Morning Routine For Productivity

In 2008, Michael Phelps won Olympic GOLD - completely blind. The moment he dove in, his goggles filled with water. But he kept swimming. Most swimmers would’ve fallen apart. Phelps didn’t - because he had trained for chaos, hundreds of times. His coach, Bob Bowman, would break his goggles, remove clocks, exhaust him deliberately. Why? Because when you train under stress, performance becomes instinct. Psychologists call this stress inoculation. When you expose yourself to small, manageable stress: - Your amygdala (fear centre) becomes less reactive. - Your prefrontal cortex (logic centre) stays calmer under pressure. Phelps had rehearsed swimming blind so often that it felt normal. He knew the stroke count. He hit the wall without seeing it. And won GOLD by 0.01 seconds. The same science is why: - Navy SEALs tie their hands and practice underwater survival. - Astronauts simulate system failures in zero gravity. - Emergency responders train inside burning buildings. And you can build it too. Here’s how: ✅ Expose yourself to small discomforts. Take cold showers. Wake up 30 minutes earlier. Speak up in meetings. The goal is to build confidence that you can handle hard things. ✅ Use quick stress resets. Try cyclic sighing: Inhale deeply through your nose. Take a second small inhale. Exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat 3-5 times to calm your system fast. ✅ Strengthen emotional endurance. Instead of avoiding difficult conversations, hard tasks, or feedback - lean into them. Facing small emotional challenges trains you for bigger ones later. ✅ Celebrate small victories. Every time you stay calm, adapt, or keep going under pressure - recognise it. These tiny wins are building your mental "muscle memory" for resilience. As a new parent, I know my son Krish will face his own "goggles-filled-with-water" moments someday. So the best I can do is model resilience myself. Because resilience isn’t gifted - it’s trained. And when you train your brain for chaos, you can survive anything. So I hope you do the same. If this made you pause, feel free to repost and share the thought. #healthandwellness #mentalhealth #stress

The 2-Minute Habit That Fixed My Broken Team I stepped into a nightmare scenario: - A talented team known for low-performance - Everyone working nights and weekends - Falling behind on every deadline The last thing we needed was another meeting. What we needed was: - More focus - More improvement - More mutual accountability Then I started a simple daily practice that changed everything: 💡"Called Shots" Here's the entire system: - Start of day: Declare your 3-5 key deliverables - End of day: Report what happened - That's it. The magic? Complete transparency. - Morning commitments shared team-wide - Evening results visible to all - No hiding, no blame - Just learning 💡Bonus: Friday became "Zoom Out" Day Each person answered: - Where were they thriving? - When were they getting stuck? - How could they improve next week? The transformation was dramatic: - Delivery speed doubled - Excuses vanished - Team confidence soared But here's what surprised me most: I never had to push accountability. They put it on themselves. The best systems? They reveal reality without creating resistance. The magic of measuring what matters? It shows your team knows exactly how to win. Want the exact template we used? I've recreated it for you here: https://lnkd.in/eiPgBNB6 And if this was helpful, please repost ♻️ and follow Dave Kline for more.

Here’s one tiny 2 minute nightly habit that boosts creativity, reduces stress, and helps you sleep better In 5 years, it will give you something priceless… Almost every night, I open a small notebook. I write one line. It might be: • A sentence I read earlier that stuck with me • An observation I made • A question I want to ponder A simple ritual that does three powerful things for me. 1. It marks the end of the day. That one sentence is my mental “off” switch. It helps me de-stress, shift my mindset, and prepare for sleep. 2. It invites reflection. A question I write might drift into my dreams. A funny line might make me laugh and relax. It’s a moment to process, instead of scroll. 3. It builds an idea bank. My notebook is a 5-year journal. 300 days × 5 years = 1,500 smart sentences, questions, and deep thoughts. A personal treasure trove I can return to forever. We overcomplicate journaling. We think it has to be long, poetic, or perfect. It doesn’t. One line a night. That’s enough.

Heads up: If you're a science lover or just want to know how I cut down on morning stress, this one's for you! During my time in Belgium, while my team was in India, my mornings began with a FLOOD of messages—good news, bad news, all of it—triggering instant stress. But I wanted to dig deeper. After some research, I discovered that upon waking, our brainwaves transition through various states from delta to theta to alpha and eventually to beta. Checking our phones immediately thrusts our brains into the beta state, leading to stress levels for the rest of the day. I wanted to do something about this so I changed my morning routine. Instead of being glued to my phone, I created a playlist with affirmations on Spotify, and listened to it each morning. This helped me stay in the calm brainwave phases crucial for mental resilience. It was a small adjustment but incredibly effective, giving me valuable 'me' time to reflect and set a positive tone for the day. Have you made any changes to your morning routine to ensure a more positive and stress-free start to your day? 💆🏻♀️

This 15-minute morning routine supercharged my productivity.  Every day, I spend 15 minutes doing a "brain dump" before checking my devices. I write about my internal triggers, frustrations, and worries.  This simple act helps prevent these thoughts from hijacking my attention later. Here's how to make it work: 1. Schedule it: Use a timeboxed calendar to allocate 15 minutes each morning.  2. Minimize distractions: Do this before checking your phone or computer. If needed, use apps to block distracting feeds and websites. 3. Write freely: Explore negative feelings with curiosity, not contempt. What's bothering you? What's on your mind? 4. Identify actionable items: What problems are under your control? What can you do about them? 5. Let go: Acknowledge the things you can't change. This practice helps you form an action plan for the day ahead, focusing on what truly matters. Try it tomorrow morning. You might be surprised at how much clearer and more focused your day becomes. Want more science-backed techniques for mastering your attention? Subscribe to my newsletter (link in bio).

How you should start every day for the rest of your life… (According to the highest-paid copywriter in history). ‘The Boron Letters’ by Gary C. Halbert is a collection of advice letters Gary wrote to his son from prison. They dive into a range of topics: Copywriting, direct-response marketing, business strategy, mindset and personal discipline. Gary’s 1.5-2 hour morning routine has always stuck with me... He ticks these tasks off before even starting work: •⁠ ⁠Physical exercise •⁠ ⁠Breathwork •⁠ ⁠Hydration •⁠ ⁠Nutrition •⁠ Reading •⁠ ⁠Writing Gary said that the disciplined habits he built contributed to his success. They optimised his productivity, focus, creativity and overall wellbeing. This is his optimal 8-step morning routine: 1. Wake up early: 5.30 - 6.30am Stay ahead of your competition and have quiet, focused time. (He doesn’t specify a time, so whatever works for you).  2. Do ‘ground work’ - walk, run or jog outside: 30-60mins Wakes you up naturally, sparks creativity and clears your mind. (Use this time to problem solve and ideate). 3. Deep breathing + fresh air: 10-20mins Ideally outside- reduces stress and sharpens your focus. (Take deep, slow breaths to fully oxygenate your brain). 4. Drink water: 500-750ml Hydration boosts mental clarity. (Add salt or lemon for electrolyte balance). 5. Eat a high-protein breakfast: 30g+ protein Maintains energy, supports brain function and keeps you full. (Avoid sugary carbs, they cause energy crashes). 6. Read: 15-30mins Daily reading sharpens your skills and mindset. (Non-fiction or anything that stimulates creativity or strategy). 7. Journal + idea generation: 10-20mins Writing helps clear your mind and organise your daily game plan. (Business ideas, personal reflections, creative strategy, to do lists). 8. Get to work: within 1 hour of finishing breakfast Morning hours = peak mental focus for most people. (Tackle the most high-value/ important take before distractions creep in). Win the morning, win the day! My routine is pretty similar to Gary’s: → Wake up, don’t snooze my alarm (don’t feel groggy) → Go a jog or do a mini HIIT workout (healthy dopamine) → Breathwork/ meditation (encourages quiet time) → Shower (at what point does Gary get ready for the day?) → Drink water (water + lemon and peppermint tea) → Eat a high-protein breakfast (Greek yogurt, fruit, nuts) → Journal (daily gratitude, freeflow it or use prompts) → Write (to-do lists, creative brainstorms, idea dumps). Light a candle, put my phone on DND for deep work mode and *usually,* I get into deep focus mode. In the afternoon when my focus dips, I have a screen break: Cook, go for a walk, change location to a coffee shop, read… My evenings are for me: I go to the gym every night and I'll go for a walk too. This routine has been years of trial and error. I'm also working with an ADHD coach now too to optimise it! How do you win your morning!? 💭 Reckon you could give Gary C. Halbert’s routine a go?

I've set goals and failed to achieve them. I've written down goals and never hit them (here is why). - I didn't integrate my goals into my daily activities. - I didn't make my goals smart ( it was a wish list). If you write goals more like a wish list, here is what happens... - Unimportant tasks will take priority. - You won't have daily actions to move you closer to your goals. - Your action taking will be inconsistent / make it up as you go along. But there is something worse... You'll lose confidence in achieving your goals. It will create doubt. You'll have a sneaking suspicion your goals are impossible. It becomes a vicious circle. You don't take the goals seriously, so you fail to hit them. You doubt the goal is possible, so you don't want to put effort into them. It's vicious circle that confirms you can't achieve your goals. BUT if you do want to hit your goals, you need to make them smart. You need SMART goals - goals that are clear and actionable. SPECIFIC - MEASURABLE - ACTIONABLE - RELEVANT - TIME-BASED Write down your SMART goals. Then diarise the actions you need to take. Example: Specific: Get more leads per week from social media. Measurable: 4 Leads per week. Actionable: Posting 3 times per week, grow my network, offering a lead magnet to new connections. Relevant: More connections will increase my reach, leads will help me win clients. Time-bound: By 7th May 2024, I'll be getting 4 leads per week. SMART goals are the way to achieve things. Set your goals, make them SMART and work on them every day.

That 6 AM Instagram check? You just trained your brain to crave easy wins over real achievement for the next 16 hours. Here's what neuroscience reveals: Your dopamine receptors are most sensitive in the first hour after waking. Whatever you feed them sets the tone for your entire day. Most people make these critical mistakes: → Checking phones immediately (floods brain with unearned dopamine) → Scrolling social media in bed (trains brain to expect rewards without effort) → Starting with passive consumption (conditions the mind for distraction over focus) When you give your brain easy dopamine hits early, every meaningful task feels impossibly hard later. You're literally programming yourself to avoid effort. But here's the game-changer: Delay that gratification. Start with effort-based activities instead. Here are 4 science-backed ways to win your morning: 1. Phone-free first hour: Keep it in another room. Your brain needs to learn patience before stimulation. 2. Natural light exposure: 10 minutes outside resets your circadian rhythm and boosts natural alertness. 3. Mindful movement: Walk, stretch, or exercise without podcasts. Let your brain wake up naturally. 4. Goal-directed work: Tackle something meaningful before checking messages. Train your brain that effort = reward. When I shifted from reactive mornings to intentional ones, my entire business transformed, not because I worked harder, but because my brain finally learned to enjoy the work itself. Remember: You're not just planning your morning. You're programming your brain's entire reward system for the day. What's the first thing you'll eliminate from your morning routine?

There is a dark side to ambition. The toll it takes on our mental health. Here are 3 simple steps to reclaim your peace: — Step 1: Use an adapted routine on those chaotic days We all know a smooth morning routine sets the stage for a strong day. But what happens when you can't stick to your normal, ideal routine? Find time for the "non-negotiables." For me, that is: • Meditate for 5 minutes • Write one thing I'm grateful for • Read one page of The Daily Stoic • Move my body for at least 30 minutes If I can sneak these 4 things into each day, it keeps things from unraveling. — Step 2: Focus on what you can control When we're stressed, overworked, and under-slept, it's easy to get upset at the very slightest obstacle. When I know I'm going to enter a hectic period of work, I set regular prompts (2 - 3 per day) for me to take a deep breath and remind myself one critical question: "Is this in my control?" If it's not, I detach from the emotion of it. Then I take one small step in the right direction on the task at hand. — Step 3: Be transparent with important people around you When I was younger, I tried to do everything on my own. I kept my feelings bottled up. The problem? This level of repression can erupt into a bigger issue when you least expect it. So, I learned to be radically honest with what's going on internally with the important people around me so I can lean on them for support. — Like a lot of over-achievers, I hold myself to very high standards. However, those taxing standards can come at a valuable cost to my mental health if I’m not intentional. There's been no better example of this than getting ready for the launch of The Purposeful Performer over the past 6 weeks. When everything feels like a priority, it's hard to maintain a clear level of focus and harmony. Earlier in my career, these stressful moments could have spun me in a downward spiral. Now, I rely on this simple 3-step approach to get me out of tough situations. How do you maintain a level of control on the chaotic days? 🐝

I used to think hustle was the key to high performance. Then I learned the real secret: REST is the most powerful RGA. Most sellers grind themselves into dust chasing performance. But I’ve coached 100s of top performers—and the highest earners don’t work more hours. They master their energy. Here’s how I worked 40 hours a week (never work nights or weekends) and still outperformed 99% of reps: Let’s flip the script on what it takes to be a top performer in sales. Everyone talks about RGAs—Revenue Generating Activities. But no one talks about the energy required to do RGAs well. If you want to prospect with intensity, sell with presence, and close big deals— You need rest. At a mastermind recently, someone called it the “Ultimate RGA”: Rest Generating Activities. Because without rest, RGAs fall apart. You’ll be foggy. Reactive. Distracted. You’ll confuse activity with impact. Here’s how I train reps to recharge intentionally—so they can win without burnout: 1. Plan 4 Vacations a Year I pre-block 4 weeks off annually. They’re non-negotiable. It doesn’t matter if it’s Hawaii or your local mountain trail— The key is knowing you are unavailable. Not half-working. Not checking Slack. Fully present. Fully off. 2. Track and Protect Your Sleep I use a WHOOP. You can use anything. But if you're not sleeping 7+ hours, consistently, you’re underperforming. You can’t bring intensity to your calls when you’re running on fumes. Sleep is a performance multiplier. 3. Calendar Block Your Breaks My calendar is blocked 12–1 PM every day. Lunch with my wife. A walk. Or just quiet. Three hours of deep work → 1 hour of recovery → back for the final sprint. Burnout doesn’t happen from work. It happens from nonstop work. 4. Ruthless Time Boundaries I stop work at 5 PM most days. No nights. No weekends. Ever. You don’t need 70 hours a week to crush quota. You need to stop saying yes to distractions and start owning your schedule. Parkinson’s Law is real: The less time you give yourself, the more efficient you become. 5. Say No to Busy Work I use the 12 Week Year system. Everything I do ties back to a goal. Internal meetings? Minimized. Slack and email? Batched and time-boxed. If it doesn’t move pipeline or drive impact, I don’t touch it. If you’re working 60+ hours and still missing quota... It’s not your work ethic that’s broken. It’s your calendar. Stop measuring your week by hours worked. Start measuring it by energy invested in what matters. You don’t need to grind harder. You need to recharge better. Work less. Sell more. Live fully.