What My Day Looks Like
Everyone's days are different. I thought it'd be fun and perhaps helpful to share my daily framework (which does change occasionally). This is not meant to be THE answer but just a guide. Read with an open mind and take what works for you and leave what doesn't.
5:00 am
Wake up!
I've been a member of the 5 AM Club since February 4th of this year (thanks to Robin Sharma's book, The 5 AM Club) and 99% of the time, I do not need my Apple Watch alarm (but there's that pesky 1%!).
As soon as I wake up, I get out of bed, make my bed, and then turn on the lights in my bedroom. This is very important as it is a signal to my body that it's time to get up.
I then sit in the chair next to my bed and read the Bible plus two devotionals. As I read, I am drinking water.
Next, I complete the morning prompts in my High Performance Planner (created by Brendon Burchard, available at Amazon). This is so much more than a planner.
Once this is done,...
The Power of Morning Routines - Morgan Gillis
Morgan Gillis is a business and habits coach with over 5 years of experience helping people break bad habits and build good ones. She started out as a fitness and nutrition coach back in 2014, but has since moved on to her real passion → helping entrepreneurs! Morgan believes wholeheartedly in the quote - “You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” She works with clients 1-on-1 as well as through online training programs such as her Morning Routine Mastery Course.
In this episode, Morgan and Mark talk and share our personal morning routines, hydration, her ALL and SOP strategies, the Japanese Water Therapy, and more!
Her website (the code is mentioned in the episode)
Building Unshakable Confidence - Jonathan George
Jonathan George is the CEO of JG Entertainment and he has been coaching, branding, and launching RockStars in the entertainment world for over years, as well as creating RockStar brands for top influencers and entrepreneurs. Jonathan is known as “The Human Hitmaker” because of his ability to see people’s untapped potential, his methods to pull that potential to the surface, and his ability to cultivate it into greatness. Now as the creator of the Unleash Your Rockstar movement, he transforms our future leaders and entrepreneurs from ordinary... to RockStar status so that they can reach their highest level of impact, influence, and success.
In this episode, we talk about self-worth, imposter syndrome, mindset, fear, rejection, and the one thing Jonathan wishes everyone would do.
Steps to Living the Non Nine to Five - Jen Shultz
Jen Shultz is the Founder of The Non-Nine-to-Five(tm) - providing education and coaching to Non-Nine-to-Fivers so they quit their job, stand on their own two feet, and find their purpose. Jen does this using a carefully curated 6 step process she designed from her own personal experience when she went against all safety norms and quit her job as a special education teacher over 9 years ago and became an entrepreneur.
In this episode, Jen and Mark talk about the unusual way she left her teaching job, a regret she had from when she started, and a powerful question you need to answer.
Oh No! We’re Among the 10 Million Americans Who Filed for Unemployment!
In March 2020, a record of 10 million people filed for unemployment in the United States due to losing their job due to the global pandemic. In this episode, I chat with my wife who was among the 10 million. We discuss how she's dealing with the loss.
How to Live an Empowering Life - William Gay
William brings you the change that you desire as a Life Coach and Leadership Consultant and has been helping people like you and business for over 30 years. As a successful entrepreneur, he has owned a resort and marina as well as other business and has taken the spiritual journey of living on the streets for a year. You can skip all sorts of steps by finding someone who has been there and can help.
On this episode, we talk about how people dealt with challenges in the past, what the 1% do, excuses, dwellers vs doers and a big "secret" to success.
10 Ways to be Productive During the Global Pandemic of 2020
Our reality
Covid-19 is real.
But it's not the end of the world. And it's not the zombie apocalypse.
We WILL get through this.
Follow the instructions from the experts and we'll be okay.
IDEA #1: STAY INFORMED, NOT OBSESSED
Consume enough news so that you know what's going on but that's it.
The more you watch, the more you consume, the more you'll feel overwhelmed and anxious.
IDEA #2: PLAN YOUR DAY
This is more important now than ever.
Involve everyone living in your household. What does everyone want to do during the day?
Structure is your ally. Remember day camp when you were a kid? You weren't allowed to run around like a chicken with your head cut off. There was structure. A time for play and a time for doing stuff constructive.
Create a list - which should be posted somewhere everyone can see it. That way, when someone or someones are bored, they can "go to the list" and pick something instead of binge-watching a...
What to Do When You’re Stuck
Have you ever felt stuck? I mean, you KNEW what to do...you even had a list. But you just couldn't get going?
I had a coaching call recently with a client who was struggling because they were stuck.
This particular client was very smart. They had the list of things they had to do. But at some point between the list and the action, they got stuck. They were getting stuck with the decision.
"What should I do next?" they asked.
Now, lest you think they're all alone, you've been there too.
You have this nice list of things you need or want to do. You want to get going but you're having trouble making that decision.
So as I was trying to come up with solutions for them, it dawned on me that what they needed and what you probably need as well is a nice swift kick in the behind. You need something that's going to jolt you into taking action.
Can you relate to this?
I told my...
10 Productivity Tools That I Use
I get asked a lot what productivity tools I use, so here they are in no particular order:
Brendon Burchard's High Performance Planner (affiliate link)
Why? It’s more than a planner. It has morning and afternoon prompts which helps me start my day with intention.
There is also has space for the day’s top 3 priorities, tasks that absolutely must be done today, space where I can write the person(s) I need to lead or connect with and how to do it well, a daily habits scorecard and a notes section where I write my goals in every morning and evening.
I've been using the High Performance Planner (HPP) every day since January 4, 2019. And when I write every day, I mean every day.
A Bullet Journal (I use this Moleskin 3.5"x5.5" pocket notebook - affiliate link)
I've begun doing something that might horrify you: leaving home without my iPhone. Full disclosure: I do go out with my cellular Apple Watch...but I can't surf the web or go on...
Helping Children Navigate a Difficult World - Wendy Gilhula
Wendy Gilhula is an educator, writer, and author of the Pika Bunny book series. Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the University of Tennessee, Wendy has created an innovative learning series that teaches understanding and kindness. Pika Bunny and the Thunderstorm (2017), Pika Bunny Has a Big Question (2018), and Pika Bunny Says EEP! (2019), feature life lessons children often face in a complicated world and presents tools to help them navigate such complexities with bravery, understanding, and kindness. Ms. Gilhula’s books are a yearly feature at the New York City Book Expo America and Book Con. Ms. Gilhula has devoted her career, spanning over twenty years, to helping children. A former dance teacher, she has specialized in supporting creative expression. As a math tutor, Ms. Gilhula has a unique ability to relate to children in a way that promotes excellence. Her books have been recommended by therapists,...