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The Goal Digger Podcast | Top Business and Marketing Podcast for Creatives, Entrepreneurs, and Women in Business
854: My Morning Playbook: Routines, Rituals, and Productivity Hacks
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Jenna Kutcher
Figuring out for you what are the rituals and resets that will keep you in alignment, that will keep you energized for what you need to do. Because something tells me you're very busy and you have a lot of things you've got to get done and you're wearing a lot of hats and you're spinning a lot of plates. And if you don't have the energy for that, it's no wonder we're feeling exhausted and frazzled and stressed and burnt out. I'm Jenna Kutcher, your host of the Goal Digger podcast. I escaped the corporate world at the age of 23 with nothing more than a 300 camera from Craigslist and a dream. Now I'm running a seven figure online business that feels even better than it looks. All from my house in small town Minnesota. With my family here, we value time as our currency. We mix the woo and the work, and we are in the pursuit of building businesses that give us the freedom to live lives that we love. I've always loved turning big goals into reality, and I'm here to help you do the same. This isn't just a peek behind the curtain. Come along with me and my guests as we tear the whole curtain down. Every week we tackle practice practical no fluff marketing strategies and host honest discussions on what works and what doesn't. Join me and my expert guests for actionable insights to help you grow your dream business with confidence. Pull up a seat and get ready to be challenged, inspired and empowered. This is the Gold Digger podcast. I am an absolute sucker for wanting to know people's routines. There is just something about hearing how people start or end their days. Like I want to know their rituals, their routines, even those quirky little habits. It gives me a glimpse into their world. It's like this mini little field trip into someone else's life. And even when I can't totally relate, I love imagining what it's like to walk in their shoes now. Over the years, my mornings have evolved a lot. Parenthood, business, and life in general have reshaped how I approach my day. Today, I'm giving you a backstage pass to my exact morning playbook. What I do to set the tone, the rituals that ground me, and the productivity hacks that keep me on track. Whether you're juggling life as a CEO, managing parenthood, or just trying to figure out what works best for you, there is something here for you. So grab your coffee or lace up those sneakers. Let's dive on into my morning playbook. You know what's so fascinating about morning routines is that they are constantly evolving and it's so obvious. But I think a lot of us, sometimes when we hear people's routines, we take it as like, this is what happens every single day. And I don't know about you, but no two days look the same in my world, especially as a mom. And speaking of being a mom, it was so fun the other night. I was with my family. We had a huge get together. We love just like gathering together. And I was talking to my sister who recently had twins, and I was just telling her, and I keep encouraging her of like, you know, you are literally in the trenches right now. And it's so interesting. Interesting because my daughters are now three and six and I am getting so many glimpses of freedom and just the change in them with their independence and their ability to play together and just like all these different things. And it's so interesting with parenthood because it's like when you become a parent, you are literally like thrust into the deep end and you don't even realize how deep in the trenches you are until you start to see the light and climb out of said trenches. And so this has just been a really remarkable time as a parent because I feel like we are able to have more semblance of routines and we're able to have a little bit more time to ourselves. We're able to have a little bit more freedom to be autonomous people and not just mom. And it's just been a really beautiful time of parenthood. And I've. I've loved every stage. But there is something really, really beautiful about this stage. So if you are in the trenches, like my sister is, just know that I think things get easier. And you know, most parents would argue things get easier, certain things get harder. And I think that's true for every journey that we're on. But it's just been this really, really amazing time. And so what's interesting is, is that I recorded an episode a few years ago which I'm going to talk about in a little bit about just how routines were so unrealistic and based on the stage of life you're in. And if you're a parent or if you're juggling a 9 to 5 or if you're single, like your bandwidth is going to be different than every other person's. And so whenever I love listening to, I'm always having to put things through my own filter of like, would that really be realistic for me? Does that work for me? Is that in alignment with me. And honestly, at the end of the day I'm just really curious. Like, remember those cosmopolitan, like what's in her purse type vibes? Like, that's what this feels like to me is just like giving people a glimpse into your life. So I'm gonna give you a very detailed look at my morning routine and I'm also just gonna preface this, but this is all very subject to change. Things have changed so much over the years and I can only imagine even six months from now that this routine might look totally different. But I think it's fun to share it regardless. So when we wake up in the morning, the goal is to wake up before the kids. And I'm not saying wake up at 4am so that you have an hour to yourself. I'm saying I want to wake up like 10 minutes before my kids wake up, Just have a few minutes to myself. So the ideal day, which, let's be honest, most days as a parent is anything but ideal, is that my alarm would go off at 6:45 and I wake my kids up at 7:00am now what's so wild to me is the fact that we are finally in a stage of parenthood where we get pretty reliable sleep. Now that's not to say that a 6 year old doesn't come wandering into our bedroom, you know, every other night to get a little snuggle, or that our 3 year old isn't yelling, mom, I peed in the monitor like she did this morning. But that is the goal. The ideal would be that we get up a few minutes before our kids get up and that we just have a few minutes to ourselves to kind of center our own energy, get ourselves set for the day and then we go get our kids. Now one thing that we have is I got Drew this alarm clock for Christmas one year. It's called the Lofty. So we use the Lofty to wake ourselves up. It's a more of a gentle awake than like a device that just like starts ringing at you. And we also have not slept with our phones in our bedroom for probably a decade. So I've talked about it a million times on this show, but we have no cell phones in our bedrooms. It's just been a thing for us. It's been so beneficial. If you have not tried it, I would challenge you to try it. And so there's zero scrolling going on in our bedroom and I absolutely love it that way. And we actually charge our phones on the first floor of our home, in our little box in our pantry that's where we put our phones at the end of the day. And we don't typically touch them until. I don't usually touch my phone until the kids are off to school. So alarm goes off at 6:45. We have an actual Alar alarm clock in our bedroom. Highly recommend it. We also make our bed every single day. And I'm not talking just like, pulling the blankets up. I'm talking, like, even those throw pillows that you put on the floor every single night, we make the bed fully. It looks like a hotel, and I just. I love it. We are kind of neat freaks when it comes to our home, especially our room. It just feels like it's like our little domain. And so, like, I will go as far as, like, unplugging our white noise and putting it in a drawer, shoving extra pillows under the bed. Like, we just. It looks very nice and clean and tidy. And that's just like our room. I want it to be serene. I want it to be a calm environment. I don't want it to be a place where I feel stressed out. So every single morning, we make our bed. I wish I could say the same about our children's beds, but that's not true. And then if I'm lucky enough to get up before the kids, I will often do just a quick, intentional skincare routine. So usually I will start the day. I'll either splash water on my face or I'll just go straight to the Primally Pure clarifying spray. They have so many good toners. So it's either the everything spray or the clarifying sprays. But I love. And then if I'm not doing makeup for the day, I'll put on a little bit of serum or moisturizer. Today I did the clarifying moisturizer from Primally Pure, and that just, like, sits good on my skin. Especially in the winter months. My skin gets so dry. And so I love just kind of adding that, like, moisture barrier. If I am going to wear makeup, which is typically only on days that I'm recording or actually leaving the house, there's this product called One Skin. It's like a tinted spf. And it's really just a great product. I love it. And so I will often just put that on as, like, a base layer for my makeup days. And then a lot of times I'll actually get dressed and I'll just put my workout clothes on first because I love doing walking meetings. And I feel like if I get my workout clothes on, there's a way better chance I'M going to work out for the day. I actually work out probably six days a week, sometimes even seven. But I love just putting on my workout clothes right away. So most days I don't have to get dressed in real clothes, at least right away. And so oftentimes in the morning I'll just put on a sports bra, yoga pants and a sweatshirt and that's how I start my day. And it just makes it a lot easier once the day gets started that I can just kind of get into the gym when it best allows. Minnesota winters are not my skin's best friend. The freezing wind outside the Sahara level dryness indoors will make anyone's skin cry for help. But I found a little miracle in a jar. It's called Osea's Andaria Algae Body Butter. Now honestly, this body butter has become such a small but meaningful part of my self care routine. After my shower, I take an extra minute to rub it in. I breathe in that fresh, citrusy scent. It's like grapefruit and lime, but it also has this cozy feel to it. It has this hint of cypress and mandarin. I seriously wish you could smell it through the airwaves. OIA's Andaria algae body Butter is next level. 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And so I'll get up both of the kids, I get them dressed. I'm so lucky that Drew's home with me. So Drew goes down and starts breakfast right away. It's so cute. Quinny will wake up and she'll be like, I smell sausage. Or like I smell muffins. And so my job is getting the kids dressed and downstairs, Drew's usually starting breakfast. One thing for me that's been really interesting on my own health journey is that for a very long time, I just used to skip breakfast entirely. I was just someone who was convinced that I could do like the intermittent fasting that I. I'm not hungry in the morning. So that's like where this all stemmed from is like I would often just skip breakfast and then eat and have kind of a fasted morning and then eat. But one thing that I've gotten really consistent with is making sure that I get 30 grams of protein. And so for me, the best way that I can do that is in like a pre mixed protein shake. So for a long time I was doing like muscle milk. But they're not like the cleanest shakes. They're very easily accessible at like a target. And there's 30 grams of protein, which is great, and they taste good, which is good. But I. They're not like the cleanest protein. And so I switched to. I have two options that I usually will drink one of them each day. So there's Jocko mulks, which is great. They taste really good. You have to order them online, which is a little annoying with the shipping and boxes and that kind of stuff. And there's a brand called Pioneer Pastures that just got launched at Target. And so both of them are around 30 grams of protein. I'll usually slam one of those in the morning and that will give Me good protein to start off my day and make it so that I'm not, like, starving when lunch comes around. And then I'll have this thing called Quinton, and it's like a isotonic. It's like a saltwater thing. You just. It's this little glass thing, and I'll slam. It has really good healing properties. It has 78 essential minerals and trace elements. It just tastes like really salty water. So I slam one of those as well in the morning. And so I really just try to set myself up. And one thing that's been really helpful is that when I have my protein shakes in the morning, then I can take all my supplements in the morning, because I do morning and afternoon supplements. And so if I was just on an empty stomach, I wouldn't be taking my supplements in the morning. And I do feel like they help give me the energy that I need to start. So, like I said, I usually will keep my phone in our little box in our pantry until the kids leave. We just want a very, like, calm, distraction, free morning. And I feel like mornings are already chaotic enough. So oftentimes we'll grab a phone to put on music and we listen to, like, very, very calm music. I mean, sometimes we'll do, like, healing frequencies. Like, we have very calm mornings and, like, you know, dimmer lights. It's not super bright. We're not running around like crazy. And so that's kind of the mood. And oftentimes at breakfast, Coco has homework. She's in kindergarten. Oh, my gosh. Homework. So we're often doing her homework before she heads to school. So we basically have one hour of, like, getting the kids dressed, fed, ready for the day, homework done before they hit the road. So then at 8am that's when we load up the car and Drew heads out, and he'll take Quinn with him to drop Coco off at school. And it's about almost an hour round trip by the time they leave and get back into the house. And so that's really when I feel like my day truly starts in terms of, like, my own routines and rhythms, because that first hour of the day is very hit or miss in terms of, like, what is actually going to get accomplished? What is the vibe? How are the kids feeling? Are we rushed? Are we calm? What is that look like? So I love that when 8:00am Hits, it's like, okay, I've got, like, 45 minutes to an hour of myself with a quiet house to do the things that I need to do. And what's so interesting to me is that for so long, I used to like, the second the house was empty, I would crack open my laptop and get straight to work. And over the last few years, I've really pivoted that of like, you know, the whole you can't pour from an empty cup thing. But just filling up my own cup, getting myself energized for the day, doing the things that I need to do with a quiet house before I crack open my laptop and even just flipping that of like prioritizing self care first has just been such a game changer for me. And I recognize that it's probably not doable for everybody, but it's just what works for me. So post drop off is like when I look at this as like my reset. So regardless of if it was a smooth morning or not, this is when I start my own stuff. So oftentimes I will go downstairs. We kind of have like a little biohacking area downstairs in our house. I will lay it on my PEMF mat, which is pulsed electromagnetic frequencies. So it's a black matte, it has crystals in it, it's a warm mat, and I just lay on it. It's very grounding. It's amazing. Especially as I'm looking out the window and it's like negative 30 degrees out. Like there's no way I can go ground outside and stick my feet in the grass right now. It is literally a frozen tundra. And so laying on my mat is amazing. And then the mat is built by higher dose. One thing I love about them is I get to test out their products before they hit the market. And so I've been doing red light therapy for over two years, but they recently are developing a new red light therapy product. And so I've been testing that out and I am obsessed with it. And so I will go lay on my PMF mat, do my red light. I've done this for a couple years now. It's about 20 minutes that I'll stay there. In an ideal world, I am meditating while I'm doing this or like listening to a meditation. In reality, most of the time, this is when I am catching up on text messages, scrolling social, doing all of those things. And it's just like a very specific amount of time before I get into my work and my day. So even though it's not ideal, and I really do think that there's so much power in like creating before you consume, it's kind of hit or miss. Again, ideal world is like I'm meditating I'm just getting quiet in my own thoughts, thinking about my plan for the day. But oftentimes I'm like usually voice memoing my friends and catching up. So I just think this is a really nice time where it's like 20 minutes to myself just to pour into myself, my energy, my body before I get into work. Once I've done my little reset, that's when I start to jump into my day. And I've gotten really good at setting priorities. For me, my all time favorite days are the days where there is literally nothing on the calendar. I'm talking like meetings, calls, podcasts, different things like that. Like I love days that are like wide open. One of my goals for 2025 is to create more of those days. They're days where I get so much work done. And it's not just work, it's like the deep work, like the actual creative process where I can focus on like writing, reviewing, ideating, creating. And then on meeting heavy days, I end up stacking really similar tasks together for flow and focus. So usually I'll either have like a wide open day or I'll have a very stacked day. And some people would prefer to just kind of like, you know, make everything even, but I actually would way rather have a stacked day if it meant that the following day I could have a wide open day. So that is usually when I kind of get into work. So that's kind of my morning routine. The main priorities are just like very simple self care. Whether it's making my bed, doing quick skin care, getting in my protein, my water, just like prioritizing those things at the front end of my day. And then I get into work. And so it's been really helpful because I think for a lot of us it's really easy to put like self care at the bottom of our list. And oftentimes when we do that, we never actually even get to it. And so finding these like very micro small efforts that help me to feel better, more energized, more excited about my day has just been really helpful. And again, not all these things happen every single day. But like this is like my dream scenario. This is what I aim for on a daily basis. And one thing that I've really had to learn as a mom is that routines are awesome and super helpful based on what stage of parenthood you're in. But for me, resets are way more reliable and way just more applicable in this stage of life. And so instead of thinking like, if I don't do everything step by Step by step, my whole day is shot just looking for and claiming even like 5 minute reset of like, if I had a stressful morning, like, what do those first five minutes look like once they are loaded in the car and heading to school? Or if I got woken up really early, like, how can I just steal five minutes for myself to just get back into my own energy and to feel back like myself? And so I feel like when we think of routines and rituals, we often think that they have to be super elaborate. But I think that if you can create different rhythms in your life or different resets in your life, that can make you be consistent, that can just help anchor you back into your day. And so for me, you know, doing red light therapy and laying on my PMF mat, you know, I understand that that might not happen for every single person, but for me, that has just been such a good way to like ground, get in my own energy, step out of mom mode, get ready for CEO mode, and have kind of that transition. And I've been trying to just invite in more of those transitions because I've recognized over the years how easy it is to go from mom mode to work mode to mom mode to work mode, and like never actually getting back into like my own body and calming my nervous system down. And so if you're curious about kind of this thought process of like, you know, I am not in a stage of life where I can have this elaborate routine. I did an episode two years ago, it's screw morning routines, try this instead. And it's all about just claiming resets in your day. And that information is still incredibly applicable, still very pertinent in my life. And you might enjoy that as well based on what stage of life you're in. Okay, so now I wanna pivot and talk about some of the productivity hacks that I do. I think you know this, but in case you don't, I was diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago. It's something that I've struggled with my whole life. And now I'm just really putting the pieces together to really see the areas of my life where maybe it helped me and maybe it harmed me. And so having productivity hacks has been just so helpful for me. So that when I'm working, I am fully focused. I know what I'm spending my time on is worth it. And when I'm momming, I'm not sitting there, you know, doing blocks with my kids and thinking about work. I've recognized that, like, for me, mom guilt creeps in when I feel like I'm not fully present in whatever I'm doing, whether it's work or motherhood. And so for me, productivity hacks are not necessarily about working harder and smarter so that you can work even harder. It's just about making sure that when my time is going into my business, it's going into the best places. And I feel like I am doing meaningful work that's going to get me a return. So the first thing in terms of hacks is really tuning into your energy and designing your life as much as you possibly can around it. So if you are a full time entrepreneur, this is where the magic can happen. This is probably why you became an entrepreneur, so that you had more control over your life. And so if you feel out of control of your life, this is where I invite you to remember that you are the boss and that you are in charge. And so starting to pay attention to your energy levels and seeing if you sense trends. And this could be like a daily trend where like, like you're most energized between the hours of 1 and 3pm or it could even be a monthly trend where you're looking at your monthly cycle, if you get a cycle, if you're somebody who menstruates and figuring out like, when are you most inward, when are you most, you know, outgoing, like what does that look like? And so really paying attention to your energy and honoring it and trying your best to design your work around. So for me, when Coco first started school, she was actually just doing half day school. So she would go into School from 8 to noon every day. And so I in turn started stacking my hours during that time so that I could be fully present and available when she came home. And this was like a couple years ago. And what's interesting is, is that I still now have kept that rhythm because I'm naturally most energized and ready to go between those hours of 8 to noon. So I'll start my day with my own relaxation and meditation and then I get into work. And so even though Coco's eight in full day school now and Quinn is still home with us, I still try to stack my focus heavy tasks between nine and one and then I leave my afternoons open for lighter work so that I'm more available so I'm there with the kids and so that I just have more time to like do reviews and things like that. So you will not catch me recording anything after 1pm I'm not getting on calls after that time. That is when I kind of go more inward and do some of the more like, lighter work, like reviewing different things. And so the goal here is just identifying, like, when are your most productive times? And maybe you do a time audit, maybe you reflect, maybe you kind of figure out what are those hours and how can I reserve them for the highest impact tasks. And the goal here is to be able to align your work schedule as much as you can with your energy flow. And this is gonna help you avoid burnout and also just maximize your focus. And so we have different team members who have totally different, like, energy styles. Like one of my team members, she used to work the best, like in the hours of like 1am to 3am so I would get on in the morning and she would be delivering work from the night before. And so I have just always been the kind of leader where I'm like, figure out your own energy and as much as you can, align to that in a way that still supports the business and the bigger tasks at hand. It is so easy to lose track of subscriptions. Like, we've all been there, signing up for free trials or services we barely use anymore, and then months later, realizing how much money is quietly slipping through the cracks. Those forgotten subscriptions add up fast, and that's where Rocket Money comes in to save the day. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that makes it incredibly easy to find and cancel subscriptions you don't need anymore. 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If getting your finances in order is a priority this year, start with Rocket Money, cancel your unwanted subscriptions, and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Head to RocketMoney.com Goal Digger today. That's RocketMoney.com Gold Digger. RocketMoney.com Golddigger One of the most rewarding parts of Running a business is taking care of your team, but it can also be one of the hardest. That's why my team and I switched to Gusto, the all in one platform that takes the pain out of Payroll, benefits and HR. Whether it's W2s, 1099s or small group health insurance, Gusto has you covered. And with their offer letters and checklists, your new hire will feel welcome from day one. Businesses that switch to gusto save on average $2,600 a year and 48 hours of time. Their software is easy to use and accessible online from anywhere. Payroll is fast and easy, too. Gusto automatically files and pays all federal, state, and local taxes so you don't have to stress about paperwork. 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I stopped taking calls on Mondays entirely about a year ago so that I could just ease into my work. And then basically I started batching all my meetings on specific days. So right now it's like Tuesdays are my meeting heavy days. And on those days I'll walk on my treadmill during calls so that I stay active and energized. And I found that walking helps me stay more focused on the call. If I'm like sitting at my desk, I start opening other tabs. I I'm not fully like engaged. And so when I'm walking on the treadmill, I am way more just engaged and a part of that call. One thing that we're also implementing in my business is switching to having a chunk of time or even a whole day. We're trying to decide what it's gonna look like where we're implementing no Slack hours. So Slack is our instant messaging system that we use for our company. Think of like AOL Instant messenger about her businesses. And it's an amazing tool. It's how we communicate for the business. But what's awesome and awful about it is that you can get pings and dings at all hours of the day. And so one thing that we want to do to protect our focus is to implement no Slack hours to prioritize deep work. So what it's going to look like is like we'll touch base with our team members and then we're going to say like, hey, for the next four hours, do not slack anybody. Just do your deep work. Make sure that you have what you got. But that will allow people to stop kind of like chasing the next thing and really get their work done. So I'm really excited about it and I actually think it's just going to be good as a company wide culture to implement that into our business. And so figuring out like what is a focus block, communicating boundaries to others. We're so good at boundaries in my business. Like if somebody is on vacation or a maternity leave or they have a doctor's appointment, like, like we are so good at not bothering them. Like life is life and work is work. And that's something I'm so proud of. But one thing that we're just trying to figure out is like, okay, how can we turn off notifications metaphorically and in reality and use different tools to help us protect our focus? And what does that look like? You know, for me, I often put my phone into our RO box in the pantry and that helps remove notifications. I stopped wearing an apple watch a couple years ago. I just didn't want to be, be that available and that accessible. And so focus has just been a huge thing for me. And I feel like the more that I strip away some of those distractions, the more focused I'm able to be and the more that I'm able to surprise myself in what I'm able to accomplish when I'm focused. And so the second tip is having boundaries. And really at the end of the day, boundaries are a form of self respect and they help protect your time for what matters most. And so don't look at boundaries as something that keeps keeps things and people and opportunities out of your life. Look at boundaries as something that helps you stay in your life and do the things that matter the most. And so get really clear on what those boundaries are and feel confident in communicating those. Like at the end of the day people generally respect what your boundaries are, especially when they understand what the greater thing is that you're hoping to accomplish by infusing those boundaries into your life. My third productivity hack is to prep your energy and reset intentionally. So again, just like this episode is talked about, figuring out, like, what are your specific rituals and resets that help keep your energy aligned with your plan? I think oftentimes as entrepreneurs, we don't really focus on energy. I know for me, for the first decade of being an entrepreneur, my health was not my priority. And I will never forget the year that I had Quinn. I knew my book was coming out about six months later, so I was launching a book with a three year old and a six month old. And I remember just having this moment of panic of like, there is no way I'm gonna have enough energy to do all of this. Like, I spent two years writing this book. I want this book to be this beautiful thing that changes people's lives. But if I don't have the energy to promote it in the way that it deserves to be promoted, it's never going to get out into the world. And so I remember having this like, like, come to Jesus moment with myself of like, I have to prioritize my own energy and health in order to have the energy necessary to be the type of mom I want to be, but also to do the type of work I wanted to do. And so that was when I started to create so many of the healthy habits that I am leveraging every single day of my life now that have just become so second nature to me that I don't even really think about them. And so figuring out for you what are the rituals and resets that will keep you in alignment, that will keep you energized for what you need to do. Because something tells me you're very busy and you have a lot of things you've got to get done and you're wearing a lot of hats and you're spinning a lot of plates. And if you don't have the energy for that, it's no wonder we're feeling exhausted and frazzled and stressed and burnt out. And so, you know, for me, when I see stacked days, I am prepping for those with self care and recovery. I am thinking about hydration, I am thinking about sleep, I'm thinking about the food and fuel I'm going to have. I'm syncing my calendars with my husband. I am figuring out, okay, how am I going to recharge, like at the end of this, what does this look like? And so I've really been working in those healthy habits and self care into my work routine and it has just helped so much. So whether you meditate or you get morning sunlight on your face, or you go on a short walk, or you make sure that you are loaded up on hydration, like as I'm recording this, I have three different beverages is on my desk right now. You just want to prepare your energy ahead of time and incorporate resets that can assure that you're staying both effective and balanced. And so when you can start to see the rhythms of your business and understand kind of what it's going to take from you to follow through on those things, then I would challenge you to make sure that you are habit stacking and that you are incorporating the specific things that you need to be your most energized self and to finish the day feeling proud and not just like totally beat down and exhausted. The fourth productivity hack is a fun one. So I have gotten into the habit of like gamifying and simplifying tasks. And so I really struggle. And this is a trait common with people with adhd. I really struggle with mundane tasks. Like, I if something is so boring to me, I have to figure out a way to make it fun. And this is why, like, people with ADHD tend to have to, you know, listen to a podcast while they're brushing their teeth. Like, making mundane tasks a little easier and quicker to complete and maybe a little bit more fun has been a huge way that I actually follow through. Because what's interesting with me is that I am really good at doing, like, deep strategy work. I suck at things like, you know, packaging up an Amazon order to return or putting my laundry away. Like, executive tasks are really challenging for me because they're so boring and I just don't want to do it. And so there's this thing called the two minute rule, which is tackling any task that takes less than two minutes and doing it immediately. And one thing that I've learned about myself is that I have a distrust for my brain. I worry that I'm not going to remember something, so it drives Drew nuts. But like, I will literally be laying in bed and I'll remember that I had meant sent to Amazon certain vitamins for the kids or something. And I will get up in that moment and go order that thing because I worry that I'm not going to remember it and then I'm going to remember it five days later and it's too late. And so Oftentimes, if I have something and I'm like, it will literally take me two minutes, I just tackle it right there in the moment and get it over with because the mental load of it is heavier than the actual task at hand. And so, so that has been something that has been really helpful because oftentimes I get mad at myself that I haven't been able to follow through on certain things. Or if I walk into a room and I see a pile of my things, I like, berate myself of like, why can't you get it together? And so the two minute rule has been really helpful. Another thing when it comes to gamification is setting a timer to complete tasks. So if there is something that I am just putting off, like right now as I'm recording this, I'm thinking of the island in our bedroom closet, and I have a bunch of clothes that I've just taken off and they're just sitting on top of the island. What I need to do is, you know, set a timer for 10 minutes, put on a podcast, and just stay engaged and get that task over with. And so whether it's setting a timer, having a reward at the end, making it more fun, what I've learned is that small wins, a hundred percent add up. And so quick tasks and games can minimize mental clutter and boost motivation. And I found that if I have too much mental clutter in my brain, it is really hard for me to be in a creative place, to be excited about the work I'm doing. And so trying to alleviate the mental load as much as I can and just plow through the things that are kind of holding me down help free me up to do much bigger and more exciting work. Okay, the last productivity hack is just automating, delegating, and visualizing. So freeing up mental bandwidth by outsourcing and creating visual systems or cues. And so here are a few examples of what this looks like. So one thing that I've gotten really good at is looking at places in our life where we can automate things like bill payments, even grocery orders. Like when we order from Instacart, it's pretty much the same order every week. And so having that already loaded, where then we can just remove the grapes because we haven't eaten them them or add on extra rice or whatever that is, figuring out, like, how can I take some of the things that I'm so good at in my business, which is automation, and how can I apply them to life? Even things like bill payments or different things like that just Looking at your life and looking if there is something that you are doing repetitively, there is likely a place where you can automate it or create a system around it to simplify it. Another thing that I've gotten better at is delegating. And so I have been someone where basically every role in my business, I've played every role at some point. And so that is both a blessing and a curse because I know what goes into this business, but I also know how to do everything. And so oftentimes I'm very quick to just pick up slack or jump in. And I've been learning like, hey, it is better for me to lean on team members that already exist to do that work and not for me to just try to swoop in and save the day always. And so figuring out how to delegate low priority work or just communicate, here's where I need more help. This is something I've been doing with Drew too. We recently were flying and the airlines lost one of our packages. And so I was like, I need you to go on Delta and file a claim. Like, I don't have time for that. And so just figuring out, like, how can we delegate different areas and things? Because especially as women, we love to do it all. We think we can only do it right. And so figuring out how to delegate and not micromanage, which is a win. And then lastly, visual aids. It has been so helpful for me to have just more visual reminders in my life of like, what I should be doing, what I need to do. Whether I'm making sourdough, I always take a post it note and write down what time do I mix the dough? What time do I need to do my stretch and folds? Or having a visual calendar. Drew and I just recently got a skylight calendar and it's in our pantry. And it's so helpful to just, just see our week at a glance. We have a shared calendar. He can see when I have a lot going on with work. I can see when we have different appointments and meetings. And so seeing things visually helps keep me super focused and also avoids mental tab switching. So whether it's our project management system, which we use Monday in my business, post it notes, whiteboards, like visual aids are so helpful, especially with somebody that has adhd. So just remembering that you can create different ways to just support your brain, however it works best and just help for you to stay on task. All right, there you have it. I love mornings. I think mornings are amazing. It's not just a time to wake up. It's like this powerful foundation for the rest of your day. And so whether it's making your bed or sipping your protein shake, or taking a moment to reset with red light therapy, like every piece of your routine is this opportunity to set the tone for how you show up in your work, in your relationships, in your life. Now the routines that I shared today, tuning into your energy, setting boundaries, simplifying tasks, figuring out what your priorities are, are all designed to help you make the most of your mornings today and beyond. Now remember, none of this is about perfection. It is all about intention. So starting your days with rituals that ground you, rhythms that energize you, and tools that make your life a little easier, you are going to be saying thank you to yourself. Now, I'd love to hear from you. I would love to hear what is one part of your morning routine that you can't live without or a productivity hack that has changed the game for you? Hop on over to Instagram at Gold Digger Podcast and share it in the comments. I cannot wait to hear your insights. I am a sucker for people's morning routines and rhythms. I hope you enjoyed today's episode. I'm sure my routine will change and so there'll be a future episode of this and I really want to record a nighttime routine because I love hearing this and I also just think it's such a critical part of our lives that we often just rush through. And so if you want to hear my night routine too, let me know because I want to record it, but I also want to make sure it's something you want to hear. But thank you so much for listening to this episode. Until next time, Gold Diggers, keep on digging your biggest goals one morning at a time. Thanks for pulling up a seat for another episode of the Gold Digger Podcast. I hope today's episode episode fueled you with inspiration, gave you information that you can turn into action, and realigned you with your true north in life and business. If you've enjoyed today's episode, head on over to goldiggerpodcast.com for today's show notes, discount codes for our sponsors, freebies to fuel your results, and so much more. And if you haven't yet, make sure you're subscribed so that you never miss a future show. We'll see you next time, Gold Diggers Much more. And if you haven't yet, make sure you're subscribed so that you never miss a future show. We'll see you next time, Gold Diggers.