The 5 AM Miracle with Jeff Sanders: Healthy Habits • Personal Development • Rockin' Productivity!

What does it take to raise 5 kids AND become a successful attorney? This week's episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast features an interview with Laura McClellan, host of The Productive Woman Podcast. ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: Laura McClellan 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 * aText [Typing accelerator software for Mac] * The Productive Woman Podcast [hosted by Laura McClellan] * @LauraMcMom [Laura on Twitter] * Getting Things Done [book by David Allen] * BusyCal [Calendar application for Mac] * OmniFocus [Task Manager for Mac] * Nozbe [My dedicated task manager] * Evernote [Your digital brain] * Dropbox [Online file manager] * Headspace [Meditation app] * Essentialism [book by Greg McKeown] Live the life that you want to live, not the one you ought to be living. – LAURA McCLELLAN Next Week On the podcast next week I will be revisiting my discussion from this summer about morning routines. We are going back to the basics and discussing how you can have the best morning you can, which is especially important as the holiday season draws closer. ← Previous Episode Next Episode →

I have been blogging consistently every week since 2012. As you can see in my archives, I have published over 400 articles and/or podcast episodes in the last 3.5 years (not to mention the 100+ posts from a previous blog). Today, I'm taking a bold step in a new direction. ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: Jonathan Rolande via Compfight cc Don't worry, I'm not disappearing or halting my content creation altogether. However, I have reached a bottleneck in my business and something has to give. The John Oliver Approach to Content Creation Over the last 16 years I have been a huge fan of Jon Stewart and The Daily Show. After watching Jon retire a few months ago I found myself engrossed in a similar and surprisingly brilliant show, HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. John Oliver embodies the “less is more” approach to content creation. If you have ever watched Last Week Tonight you know that every show is well thought-out, oozing with passion, and takes the time to respond and interact with the audience. Instead of creating another daily fake-news/comedy show, John Oliver opted for a fresh and intelligent approach to creating high-quality content that keeps you wanting more, which is exactly what I will be attempting going forward. The Dilemma As a self-proclaimed productivity junkie and health fanatic, I really do believe I always have more to give each day. This has lead to incredible progress on many fronts, but there really are only 168 hours in a week. As I discussed in Monday's podcast episode, I want to say YES! to every new opportunity and I hate saying no. However, in order to truly become the highest and best version of myself I can only say yes to the tasks, projects, and events that align with that vision. In other words, I cannot continue to commit to anything that takes up my time, energy, or money when I have high-priority projects waiting in the wings, ready to make their entrance. On that note, I am making a variety of cuts all across the board in order to free up space for what is going to matter most in my business and life in the coming months. Here's the Plan First, in the spirit of less is more, and devoting myself fully to a few high-priority projects, I will no longer be writing or publishing blog posts (or audio blog posts) on Thursdays. Though my articles are short, the time and energy required to produce them is intense, and I believe that time can be better spent. Secondly, I will continue to publish a new, high-quality podcast episode every Monday morning and I will likely be using many of my blog post ideas in the “Tip of the Week” segments. I will also continue to interview amazing guests, though I may focus more episodes on my own content, as those tend to hit home better with more listeners. Lastly, when I'm not working on a new podcast episode each week,

New projects are always great, right? Not quite. In this week's episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast I discuss when to say yes to new opportunities, and when it's best to focus and just say no. ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: .reid. via Compfight cc 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 * John Goddard's Life List of Goals [we should all aspire to have dreams this big] * The Most Important Skill in the 21st Century, Podcast [episode #53] * Fewer Goals and Better Results with a 12-Week Year, Podcast [episode #88] * The 5 A.M. Miracle: Dominate Your Day Before Breakfast [my upcoming book]    Having a lot of fun makes scary situations so much easier. – JEFF SANDERS Next Week On the podcast next week I will be interviewing Laura McClellan, host of The Productive Woman Podcast. Laura and I will be talking all about how she maintained a productive life as a mother of 5 children for many years, and now does so as a successful attorney. ← Previous Episode Next Episode →

I don't know about you, but I get ideas at all hours of the day. When I have a new brilliant thought, I don't want to lose it. So, I have located the best mobile apps for recording ideas on-the-go. ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: www.audio-luci-store.it via Compfight cc Some of my best ideas come about when I am talking. Sure, I get great ideas when I'm writing down my thoughts too, but there is something magical about speaking that makes ideas come to life. Also, as a guy who loves David Allen's Getting Things Done system, I find that getting ideas out of my head and into a trusted system is the best way to free up my brain for creative endeavors. Top 5 Mobile Apps for Recording Audio Notes NOTE: All of these mobile apps are available on iOS devices and there are very similar apps available on Android devices as well. 1. Siri Siri, the built-in voice assistant on iOS devices, may be the best solution for a few reasons. First, Siri is already built-in to your iPhone or iPad. Secondly, the hands-free nature of taking audio notes is hard to beat. With Siri you can record a transcribed email or text message and send it wherever you'd like, all without using your hands in many scenarios. I love sending emails to my task manager, Nozbe, and to my note-taking application, Evernote. I describe this process in detail on my previous article: A Hands-Free Method to Remember a Brilliant Idea On-the-Go. For a true hands-free experience, you can just say, “Hey Siri”, and record your message. For most iOS devices you need iOS 8 or higher and to be plugged into a power source to use this feature, but it is now available without being plugged in on iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. 2. Super Notes If you are a college student and want to record your class lectures, or if you attend a lot of meetings and would rather capture the audio now and listen to it later, Super Notes may be your new best friend. I find this app super handy for recording long-form audio and playing it back later. Plus you can take notes in the app while the recording is taking place. This makes it ideal during a speech or meeting when you would like to take notes and not miss a single word. The free version of the app lets you take a few notes with full functionality, but you will want to buy the pro version if you intend to use this app in the long run. 3.

What kind of music works best for you while you are working? This week's episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast features and interview with Will Henshall, founder and CEO of Focus@Will. Tune in as I pick Will’s brain, as he shares how to enhance your work with productivity music based on neuroscience. I personally use Focus@Will for multiple hours every day (which I have done for over 2 years now), and it's a thrill to talk to the creator of this amazing productivity solution. ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: Will Henshall 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 at Will: Improve Your Productivity with Music for the Brain [my article discussing Focus@Will] * Focus@Will [productivity music based on nueroscience] * Will Henshall speaking at TEDx Brussels [great talk about using Focus@Will] The more engaging the music, the more difficult it is to work. – WILL HENSHALL Next Week On the podcast next week I will be discussing when to say Yes! to everything (and, more importantly, when to say no). ← Previous Episode Next Episode →

Getting a guy like me to meditate is a hard sell. I'm not the type to sit still for too long. However, despite my own apprehensions, and thoughts of beginning a fluffy or “new agey” habit, adopting a daily meditation practice may be one of the best things I have ever done for my sanity or productivity. ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: James P. Mann via Compfight cc I have admitted multiple times on my podcast that I have started and stopped meditating multiple times in my life. Most recently, I was chatting with Broadway star Stephanie Gibson on episode 117 and she made a great argument for re-starting this on-again, off-again routine of mine. I decided to do a little digging, start meditating yet again, and finally convince myself to get this habit to stick for good. Hopefully, you will find this as persuasive as I did. 7 Reasons to Meditate Every Day In my research I found quite a bit of scientific data and even more anecdotal benefits of meditation. Since I'm not a medical doctor, and it's so easy to Google “benefits of meditation based on science,” I will share seven reasons to meditate every day through the lens of an over-programmed productivity junkie. If you're anything like me and you just need someone to tell you why you should stop doing your work on a Thursday afternoon to just sit on a couch with your eyes closed for 15 minutes, this is it. 1. You Remember to Breathe Most guided sessions of meditation, yoga, or even massage therapy begin with 3 deep breaths. For the longest time I associated this practice and breathing deeply with relaxation, and that's true. However, as I have begun to meditate more I have caught myself in the middle of the day forgetting to breathe. Not that I pass out from lack of oxygen, but I notice my shallow breathing. I notice my stress levels and anxiety with a keener awareness than before. Breathing is one of the most natural parts of life and yet putting a little intentionality behind it brings this common activity to a whole new level. When I catch myself in a moment of high tension, I take just a few seconds to breathe deeply and return to my work with the oxygen my brain needs to tackle the task in front of me. 2. You Connect the Dots When You Otherwise Couldn't I am the kind of guy who likes to barrel through a hard task. I clench my fists and fight through the muck, assuming that more force will produce the result I want. This strategy is successful some of the time, and works well with small challenges, but it only brings headaches and frustration when the challenges get tougher. Meditation provides a moment of clarity, a break in the madness that lets your subconscious mind do the heavy lifting.

Be honest, how many post-it notes, to-do lists, and random pieces of paper are flying around your office right now? In this week's episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast I discuss how to rein in your daily chaos with one central system. ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: Macro-roni via Compfight cc 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 [Productivity music based on neuroscience] * Free Live Training on Public Speaking [Sign up for this free webinar hosted by Grant Baldwin and Jeff Sanders] * How to Get Into the Career You Want: An Interview with Grant Baldwin, Podcast [episode #101] * Equilibrium Zero: Cut the Clutter in Every Area of Life. Podcast [episode #40] * How to Go Paperless and Revolutionize Your Productivity [This is a no-brainer] * Postbox [My email manager — works on Mac and PC] * Nozbe [My dedicated task manager] * 7 Must-Have Notebooks in Evernote [Yeah, you're gonna want these] * 3 Productivity Apps I Cannot Live Without [Yep, these too] When everything is in one place, clarity and productivity are inevitable. – JEFF SANDERS Next Week On the podcast next week I will be interviewing Will Henshall, founder of my favorite productivity music service, Focus@Will. Will and I will be talking about how he created amazing music tracks based on neuroscience and how you can best put this system to use. ← Previous Episode

Smoothies have been a central element of my morning routine for over 2 years. In fact, my breakfast smoothie is one of the key reasons I have been able to keep pace and get more done as my life gets busier and the demands get tougher. ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: skampy via Compfight cc In the summer of 2013 my trusty Cuisinart Duet PowerBlend died on me and I was thrilled! I wasn't thrilled because I disliked this blender — I was thrilled because I finally had an excuse to get a Vitamix! I bought a Vitamix 5200 and immediately began making amazing smoothies every morning for breakfast and my whole world changed. Ok, that sounds dramatic, but honestly, chugging a 64-ounce fruit smoothie from a Vitamix blender may be the absolute greatest way to begin your day. 7 Reasons to Drink a Morning Smoothie I do realize that there are many options when it comes to your morning meal, but I'm a bit biased towards smoothies. Here's why. 1. Packed with Nutrients I don't know any better way to fill your body with Mother Nature's best than through a well-blended smoothie. Among all of the fruits and veggies available to you in the produce section of any grocery story, farmer's market, or fruit stand, you can pick just about anything and blend it to your heart's content. Since I began drinking a smoothie for breakfast I have not been to the doctor for any illness. I have avoided common colds, the flu, and sinus infections — all of which I used to get on an annual basis. This amazing reality gives me even more confidence to continue consuming the best blended food on the planet. 2. Tastes Fantastic Yes, you can easily make yourself super tasty smoothies and you SHOULD! The more you focus on taste the more likely you are to continue this amazing healthy habit. I have talked quite a bit about green smoothies in the past, and most people are not convinced they want a salad for breakfast. The good news is that you don't have to go the distance and blend kale and chia seeds because fruit works just as well. In fact, I would recommend you focus on nothing but tasty fruit until you have solidified your new morning breakfast routine. You can always get creative and add in leafy greens later. 3. Tons of Energy If you know me, you know energy is the most effective weapon in my productivity arsenal. Fruit smoothies and green smoothies alike both provide incredible energy through natural sugars that your body can put to use right away. In combination with my morning liter of water and a double espresso, my morning smoothie rounds out a triple threat of energy,

Why does Taylor Swift make more money than you? This week's episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast features an interview with David Hooper and we discuss how you can expand your reach, deepen your impact, and influence just about anyone. ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: Jeff Sanders 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 [productivity music based on neuroscience] * RED: The Podcast for Influencers [hosted by David Hooper] * 23 Hours [David's blog] * @DavidHooper [on Twitter] * RED: The Marketing Podcast for Influencers [on Facebook] * Six-Figure Musician [book by David Hooper] * Eat That Frog! [book by Brian Tracy] * Lead the Field (Audio Program) [by Earl Nightingale] * The Sales Evangelist [Donald Kelly] Why is Taylor Swift making so much more money than other singer/songwriters? It's because she has built up that trust, influence, and authority. – DAVID HOOPER Next Week On the podcast next week I will be discussing how to reign in your paperwork, notes, and ideas with one central system. ← Previous Episode Next Episode →

I have been an avid trail runner for the last 7 years and without a doubt it remains my all-time favorite athletic activity. I wasn't born a runner, but the trails have a way of transforming even the most unlikely athletes. ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: lorenkerns via Compfight cc Surprisingly to me, last month the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) declared trail running an official sport. Validating an outdoor activity like trail running isn't life changing to most people, but it does mean something. There is a growing crowd of fanatics who love nothing more than to spend as much quality time as they can in nature, pouring their heart and souls into the dirt. From my experience, walking, hiking, running, or even just standing on a trail can become a powerful habit, one that is sure to help you dominate your day. 7 Reasons to Begin Your Day Running the Trails You have many choices when it comes to dominating your day before breakfast, but I honestly believe trail running may top the list. Here's why. 1. Fresh Air As much as I love the gym, or watching pilates videos in my living room, there is nothing better than being outside. The simple act of breathing fresh air can be a phenomenal wake-up call, especially if you are panting and gasping for oxygen over the next hill. 2. Energy I end every trail run smiling and bouncing to my car like a little kid. No joke. I come home and immediately annoy my wife Tessa because she can't stand how perky I am. If you want to feel better in a short time span, just start running. 3. Movement & Agility Let's get real, trail running is MUCH HARDER than road running. In fact, I would argue that 5 trail miles is equivalent to 7-10 road miles, depending on weather, altitude, and technical difficulty of the trail. While you're tearing up and down the hills, you are moving your body in bizarre and aggressive ways, which makes for a killer workout. If you want to learn more about trail running, my good friend Doug Hay has a phenomenal blog called Rock Creek Runner that is devoted to his ultramarathon and trail running adventures. 4. Time Alone It's a rare day when a trail is crowded here in Nashville. Most days I can find miles of trails all to myself, which is undeniably peaceful and serene. Being outdoors is great, but being outdoors alone is somehow even better. 5. Quickness It doesn't take too long to get a great workout on the trails. Most of my trail runs take only 20-30 minutes, and it's rare if I run more than 90. If you want a high-intensity workout, trail running can easily become a staple in your

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. ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: dfactory via Compfight cc 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

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. NOTE: The security team who oversaw the cleanup process of my website indicated that customer information was NOT accessed in the hack. If by chance that is not correct, which is highly unlikely, the only personal information that would be accessible would include email addresses. I do not store any financial information on my site, so any transactions you may have completed were done so securely. Contact me with any questions. Thanks! ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: Compfight pIn the seven years that I have been blogging and working with websites I have never been hacked, until now. I ended up paying a few companies hundreds of dollars to clean up the mess and return everything to normal – though the latter never actually happened./p pOver the course of the last two months I have also spent hundreds of hours restoring services, upgrading servers, writing code, troubleshooting acronyms that I don't understand, and trying desperately to learn whatever I had to in order to regain what I lost./p pThough getting hacked may sound rough, it was merely the tip of the iceberg — the instigator of the real work yet to come./p h2span id="more-124140"/spanI Am NOT A Coder/h2 pKnowing who you are is really a testament to self-awareness, a keen understanding of your likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, preferences and the lack thereof./p pIf I had to sum up the last 8 weeks in one sentence it would be this: emI am NOT a coder/em./p pcenterimg alt="Gray Bar" src="https://www.jeffsanders.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/GrayBar.jpg" width="580px" //centerbr / center/p h3iFor years I have thought of myself as a well-rounded guybr / who could do anything well. Turns out, that’s just not true./i/h3 p/p p align="right" style="margin-right:100px;"– strongJEFF SANDERS/strong/p p/centerbr / centerimg alt="Gray Bar" src="https://www.jeffsanders.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/GrayBar.jpg" width="580px" //center/p pI don't truly understand websites, server configurations, or technical jargon like HTML, PHP, or CDN. I know just enough to be dangerous and I frequently push the boundaries of what I don't know, which inevitably yields the end result you might expect: lots of errors, headaches, and angry fist pumps./p pFor years I have thought of myself as a well-rounded guy who could do anything well. Turns out, that's just not true. More than that, it's an awful belief system that has held me back from doing my best work for years./p h24 Lessons I Learned While Buried in Ones and Zeros/h2 pThough you may not spend any of your time wading through website code, you likely know exactly how it feels to take on projects that far exceed your current skill set./p pSince hindsight is so clear, I want to take a minute and reflect on a few lessons I learned from this mostly preventable experience./p h31.

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! ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: Jeff Sanders 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 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! ← Previous Episode Next Episode →

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. ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: Stephanie Gibson 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

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. ← Previous Episode Next Episode → Photo Credit: SkydiveAndes via Compfight cc In fact, nearly every successful actor, director, or producer that Sam has brought onto his show started with nothing more than a fantasy to make it big in Hollywood. That's all they had. Many had very little money, zero connections, and nothing more than the determination to succeed without even considering what they would do if they failed. Pushing forward without a Plan B is undeniably scary, and that's the point. This is What Fear Looks Like I wish I could say that the picture above is from my first skydiving experience 2 years ago, but there's no way I would have been able to smile that big. In fact, this is how my face looked: Here's a closer look: Notice anything different about my face compared with the guy in the picture above? What you see on my face is the realization that I too had no Plan B. There was no turning back and no way I could talk my skydiving instructor out of jumping. The insanity was going to happen whether I liked it or not. How to Succeed With Only One Goal in Mind The good news about my skydiving experience was that it worked. I jumped and didn't die. In fact, by facing my fear without an option to escape at the last second I was able to accomplish my goal and prove to myself that it's possible. Forgoing a backup plan is not necessary to succeed in every scenario, but my guess is that we all need to embrace this methodology way more often than we're comfortable with. Here are a few tips to succeed when you are tempted to fall back on Plan B, but know in your gut that you're only planning to fail. 1. Don't Give Yourself the Chance to Bail It might sound far fetched to pursue the stereotypical American dream of becoming a Hollywood celebrity, or an astronaut, or ___________ [fill in the blank with hopes and dreams that sound wonderful but have been squelched by years of doubt and ridicule]. How unrealistic are ambitious goals? As a guy who has a college degree in Theatre & Psychology I know what it's like to be questioned about your future. Are you planning to move to Los Angeles? Do you think you can make it as an actor? How long can you survive before you end up working as a waiter? I never planned on becoming a professional actor, but these questions and others like them only filled my mind with doubt, fear, and skepticism about my own abilities. In other words, I was already bailing on a dream that I didn't even have. I was letting myself believe the crowd mentality that only a select few peop...