan my next day in my task manager ● This is key to making sure my morning is efficient. ● With my workout clothes laid out and my day planned in Nozbe, I know exactly what I’m going to be doing.

5. Stop all work @ 8:00 pm ● I like having a hard boundary for stopping work because if I don’t, I will keep working for hours. ● 8:00 pm is arbitrary, but it works for me. ● I turn off the computer and focus on getting ready for sleep. 6. Read a personal development book for 30 minutes ● I like to end my day reading more in my personal development books or SUCCESS Magazine. ● I do like to watch some TV at night, but frankly, it gets old very fast. ● Reading is almost always the better choice.

7. Go to Bed around 10:00 pm ● Once again, this is time is a guestimate, but 7 hours is my minimum for good sleep. ● Anything less than that and I’m going to be exhausted all day. Create Your Own Rituals

● Hopefully today I have shown you a few ways you can structure your time and activities in order to have more energy and be incredibly more productive. ● The content today is big picture perspective on what an ideal day looks like for me. ● I don’t always function like this and not every is perfect. ● I don’t want to give you the impression that I have a flawless schedule or that I am somehow better at this stuff than you are. ● If you’re currently stressed out, overwhelmed, or just exhausted from life -- try creating an intentional plan on paper for exactly how you would like to see your day play out. ● This DOES work. ● I promise. ● I have many days when everything does go to plan and it reassures me that this system is effective and powerful. ● Try it for yourself. ● Download a template of my Daily Rituals Spreadsheet at JeffSanders.com/dailyrituals [Fade In Music] Announcements ● Just 3 quick announcements here at the end of this episode.

● First, if you’re looking to significantly boost your productivity, I think you would love The 5 AM Blueprint. ● The 5 AM Blueprint is an affordable way to get direct, customized feedback from me to create an effective schedule for your ideal day. ● And you can learn much more about it at 5amBlueprint.com. ● My 2nd announcement, if you have not yet joined The 5 am Club, you can easily do so today for free. ● When you join the club you will get a free copy of The 5 AM Miracle eBook, which shows you exactly how to wake up each morning with vigor and make enormous progress on your biggest goals. ● To join The 5 AM Club AND jump start your morning - visit 5amMiracle.com. ● My final announcement is that for my next podcast episode I will be discussing Equilibrium Zero. ● We will talk about how to keep your life simple in every way you possibly can. Final Thoughts

● As always, I would be grateful if you would rate my podcast in iTunes. ● That helps tremendously with keeping my podcast visible so that people who have never heard of it can discover it. ● I created a quick 2-minute video that shows you how to rate and review any podcast, which you can watch at JeffSanders.com/review ● Or, just head on over to JeffSanders.com/itunes to leave your review right now. ● Also, if you would like to see all of the resources I mentioned in this show, please visit the show notes page at JeffSanders.com/39, as in Episode 39. ● Well, that's it for this episode of The 5 AM Miracle. ● Until next time remember, you have the power to change your life, and the fun begins bright and early. [Fade Out Music]