I go to a yoga studio that's famous for its 60-minute Nordic sauna-cold plunge classes.

In short, this class involves alternating between spending 15 minutes in the 230-degree sauna and three minutes in a 42-50-degree cold plunge three times over an hour.

This unique class attracts people who are eager to challenge themselves and support their recovery for greater personal achievement.

But what sets this Nordic sauna-cold plunge apart is the focus on community and conversation facilitated by the Sauna Lead within the sauna.

During each sauna round, the Lead combines breathwork, meditation, and thoughtful conversation.

It's not your usual small talk about sports or the weather. Instead, discussions push comfort boundaries and carry emotional weight, designed to make you think and grow, all while fostering community within a safe environment.

Some questions I’ve been asked as an attendee include:

• What do you hope to hear said about you at your funeral? And, by whom?

• What lie are you repeatedly telling yourself?

• What’s your greatest fear?

In a recent Men’s Leadership Sauna, a weekly class for men seeking growth, the lead asked, “What’s one area in your life that you’re a control freak about?”

Around a dozen members were present that night.

Surprisingly, more than half, including myself, shared the same answer: "My morning routine."

This response didn't surprise me. 

What did surprise me, in hindsight, was who specifically shared that answer compared to those who shared something else.

Since the class began, the same core group of guys attends every Tuesday night. Knowing these men well, I found it interesting that some of the most successful members that night -based on assumed wealth and prestige - shared their morning routine challenges. 

This included a lawyer, a seven-figure business owner, a couple of successful tech entrepreneurs, a former Navy SEAL and thriving real estate multi-business owner, and a dentist with a thriving practice.

Hmmm…

In today’s Unstuck Yourself Newsletter, I’m going to discuss why it’s essential you protect and prioritize your morning routine if you want to be, do, and achieve more. 

I’ll share must-have strategies to begin including first thing, while also sharing a list of anti-morning routine practices to shed immediately.

Don’t snooze on this. 

Your future self (and bank account) will thank you.

The Goal of Your Morning Routine

When your alarm rings, the countdown begins.

With each passing minute, not only slips away a chance to invest in your goals, but also a portion of your willpower, energy, and focus.

If you started the day with a full tank of energy (though most don't), it's likely down to 25 percent or less by dinner. As your energy dwindles, so does your clarity and productivity, not to mention your ability to make well-informed, logical decisions.

A protected morning routine can help conserve this precious energy and possibly even boost it, depending on your needs and choices.

Unfortunately, many of my clients exhaust their limited energy within the first hour of their day. This leaves them playing catch-up for the rest of the day (if they're intentional), or worse, grinding through with minimal energy.

This sets the stage for sub-optimal decision-making, reduced productivity, and increased vulnerability to emotional outbursts and poor communication.

Let's briefly explore three of the most damaging behaviors you can engage in at the start of your day.

Destructive Morning Routine Behaviors

The purpose of your morning routine is to optimize energy and focus to have as productive a day as possible. This helps to tighten the grip of emotional control you have, too. For the remainder of this article, I’m focusing on behaviors to do and not to do within the first hour of waking.

Below are a handful of destructive behaviors that rob you of your energy, deplete willpower and focus, and make it difficult to concentrate for the remainder of the day.

These should be avoided at all costs for the first hour of your day.

Scrolling on Social Media: When you choose a quick and cheap hit of dopamine to start your day, not only do you begin immediately draining precious energy, but you also train your brain to crave more and more of this. 

The result: you’re far more likely to gravitate toward social media - or other quick, cheap hits of dopamine - the rest of the day. This distracts you from the focus you need to accomplish your most important tasks. 

I’ve experienced this far more than I care to admit. There’s an indescribable difference in my focus and productivity depending on when I first check social media (or my phone). The earlier I begin scrolling in the day, the less productive and focused I am for the remainder of the day. 

Pro Tip: Challenge yourself to delay using social media, email, or even your phone for as long as possible to begin the day.

Eliminate Checking Email First Thing: It’s not that important. Seriously. If you’re currently someone who checks email first thing in the morning, ask yourself what you’re looking for in doing so. Chances are you’re looking for a fire to put out or a problem to solve. 

You’re literally training your brain to only focus on the fires and problems, further ingraining this heightened sense of stress as your default. This is not the way to begin and navigate your day.

Instead, you’ll be able to bring clearer, more effective solutions to the table after you’ve taken the time to ensure you’re able to operate from an optimal state of mind, which only comes after your morning routine.

Hitting the Snooze Button: Stop it already! This grinds my gears, to say the least. Are nine additional minutes of crap sleep really more important to you than going after your biggest goals? 

I hope not. 

Get up at the first sound of your alarm. 

When you hit snooze you’re literally sleeping on your goals and not following through on a commitment to yourself (getting up when you said you would the night before). This is what I call a lowercase “s” self-sabotaging behavior and behaviors like these can accumulate to pack a massive sabotaging blow to your progress and goals. 

Now that you’re clear on what you should avoid doing - at all costs - I’ll define how to approach crafting a morning routine that serves you.

Craft Your Unique Routine 

The goal of this routine should be to optimize your mind and body to navigate the day with an abundance of energy, clarity, and focus.

Your routine should be personalized, focusing on actions that resonate with you. 

While various suggestions circulate on social media, including meditation, hypnosis, journaling, reading, walking, cold showers, exercise, and prayer, the key is not to overwhelm yourself by incorporating too many.

High-Performers often err by attempting lengthy routines, which can hinder rather than help. The duration isn't crucial; it can range from five to 60 minutes. Your focus should be on choosing actions that align with your desired feelings and then consistently executing them.

Consistency is paramount. 

After reconstructing your routine, which I’ll help you do below, practice it consistently for at least 30 days. This duration allows you to transform behavior changes into habits, making the routine more manageable, and provides time to assess its impact on your productivity, energy, and focus.

Interested in learning more about how I help high-performers just like you unstuck themselves and unlock their full potential?

Apply to work with me and schedule a coaching discovery call here. 

A Tiered Approach

Your morning routine can and should remain fluid. 

It should adapt as you adapt and navigate different priorities and seasons of life. 

For instance, if you and your spouse are preparing to welcome your firstborn, well, I think it’s safe to say that you may need to be a bit flexible with your morning routine.

A helpful approach is to structure it into three tiers.

The first tier, the foundation, is non-negotiable. It's a commitment that, even with minimal time, you'll follow through because it offers the most significant return on your time investment. This action, lasting five minutes or less, can make a substantial positive impact on your day. For example, my first tier involves a five-minute breathwork routine.

Tier One: Daily Primer (< 5 minutes): This action should be non-negotiable. Short and sweet; your intention is everything.

• Gratitude journaling

• Breathwork

• Cold plunge or shower

• Mirror affirmations (e.g., saying “I love myself, I trust myself, I believe in myself” aloud while looking into the mirror)

The second tier is a priority that, if necessary, can be skipped when time is limited. However, completing it enhances the effects of the first tier. In my routine, this involves guided hypnosis audio on the Primed Mind App and takes no more than 15 minutes.

The third tier is an action that you should aim to complete for its substantial benefits. Yet, it becomes the first to go when time is scarce. In my case, this includes a 10-minute journaling practice.

Tiers Two and Three: Optimal Actions (< 15 minutes): To round out your three-tier morning routine, choose two of these actions. Make sure you’re clear on which is the second tier and which is the third tier so you know which you’ll strip away when necessary.

• Self-directed or guided hypnosis or meditation

• Breathwork

• Stretching or mobility routine

• Journaling

• Reading

While the goal is to complete all three steps as often as possible, the tiered structure allows flexibility, ensuring you can adapt your routine to different circumstances.

Reminder: Your morning routine should prime you to take massive action toward your goals. It should not inhibit your ability to do so because of the amount of time it takes to complete.

Bonus Tactic: Before you get out of bed, immediately focus on at least three things you’re grateful for, and then tell yourself that you love yourself the moment your feet hit the floor. 

It’s a potent combination - intentionally overwhelming yourself with gratitude, excitement, and self-love - that goes a long way in bolstering confidence, clarity, and accomplishment through the days, weeks, months, and years to come.

I invite you to try it out. 

Your Next Step

Take your time to identify the core of your morning routine. What are the one or two action steps you can take (in ten minutes or less) to help boost your energy and focus to begin the day?

Get clear on these.

Then, if desired, add another layer or two for when you have the time.

Lastly, execute! Put this new routine in place tomorrow morning immediately after your alarm goes off.

You can’t change unless you change.

Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter.

Interested in learning more about how I help high-performers just like you unstuck themselves and unlock their full potential?

Apply to work with me and schedule a coaching discovery call here. 

You may catch up on previous newsletters here. 

If you have a question about anything I discussed in this week’s Unstuck Newsletter, please message me on Twitter (@pauljsalter7) or Instagram (@paulsaltercoaching).

My email inbox is always open, too: [email protected]

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