Do you ever look at highly successful people and wonder how the heck they seem to accomplish more than you in the same 24 hours?
Maybe it’s your best friend… or your mom… or someone you know from work.
Maybe you look at Leonardo DiCaprio go – HOWWWWWW are you in all these amazing movies…
Winning all these awards… saving the planet… and always on vacation with supermodels?
It’s actually incredible. LOL
Maybe you don’t think that about Leo – yes, I call him Leo.
We’re besties… didn’t you know? LOL
It’s ok, he doesn’t know yet either.
But one day… one day… LOL
Anyway.
Maybe you have someone you know IRL who seems like a superwoman.
It could be your best friend… your neighbor… someone you work with… or even your mom.
The secret is… super successful people have learned some killer habits that make them productive, efficient, and resilient.
And today I’m sharing EIGHT insider tricks you can steal for your own life.
So the first hack is… consistency.
Consistency is the engine that keeps it alllllll going.
You aren’t gonna be successful if you do something just ONE time.
When you build a habit, you actually become more proficient with it. Create momentum.
And what happens when you create momentum?
You go faster… farther… with way less effort.
Which means you become… yep, you guessed it… more productive.
So before we dive into the other 7 habits… I wanna offer you this freebie download.
It’s my 21 day habit tracker so you can focus on building your consistency... consistently!
There's even space on the tracker for you to outline what you're working toward, why you're working on it… AND how you'll hack your life to achieve it.
Ok so consistency is your first hack…
And now you’ve got an awesome new tool for the rest of them.
The second hack is to get up early.
They say the early bird gets the worm.
And that's why uber successful people like Michelle Obama, Jennifer Aniston, and Apple CEO Tim Cook get up at the crack of dawn.
Quite literally.
Michelle uses her morning hours to work out.
Jen dives right into her self-care routine.
And Tim Cook promptly wades through his 700-800 emails (yikes!) when his alarm goes off at 3:45 AM.
I’m also an early riser.
I get up before my family so I can do my morning routine… which includes drinking hot water with lemon… meditating… working out… and doing a little work.
I love these quiet hours alone.
Where I can connect with myself and prepare for the day ahead.
Before I started doing this, I found myself stressed out a lot. And it impacted how I showed up for my team… AND my fam.
Which was no bueno.
So this one little tweak actually helped take the pressure down. And the productivity UP.
If you regularly feel overwhelmed by the amount of to-dos or responsibilities on your plate… give getting up an hour or two earlier a shot.
And do it consistently… for at least 3 weeks. See what shifts for you.
Ok so the third hack to be more productive… is to make your bed.
I know that might sound nuts.
But entrepreneur and author of "The 4-Hour Workweek", Tim Ferris, is well-known for this morning hack.
He shares that by completing his easiest (but most annoying!) task first thing in the morning, he gets a sense of accomplishment.
Feeling like at least ONE thing is under his control for the day – and everything else can be managed.
I’m a huge believer in a tidy bed.
It actually calms my nerves. When I see clutter or messiness, it makes my nerves jangle. LOL
And that’s NOT how I want my bedroom to feel. It’s supposed to be a safe haven.
So making the bed is a must-do in my house too.
It’s all about little wins… and knowing yourself well enough to do what will help you show up as your best self each day.
Yep, even if it’s as simple as making your bed.
Ok I briefly mentioned this one already but hack #4 is to meditate.
Deepak Chopra, Paul McCartney, and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey all meditate each morning without fail.
Not only is it deeply calming, it actually allows you to tap into your creativity, intuition, and inner well of resilience much more easily.
For me, I usually use my BrainTap app and headset.
It helps optimize your brain’s peak potential. Which is totally critical when you’re focusing on productivity.
There are a bazillion ways to meditate… and what I’ll say is… there’s no real wrong way to do it.
Other than to NOT do it at all. LOL
A meditation teacher I know says that the best type of meditation is the one you do consistently.
BOOM.
So that could be listening to guided meditations…
Doing a walking meditation…
Or following a particular style like Zen, mindfulness, TM, PSM, or whatever else you personally prefer.
Consistency is what matters, my friends.
Now this next hack may feel like a personal attack to you fashionistas out there. LOL
And it’s to wear the same thing every day.
Many successful leaders wear the same outfit day in and day out.
Steve Jobs was famous for his black turtlenecks and jeans.
Mark Zuckerberg says he owns about 20 of the same gray t-shirt.
And fashion powerhouse Kelly Cutrone rocks all-black daily.
See, you CAN blend fashion with a grown up uniform. LOL
By wearing the same outfit each day, you cut down on the number of decisions you have to make…
Which reduces decision fatigue and creates more business-building time.
BTW, a "capsule collection" of leggings, tank tops, and fuzzy slippers counts, right?
I’ve decided it does. So CHECK – I do this one daily. LOL
Alrighty… we’re on hack #6 already.
And that’s to get sweaty in the morning.
Yes, everyone knows exercise helps re-energize you and create a healthy lifestyle.
And if you're like me… it’s actually like therapy.
Everyone from Barack Obama to Kim Kardashian swear by morning exercise.
Getting your sweat on first thing can actually increase mental focus for up to ten hours.
TEN hours! For reals.
Exercise also produces mood-boosting endorphins – which can last for hours post-workout – which means you’re going to be in a better mental state throughout your workday.
You know I talk about time blocking a lot, right?Well, the very first thing to go on my calendar is my meditation block and then an exercise time block.
I literally build my entire day around it. It’s that important to me.
Summer is coming up… so if you’re normally an evening workout person, I wanna challenge you to bring in a morning workout now and then.
Just to change things up.
And notice if anything changes for YOU in your day.
If you have more energy throughout the day… if you sleep better… if you carry around less stress… if you’re in a better mood.
Consider it a challenge.
But quick note. If you’re like… Hayley, there’s absolutely no way I can do a morning workout… please stick with at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise SOMEWHERE in your day.
An afternoon or evening workout is 100% better than nothing ever at all.
Alright, hack #7… is an essential oil recipe.
If you have a busy or stressful day, try this custom blend in your essential oil diffuser before you dig in for the day.
- It’s 2 drops of Wild Orange.
- 1 drop of Tangerine.
- 1 drop of Lemon.
- 1 drop of Cinnamon.
- And 1 drop of Frankincense.
Here’s why they work so well together to create a super productivity blend.
Citrus oils are known to boost your serotonin levels and reduce norepinephrine (which is a stress hormone)... so inhaling their aroma helps you feel energized, but still calm.
Cinnamon is a quote unquote "spicy" oil that has many uplifting properties. It’s a great oil to pair with a citrus oil for productivity and energy.
And Frankincense has a sweet, woody aroma which helps ease stress – and promotes feelings of satisfaction, peace, relaxation, and overall wellness.
So when combined, you create a grounded, energized, and uber productive environment to get shiz done.
Lemme give ya that recipe again in case you missed it:
- 2 drops of Wild Orange.
- 1 drop of Tangerine.
- 1 drop of Lemon.
- 1 drop of Cinnamon.
- And 1 drop of Frankincense.
And now for our 8th hack.
Which is actually kinda my fav… even if it sounds a little dark. LOL
And that’s to treat every day as if it were your last.
See why I said it might come across as a little dark?
Really what this means is asking yourself the same question Steve Jobs did each morning…
“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”
OOOF. What a question.
Here’s how this question can help you redirect your energy… and actions… which lead to the outcomes you experience in your life.
If you find yourself saying… NO – this is NOT how I’d like to spend my final day on earth… wayyyyyy too often…
Well, then it’s time to change things up.
I’m not saying you need to ditch all your responsibilities to eat Bon Bons on the beach every day…
But beginning your morning with this same self-awareness technique will help you work “purposefully."
Meaning take ownership over your life… focus daily on your strengths… and find ways to minimize what brings you down.
No one loves everything they do every single day…
Unless you’re Leo DiCaprio. LOL
HE might be out there with Bon Bons on the beach right now! LOL
What I’m actually suggesting is to find bright spots each day.
And shift your life so you get to do more of what lights you up – consistently.
Do you hate your job but you feel trapped by it? Like you can never get out for some reason?
Is it making you physically ill… or depressed… or angry?
What can you do differently to get out of that vicious cycle?
Because it’s not good for you. Or anyone around you.
We all respond to stress differently.
And that includes stress that comes from within. Which is exactly what happens when we aren’t living our purpose…
Or living ON purpose.
There are always opportunities for change.
Whether that’s a mindset shift… or an actual change in your life.
You only have one life… live it purposely, friends.
So those are the 8 hacks.
And don’t worry about trying to remember them all.
I’ll include a link to check them out in this week’s newsletter.
You’re on my email list, right?
If you always want to get an invitation to my virtual events so you can calendar them…
SO many of you reach out afterwards and ask if there is a replay…
Nope, no replays… so get on the list!
If you’re not – or you’re not sure – the good news is…
When you download the consistency tracker I mentioned, you’ll automatically get on the newsletter.
And then you’ll be on the list to get those 8 hacks I shared today. Plus invites to everything.
I hope today’s episode has given you at least ONE new idea to try out.
Especially if you’ve been feeling BLAH lately… or like you’re stuck in a rut.
Or just not making progress the way you’d like.
Little shifts to how you approach your day – even the smallest habits – can add up to HUGE results.
I can’t wait to hear what you decide to put into action first.
Definitely hit me up on Instagram –
@hayleyhobson – and let me know, ok?
Until next week… I’ll see ya online.