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The Balance Between Education and Action [Podcast #118]

How much should you read today? In this week’s episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast I discuss the balance between education and action. How much time should you spend reading vs. working, or attending conferences vs. building your side business?

We will dive into the specifics behind how you can determine how much time you should be spending filling your brain with new knowledge vs. putting that knowledge to work for you.

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The 5 AM Miracle Podcast: Episode #118

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Download the Script

Here you have access to the script that I use to record each episode. This is not a complete word-for-word transcript, though it does provide you with a detailed account of what I do to produce every episode of this podcast. Download the script.

Resources Mentioned in the Show

Focus@Will [my favorite productivity music solution]
Book Giveaway for The 5 A.M. Miracle [ending on launch day, December 15, 2015]
The 5 A.M. Miracle Book Group [on Goodreads.com]
Sign up for book updates [stay current with The 5 A.M. Miracle book launch]
Darren Daily: Healthy Environment [“You get in life what you tolerate.”]

High achievement is grounded in learning only

as much as you need, to do as much as you can.

– JEFF SANDERS

4 Lessons Learned Spending 8 Weeks Outside My Strength Zone

On July 20th of this year my website was hacked and malware was installed on my backend servers. My website was promptly shutdown and the next 8 weeks spawned into more work outside of my natural strength zone than I could have ever imagined.

Photo Credit: Compfight

One of my biggest challenges was staying calm and clear about the issue in front of me. I had to try extra hard to focus and remain objective so that I could speak with the right person who could help me find a solution.

I also had to constantly remind myself to treat others with respect throughout the process, even if I initially believed they were the cause of the problem. Believe me, no one wants to help you if you’re attacking them. They will only defend their position and leave you stranded.

3. Structuring Your Life Around Your Strengths Breeds Success

As I was toiling through the mess of website problems I kept having one thought return over and over again, when will this nonsense end so I can get back to what I’m good at?

What I was thinking about was podcasting, product development, and running. I was dreaming about spending my days doing what I love because I knew that I loved spending time on my strengths.

The more time I spend podcasting and leveraging my ability to speak, the better I am at communicating and inspiring others. The more time I spend running the trails, the more energy, athleticism, and enjoyment I experience doing an activity that provides phenomenal personal rewards.

What became crystal clear during the last two months was that I wanted nothing more than to delegate this hard work I hated to someone else. I knew that by continuing to try to solve these problems myself I was chasing a rabbit I would never catch.

On the other hand, by clearing my calendar of all things I should not be personally managing I would be able to devote more time to what I was born to do.

4. Simplicity Wins Every Time

Amidst all of the technical battles I was facing, somehow I missed the most obvious lesson of them all, simplicity is everything.

Keeping things simple removes friction. It clarifies confusion and moves everything forward faster.

When you find yourself surrounded by problems that exceed your current skill set there is no other better first step than to figure out how to define the problem in the most simplistic manner.

In the world of sales it is well-known that if you can clearly define the problem you can sell anything because your customer will believe if you know the problem so well you must also know how to solve it.

That’s what simplicity brings, only in this case you are the salesman and the customer. You must sell yourself on keeping complexities to a minimum while maximizing the effectiveness of the smallest number of moving parts.

It’s not easy, but it’s always the right answer.

Where We Are Now

Today, the website is in the best shape of its life. The site is faster, more secure, more reliable, and more customizable than ever. I have new systems, processes, and programs that enable me to bring my vision to life.

However, the site is far from perfect and problems are certainly not avoidable. Although, I am confident that these last couple of months have been worth the incredible effort and I hope you can see some of the fruits of my labor.

When too much of my time falls outside of my strength zone,

I know I will ultimately become inefficient, frustrated,

and wildly less productive.

– JEFF SANDERS

Going forward I am making it my mission to stay focused on maximizing my strengths and delegating everything else that I can. As a productivity junkie, it only makes sense to invest my time, energy, and money on the few things that provide the greatest return.

When too much of my time falls outside of my strength zone, I know I will ultimately become inefficient, frustrated, and wildly less productive.

Reorient Your Life and Work

As a final action step today, take a minute to analyze your current situation.

Does working outside your strength zone frustrate or embolden you?
Do you spend a significant amount of time working in your strength zone?
Is your career based on what you’re good at or what pays the bills?
Could you find a new job or start a new business that optimizes what you are naturally suited for?

Next Week

On the blog next week I will be shifting gears and sharing 7 reasons why trail running may be the best pre-breakfast activity, even if you wouldn’t consider yourself a runner.

Book Giveaway Begins Today!

My new book, The 5 A.M. Miracle, is launching soon and, if you live in the United States, you now have a chance to win 1 of 10 free copies!

Photo Credit: Jeff Sanders

The 5 AM Miracle Podcast

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What’s better than buying an awesome new book? Winning a free copy of that same book!

Between today, September 22, 2015, and launch day, December 15, 2015, you have a chance to win a free copy of my new book. As long as you live in the US, click the button below to enter for your chance to win.

I will contact you about a week after the launch date if you have won a copy. If you buy one before then and win a second copy, you now have a great holiday gift for someone special!

Enter the Giveaway



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GOODREADS BOOK GIVEAWAY

The 5 A.M. Miracle by Jeff Sanders

Giveaway ends December 15, 2015.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

If you can’t see the button above, enter the giveaway here.

Join The 5 AM Miracle Group on Goodreads

If you are a fan of books and The 5 AM Miracle, then you will certainly love being a part of The 5 AM Miracle Goodreads Group. After you join the group, be sure to share a few of your favorite books or even start a discussion about a related topic.

“Jeff Sanders has brought his energy and enthusiasm

from his awesome podcast straight into this

action-packed, goal-achieving book.”

– ROBERT D. SMITH

Author of 20,000 Days and Counting

Sign Up for Book Updates

Don’t forget to sign up for book updates. I will send out occasional emails to let you know about the pre-order process, book launch, and possibility of joining my book launch team!

Thanks a bunch!

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Health & Productivity Tips From Broadway Star Stephanie Gibson [Podcast #117]

How can you stay healthy and productive while balancing a wildly irregular schedule? This week’s episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast features an interview with the amazingly talented Broadway actress Stephanie Gibson.

Life is tough when you have 8 shows every week to perform on a Broadway stage and Stephanie shares how she has managed to succeed with this lifestyle for years.

Photo Credit: Stephanie Gibson

Listen to The 5 AM Miracle Podcast: Episode #117

Subscribe in iTunes

Download the Script

Here you have access to the script that I use to record each episode. This is not a complete word-for-word transcript, though it does provide you with a detailed account of what I do to produce every episode of this podcast. Download the script.

Resources Mentioned in the Show

@stephgib1 [Stephanie on Twitter]
Dates, Mates, & Clean Slates [Stephanie’s YouTube dating show]
College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) [University of Cincinnati]
Broadway Theatre Project [Tampa, FL]
Ziva Meditation [Stephanie’s meditation practice]
zivaMIND [stress-reducing meditation practice]
The song featured at the end of this episode is “Nothing More to Say” from the soon-to-be-released musical Over My Dead Body, written by Steven Jamail and Bobby Pearce, and performed by Stephanie Gibson.

Right when I wake up, before doing anything,

I immediately meditate for 20 minutes.

– STEPHANIE GIBSON

No Plan B: Taking Bold Action Without a Backup Plan

Over the last 6 months I have become an avid fan of Sam Jones’ podcast, Off Camera. Sam interviews many Hollywood celebrities and as each of them open up about their personal stories of triumph and tragedy I can’t help but notice one common and powerful similarity – they never had a backup plan.

Photo Credit: Compfight

A Sharper Perspective on Getting Things Done [Podcast #116]

Do you know when the optimal time is to do your work? In this week’s episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast I discuss how to organize when and where you accomplish your tasks.

Context matters, and making the right choices about which projects you tackle at different points in time can make a big difference in your results.

Photo Credit: Compfight

This Before That: Making Space for What Matters Most

There is an ideal order for everything. High School comes before college, we like someone before we grow to love them, and we order dessert even before looking at the menu. Well, maybe not the last one – unless your name is Robert D. Smith.

Photo Credit: Compfight

Dave Kirby Explains Why the World Needs the Best You [Podcast #115]

Are you at your best right now? This week’s episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast features an interview with Dave Kirby, host of the 1 Simple Thing Podcast. Dave and I talk about compassion and why he believes the world needs the best you.

Photo Credit: Compfight

You Don’t Plan Enough: The Killer Importance of a Detailed Action List

It’s true. You don’t plan enough, and neither do I. Your most important goals need more detail to move forward, if they are ever to be completed.

Photo Credit: Public Domain

The 5 AM Miracle Podcast

Subscribe in iTunes

Six months ago I was in the beginning stages of creating the Table of Contents for my new book. As a super Type A, detail-focused guy, I always start every big project by doing anything and everything except the hard work itself.

As it turns out, this tendency of mine is actually an asset, but only if I stretch it to its full capacity. Otherwise, I’m left with a series of procrastination techniques that never amount to anything.

The Problem with Winging It

Big projects are too complex to be left to chance. The tendency for most of us is to make a short list (or no list at all) and then just dive in head first.

The problem with this strategy is that we are assuming that the answers will just fall into place. We assume that by winging it we can work on-the-fly, solve problems as they pop up, and make progress without a formal plan in place.

This is a great strategy for small, familiar projects or for highly experienced people working in their strength zone who don’t mind the inevitable headaches that are certainly coming their way.

When you walk into a new project without a plan (or with only scraps of ideas thrown together on a napkin) you wind up with more problems than solutions and more stress than success.

What Hyper-Planning Can Do For You

It’s time to embrace your inner Type A. Think of yourself as a “hyper-planner” and let’s see where this takes us.

If the average person makes a list of 5 tasks for a project, the hyper-planner will have a list of 50.

If the average person begins writing the first chapter of their book on day 1, the hyper-planner won’t write a single word for a week.

If the average person writes a new task as “Work on my book today,” the hyper-planner will instead use, “Outline paragraph 1 of the Introduction with three specific content ideas.”

It Just Feels Wrong

Hyper-planning is the simple act of spending what feels like too much time in the “pre-work” stage and not enough in the “doing” stage. It’s counterintuitive for high-achievers who just want to get their hands dirty now.

Instead, the better solution is to think through the process. Outline every step you can predetermine and brainstorm what obstacles are coming your way.

What you will notice is that clarity comes rushing in and stress begins to dissipate. The more you plan the less you fear and the faster you will eventually begin to move.

This is especially important on a daily task list that is flooded with vague generalities and tasks that should be labeled as projects because they are way too big for an individual to tackle in a single sitting.

You Know Exactly Where You Are

During my recent sabbatical I was working on as many as 4 projects at the same time. The only reason I was able to do this without losing my mind was that I had detailed action lists for each active project.

At any given moment I knew exactly where I was in the process, what my next action would be, and when those next actions were scheduled on my calendar.

I would spend a few minutes at the end of each day revisiting my day’s work, re-shaping the lists as needed, and scheduling my next actions for the next appropriate day on my calendar.

In only a few minutes a day you can easily manage complex challenges if you move the planning from your brain to a reliable system outside of your physical memory bank. Write it down, spell out every detail, and reorganize the data as you move forward.

How Much More Planning Could You Do?

Take a hard look at your current, most important project and ask yourself a few key questions.

Are the tasks in this project spelled out with as much detail as possible?

Are any of these tasks too big for a single individual to accomplish in one sitting? And should those applicable tasks be converted to projects on their own?

When you read through the list of next actions, do you see a story being played out that makes sense? In other words, are the tasks listed in the most logical order and are you missing any steps?

Have you scheduled your next actions on your calendar at the most appropriate times?

Have you scheduled a review period at the end of each day, and especially at the end of each week, to review your progress and update your detailed action lists?

Plan Until You Know You Are Wasting Time

It’s a magical experience when you begin to hyper-plan effectively. You move from a state of confusion to one of clarity. You see the story of the project being played out right in front of you. And, you begin to accurately estimate just how much work the project will be.

However, there is such a thing as over-planning. You can spend too much time thinking about the work you will eventually do without ever actually getting started on step #1.

If you find yourself repeating the planning process, reviewing the steps over and over, and finding excuses to avoid taking tangible action, then it’s time to move.

If you feel like you are wasting time, you are. There’s no objective or predetermined amount of time to spend planning. It’s up to you to determine when the time is right, but it will be obvious.

I always know when I’m wasting time planning because I feel it in my gut. I know when I’ve checked, re-checked, and optimized my action lists, and you will know too.

When that time arrives, the real magic can begin.

Next Week

On the blog next week I will be discussing the effectiveness of choosing the hard task before the easy one, as well as a strategy for putting this idea into action without too much pain.

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7 Strategies to Stay Healthy at Work [Podcast #114]

How healthy do you feel at your job? In this week’s episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast I discuss 7 strategies to stay healthy at work.

It’s so easy to let bad habits take over at the office. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to during working hours to boost your energy, improve your health, and get more done.

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