Shed and Shine Podcast
Episode 72: Gino's Riff – Do You Really Know Your 100%?
Host: Gino Wickman (with Rob Dube referenced)
Date: July 23, 2025
Episode Overview
In this solo “riff” episode, Gino Wickman dives deep into Discipline #5 from the 10 Disciplines framework: “Know Your 100%.” Instead of rehashing the usual lesson, Gino focuses on common obstacles—limiting beliefs and personal barriers—that prevent driven entrepreneurs from fully embracing and benefiting from this discipline. He lays out five “pot stirrers” intended to help listeners reflect on their boundaries, energy, and fulfillment, with a goal of achieving true entrepreneurial freedom.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Core Teaching: “Know Your 100%”
- Definition: “Know the number of hours per week and the number of weeks per year that you want to deliver your gift, your craft to the world.”
- Personal Example: For Gino, this shifted from 55 hours/week to 40 hours/week, and he works 40 weeks/year.
- Analogy: He compares this to a car's “maximum fuel efficiency”—the optimal point for energy and output ([02:15]).
The Benefits of Living Your 100%
- Crystal-clear boundaries
- Greater impact
- More enjoyment and fun in your work
- Increased income
- Maximum energy output and higher vibrational state
- More reclaimed personal time
“You will absolutely make a bigger impact. You will have more fun doing what you do. You will increase your income. You will achieve maximum energy output. You will vibrate higher and you will get back more of your most valuable asset, your time.”
– Gino Wickman [03:55]
Pot Stirrers: Five Deep Dives into 100%
1. Finding Your Optimal Weekly Work Hours
- Process: It often takes trial and error; don’t expect perfection at first.
- Flexibility: Avoid rigidity unless it truly serves you; vary start/end times or block time for family or breaks.
- Example: Rob Dube takes an hour and a half in the middle of the day for lunch with his wife ([06:45]).
- Personalization: Some may want 10-hour days early in the week, lighter loads later.
“You can be flexible with this. The point is, there is a number of hours, we all have one... It’s genetic and it’s magical when you dial it in.”
– Gino Wickman [08:10]
2. Backing Into Your 100% via Lifestyle Adjustments
- Start with life goals (family time, morning routines, solo time) and build your schedule around them.
- Examples:
- Shifting work to start later if mornings are reserved for coffee with your spouse or working out.
- Deciding to stop working Saturdays to gain more rest and family connection.
“Sometimes backing into it will help get you to the right answer.”
– Gino Wickman [10:22]
3. Overcoming “Head Trash” and Limiting Beliefs
- Personal Vulnerability: Gino shares his own struggle reducing hours, feeling “embarrassed” and fearing accusations of laziness.
- Mental Shifts: Growing up with a “55-hours-a-week” mindset takes conscious effort to break—he references a client thriving at 35 hours per week as inspiration ([13:10]).
“It is, excuse my French, a mind fuck. It is challenging because I still have these limiting beliefs… I’m still a little embarrassed to say I only work 40 hours a week.”
– Gino Wickman [12:10]
4. Don’t Confuse Adrenaline with Burnout
- Adrenaline vs. True Energy: Many entrepreneurs are “addicted to their work” and may mistake adrenaline rush for sustainable vitality.
- Burnout Warning: If the hours aren’t working for you anymore, assess whether adrenaline is covering up exhaustion.
- Personal Story: Gino recalls his wife noticing his “wigged-out” look after long days, even though he denied feeling burnt out ([16:31]).
“We are workaholics, and we have to be aware. Are we numbing ourselves? … You think (the rush) is healthy and productive and good because it’s such an emotional charge… Frankly, in most cases, you are burning out.”
– Gino Wickman [15:40]
- Magic Number: There exists a “sweet spot”—work too much and burn out; work too little and get bored.
5. Identify Your Three Most Important Activities
- Narrow Focus: Determine the top 3 activities that are most impactful, lucrative, or energizing—ideally, those you love most or that move the needle.
- Fill Your 100%: Structure your workweek around those activities, delegating the rest to maximize impact and satisfaction.
- Gino’s three: Creating content, teaching content, and providing navigation for leaders ([20:05]).
“When I’m doing those three things, everything’s better. … Fill that entire work container, your hundred percent, with only those three things.”
– Gino Wickman [20:18]
Memorable Moments & Quotes
- Big shift realization:
“I was confusing adrenaline with burnout.”
– Gino Wickman [16:56] - On mental shifts:
“He made the mental shift. And so you may realize that’s the perfect work week for you. And you just gotta shift some things going on internally, like I’ve had to do.”
– Gino Wickman [14:05] - On the purpose of all this reflection:
“Please take a few minutes right now and write down all of your thoughts or re-listen to this episode and take some notes and make a commitment to yourself to live by this discipline because you deserve it.”
– Gino Wickman [22:20]
Noteworthy Timestamps
- [02:15] – “Know Your 100%” in a nutshell
- [06:45] – Flexibility in workday structure (Rob Dube’s lunch example)
- [08:10] – The “magical” personal number of hours
- [12:10] – Gino’s candid confession about shifting from 55 to 40 hours/week
- [14:05] – Making the mental shift, example of 35-hour/week entrepreneur
- [15:40] – Discussing adrenaline addiction and burnout
- [16:31] – “Wigged out” anecdote and denial about burnout
- [20:05] – The three most important activities
- [22:20] – Call to action: Write down your thoughts and commitment
Summary Takeaways
Gino’s episode challenges entrepreneurs and leaders to rethink their default work habits and to define their true optimal work rhythm—“100%.” By addressing both the technical (“how many hours?”) and the emotional/psychological (limiting beliefs, work addiction) aspects, he encourages listeners to experiment, reflect, and ultimately craft a work life that is maximally impactful, sustainable, and joyful.
Action Step:
Take time to identify your personal “100%” and your top three most valuable activities—then commit to restructuring around them for deeper fulfillment and entrepreneurial freedom.