Shed and Shine – Episode 90: Back to the Basics: Reset Your Energy, Impact, and Inner Peace

Hosts: Gino Wickman and Rob Dube
Date: November 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this "Back to the Basics" episode, host Gino Wickman guides listeners through the foundational teachings from his book Shine, revisiting both the "Three Discoveries" for freeing your True Self and the "Ten Disciplines" for maximizing energy, impact, and inner peace. Speaking candidly after a challenging and hectic few weeks, Gino stresses the importance of grounding oneself in these basics, especially during times of chaos, and encourages listeners to recalibrate by focusing on these essential principles.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Returning to the Basics: Context and Personal Reflection

• Gino opens by sharing how an extremely demanding three weeks left him exhausted ([00:45]).
• He emphasizes that even the most driven people need to reset periodically by returning to foundational practices.
• Quote: “We have to be so careful when life carries us away.” ([01:55])

2. The Three Discoveries for Freeing Your True Self

Discovery #1: I Am Driven ([03:02])

• Recognize and accept your driven nature.
• Self Check: “Am I running hot? Are you running hot?”
• Celebrate the gifts of being driven and be gentle about your weaknesses.
• The importance of self-love:
  • Quote: “Do you love yourself? Do you love your driven self? Because you’re supposed to." ([05:10])
  • Gino notes his own growth: “I’m learning and realizing I’m loving myself more and more every day.” ([05:20])

Discovery #2: Decisions Are Made Out of Love or Fear ([06:00])

• Every decision springs from love (True Self) or fear (Ego).
• The ego is a protective cocoon created from past pain.
• Insight: Recognize fear-based reactions as egoic and use awareness to trace their roots.
• Quote: “When you’re making a decision from love, it’s coming from your true self. It’s that simple.” ([06:40])
• Healing means letting painful blocks rise and pass through, as Michael Singer teaches:
  • Quote: “It comes up with just as much pain as it went down.” ([10:04])
• Achieving release brings peace and frees the True Self.

Discovery #3: It Is Possible to Be Driven and Have Peace ([11:55])

• The ultimate goal is to maintain ambition and impact while feeling inner peace.
• Self-Assessment: “Are you operating on a foundation of angst, or are you operating on a foundation of peace?” ([13:10])
• Gino describes feeling peaceful even through recent exhaustion — the “foundation” is what counts.

3. The Ten Disciplines to Maximize Energy, Impact, and Inner Peace

#1. Ten-Year Thinking ([14:24])

• Shift mindset beyond the short-term — focus on ten-year horizons.
• Long-term clarity brings peace, alignment, and better decisions.
• Gino shares his own 17-year EOS vision as inspiration.
  • Quote: “Go slow to go fast.” ([15:30])

#2. Take Time Off ([16:47])

• Schedule at least 130 days per year entirely away from work.
• Time off is essential for recharging and creativity.

#3. Know Thyself ([17:50])

• Be your authentic self all the time.
• Mantra: “Shed your shit” — let go of what isn’t truly you, and your real self will emerge.
• Self-love includes accepting and not harshly judging your less desirable traits.
  • Quote: “Think of some of your not so desirable traits. Embrace them.” ([19:40])

#4. Be Still ([21:00])

• Practice thirty minutes of stillness daily (meditation, journaling, contemplation, etc.).
• Variety in your stillness routine is effective.
  • Insight: “Mix up my stillness routine... do what works best for you.” ([22:20])

#5. Know Your 100% ([23:40])

• Decide and commit to the sustainable amount of work hours per week/year.
• Gino admits recent overexertion: “This last three weeks I have been at 140% and if I keep this up, I will keel over and die.” ([24:14])

#6. Say No Often ([25:55])

• Say no to everything outside your top priorities.
• Common challenge for driven people, but crucial for maintaining energy and impact.
• Advice: “There’s something you’re about to say yes to today that you need to say no to.” ([27:14])

#7. Don’t Do $25 an Hour Work ([27:45])

• Delegate low-energy, low-leverage work.
• Gino shares his “plug and play” approach: focusing only on high-impact roles (teaching, mentoring leaders).
  • Quote: “It’s just the next level of getting myself out of low energy work.” ([29:30])

#8. Prepare Every Night ([30:10])

• End each day by documenting the next day's plan — fuels momentum and clarity.
• Visualize your long-term goal realized each night before sleeping.

#9. Put Everything in One Place ([31:40])

• Capture all thoughts, commitments, and ideas in one physical spot, like a legal pad or journal.

#10. Be Humble ([32:40])

• View yourself as equal to everyone.
• Simple daily practice: “Just say thank you.” ([33:00])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We have to be so careful when life carries us away.” — Gino ([01:55])
• “Do you love yourself? Do you love your driven self? Because you’re supposed to, because you should, because it’s important.” — Gino ([05:10])
• “When you’re making a decision from love, it’s coming from your true self. It’s that simple.” — Gino ([06:40])
• “It comes up with just as much pain as it went down.” (On releasing old pain) — Gino quoting Michael Singer ([10:04])
• “Go slow to go fast.” — Gino ([15:30])
• “Shed your shit. Maybe this is the time to give some thought to that.” — Gino ([18:30])
• “There’s something you’re about to say yes to today that you need to say no to.” — Gino ([27:14])
• “I just need to plug and play into opportunities where I can create content...and anything else I’m just not doing anymore.” — Gino ([29:10])
• “Just say thank you.” — Gino ([33:00])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction and context: [00:00] – [03:00]
• Three Discoveries: [03:02] – [13:35]
• Ten Disciplines: [14:24] – [33:28]
• Closing thoughts and encouragement: [33:29] – [34:35]

Episode Takeaway

Gino encourages listeners to focus on one principle from the episode to implement right away, underlining that small, foundational resets can yield transformative impact. He highlights the value of revisiting these basics whenever life feels overwhelming, modeling authenticity and self-compassion throughout.

This episode serves as both a practical toolkit and a motivational reset, especially for driven entrepreneurs yearning for peace and true self-expression amid life’s intensity.