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The 5 AM Miracle with Jeff Sanders 

#300: 7 Keys to Your Most Productive Day Ever  

August 5, 2019 ________________________________________________ 

 

Introduction  

[Play “Alternate”] 

 

● Recently, I decided to restructure my calendar. 

 

● I tweaked it, optimized it, adjusted it, and then 

realized that all of the tweaking was only producing 

tiny improvements. 

● I then decided to scrap my calendar and redo the 

whole thing from scratch. 

 

● The end result is a bold approach to doing just a 

few things, in the right way, that produce the best 

results. 

 

● This is The 5 AM Miracle - Episode #300: 7 Keys to 

Your Most Productive Day Ever 

 

● Good morning! 

● I am Jeff Sanders and this is THE podcast dedicated 

to dominating your day before breakfast. 

 

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[Fade Music Up and Out] 

 

● Before I dive into this week’s content, I want to 

thank you. 

● The 5 AM Miracle Podcast just celebrated it’s 6-year 

anniversary on July 1st, I just turned 35 years old 

on August 2nd, and now today, we are celebrating 

episode #300! 

 

● This milestone of 300 weekly episodes is a big 

deal, mostly because I would not still be here today, 

if it were not for you listening week after week. 

● This show is a ton of work to produce every week, 

but it’s always been fun. 

 

● In case you’re not keeping track of the data at 

home, in the last 6 years this podcast has been 

downloaded 7.8 million times, with an average of 

just over 100,000 downloads every month.  

● On top of the 300 standard weekly episodes, there 

are 42 extra episodes, including announcements, 

audio blog posts, and other bonus content. 

 

● If you were to listen to every episode of the show 

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right now, back-to-back, without stopping, it would 

take you 162 hours (or 6.8 days) -- which does not 

include any content from our sponsors -- just pure 

content. 

 

● I have interviewed 177 guests since the show 

began, and the most common repeat guest is my 

wife, Tessa. 

● No surprise there. 

 

● This podcast has been nominated for 6 podcast 

awards over the last 6 years, although we’re still 

waiting for our first win. 

● Maybe next year! 

 

● This podcast has been the central focus of my 

business since I launched episode #1 in 2013. 

● Producing this show has directly resulted in 2 book 

deals, dozens of speaking engagements, coaching 

clients, sponsors, and a phenomenal network of 

amazing people all over the globe. 

● Let’s not forget that I was able to make the 

transition from employee to entrepreneur because of 

this show, so I really can’t emphasize enough what 

an incredible honor it is to share my energy and 

enthusiasm with you every Monday morning. 

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● I end every episode reminding you that “you have 

the power to change your life, and the fun begins 

bright and early.” 

● That catchphrase is my mantra. 

● I live by it, and repeat it week after week because it 

reminds me to stay sharp, stay proactive, and stay 

the course to dominate my own day before 

breakfast. 

 

● On that note, let’s dive into this week’s content: 

 

7 Keys to Your Most Productive 

Day Ever 

 

● 1. Stop Tweaking What Isn’t Working 

○ Henry Ford famously said that “if he asked 

people what they wanted, they would have said 

faster horses.” 

○ What do don’t need is a faster or better version 

of your calendar. 

○ What you need is a NEW calendar. 

○ You need a fresh perspective that reinvents your 

current reality. 

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○ Andy Andrews, my guest from a few weeks ago, 

thoroughly discussed how small changes that 

result in 10% improvement are fine, but they 

don’t really move the needle. 

 

○ If your goal is to double, triple, or quadruple 

your productivity, you can’t approach your day 

and your goals with the same old approach. 

○ Something BIG has to change. 

○ Something significant has to happen. 

○ Adding 30 minutes here or there won’t get the 

results you really want. 

 

○ What does a new approach look like? 

○ Starting over. 

○ Clear your calendar and design it from scratch, 

taking into account the BIG goals you want to 

see accomplished in the next 90 days. 

 

● 2. Design Your Ideal Day 

○ The only way to achieve your most productive 

day ever is to first DEFINE your most productive 

day ever. 

 

○ In the world of productivity there are 2 

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approaches to getting things done: 

■ 1. Doing a lot 

■ 2. Doing what matters 

○ In this case, we’re going to combine both 

approaches by doing a LOT of what matters. ○ Your most productive day will be BOTH 

productive AND effective. 

○ It will be busy, and you will have incredible 

energy because you are doing work that means 

something to you. 

 

○ To identify what matters you will have to clarify 

your top priorities AND guarantee space for 

those priorities on your calendar. 

 

● 3. Clarify Your #1 Goal 

○ The ultimate form of clarity is to do just ONE 

thing. 

○ It’s the hardest goal of them all because no one 

really just wants to do one thing. 

○ We all want to accomplish dozens of goals, 

because we are bombarded with messaging all 

day every day about getting our beach body 

while building our million dollar business while 

making the time to be the world’s best parent, 

spouse, friend, and mentor to everyone we 

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meet. 

○ It’s exhausting, unattainable, and completely 

unrealistic to pursue all at once, even if we 

could do all of these things in a single lifetime. 

 

○ So, your mission is to clarify what absolutely will 

make the biggest difference in your life and to 

pursue the sole purpose with every waking 

minute you have available. 

 

○ Your #1 goal will overtake your ideal calendar 

and your ideal day. 

○ It will consume you. 

○ It will be the thing that wakes you up at night, 

and the thing you get random creative thoughts 

about in the shower. 

○ It will be your entire life, because your most 

productive day is based on pursuing a much 

bigger and worthwhile goal. 

 

○ Once again, our mission to be effective, not just 

busy. 

○ Our mission is to do what matters, and do a lot 

of that. 

 

● 4. Get Up Early 

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○ Yep, early mornings are important. 

○ Recently, I conducted a few experiments where 

I went to bed later, and then compared those 

days to others where I got up early. 

○ The difference was striking, not just from a 

productivity standpoint, but also from an 

energy, motivation, and purpose-driven 

standpoint. 

○ The days I woke up earlier were days I woke up 

on purpose. 

○ I had a mission. 

○ I had somewhere to be. 

○ I had things to do. 

○ I was up early to do something with my life. 

○ I was up early to make a difference and to make 

a huge dent in the projects I had committed 

myself to. 

○ Waking up early is not just something kitchy or 

trendy -- it really is a lifestyle that can make or 

break your progress. 

 

[Play “Spring in My Step”] 

 

● Now we’ll pause here for just a minute to feature 

and thank my premium sponsors of The 5 AM 

Miracle. 

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[Freshbooks] 

● Starting a new business can be tough work.  

● It takes a lot of late nights, early mornings, and the 

occasional all-nighter.  

● Bottom line: there’s always a lot to get done. 

 

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● It’s simple, intuitive, and keeps you way more 

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● Those old-school, clunky payroll providers just 

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● But Gusto is. 

 

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● Try a demo and see for yourself at Gusto.com/5am. ● That’s Gusto.com/5am 

 

[Fade Out Music] 

 

● 5. Change Your Environment 

○ Where you work is EVERYTHING. 

○ Your environment determines your results. 

○ If you want to get more done, or achieve a 

specific result, you have to put yourself in the 

ideal environment that breeds those results. 

 

○ I’ve said this before, but this is worth repeating 

1,000 times. 

○ If you want to workout effectively, go to the 

gym. 

○ I’ve never had a great workout in a coffee shop, 

library, or even at my own house. 

○ My best workouts ALWAYS happen in the gym or 

at the park. 

○ Imagine that you are standing in a gym and 

wearing workout clothes -- what are the odds 

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that you are going to workout? 

○ Really good! 

○ It may not guarantee a great workout, but it will 

guarantee that you do what you planned to do. 

○ Likewise, your most productive day will be 

based on your defining what matters most AND 

then putting yourself in the environment that 

guarantees you make the most progress possible 

on that goal. 

 

○ I recently stopped working from home. 

○ That may sound weird because as an 

entrepreneur who has no boss, I have defined 

myself as someone who “works from home”. 

○ As it turns out, when I am at home I am really 

good at doing the laundry, taking my dog on a 

walk, and making an elaborate lunch. 

○ What I’m not great at doing is WORKING. 

 

○ So, I changed my environment. 

○ I now commute to my wife’s office and work 

from there. 

○ My wife is a professor at a university here in 

Nashville, so I work at the university’s library. 

○ I wear casual clothes and carry a backpack, so 

everyone assumes I’m a student. 

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○ I login to the university’s wifi with my wife’s 

info and start plugging away. 

○ I wrote the script for this podcast episode at the 

library, just like I wrote both of my books, and 

just like I will probably write my next one. 

○ It’s really hard to do my laundry at the library. 

○ It’s really hard to walk my dog, clean my house, 

or waste time in a place to breeds quiet 

productivity. 

 

○ If you want better results, go to the place that 

guarantees better results. 

 

● 6. Change Your Diet 

○ I have spoken at length on this podcast about 

my plant-based diet, so I won’t go into detail 

about it here. 

 

○ However, what I will say today is critical for 

your daily habits and your overall productivity. 

○ What you eat matters. 

○ What you eat has a DIRECT impact on your 

energy, focus, and ability to think and work at 

the highest levels. 

○ If your goal is to get more done, you absolutely 

have to be intentional about what you eat, how 

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much you eat, and when you eat it. 

 

○ Diet and nutrition are some of the most 

debated topics on the planet, and I have no 

intention of discussing the nuances of my daily 

choices compared to the millions of other 

options we all have every day. 

○ What is important to consider, and what has 

worked well for me, is to be willing to make 

radical changes if you want to get radically 

better results. 

○ My willingness to change is what opened my 

mind to going vegan 9 years ago. 

○ My willingness to change allowed me to 

experiment with dozens of diets, and I’ve 

learned A LOT about how my body responds to 

many different foods. 

○ For the sake of our topic today, and to help you 

ensure your most productive day ever, I would 

highly encourage you to take a serious look at 

the foods and beverages that you eat on a 

consistent basis. 

○ My guess is that you already know of half a 

dozen foods you would cut out, and about half a 

dozen more you know you know you could begin 

to eat for better energy, focus, and a trimmer 

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waistline. 

 

○ I recently restarted a habit I had years ago, which is to pack my daily produce bag. 

○ Yes, a produce bag. 

○ I bought a reusable bag from Whole Foods, and 

every morning I fill that bag with fresh, organic, 

ripe fruits and veggies. 

○ All day long I eat out of that bag. 

○ No lunch break. 

○ No vending machines. 

○ No excuses. 

○ I only eat what I brought with me, and what I 

brought is ridiculously tasty and healthy. 

 

○ As an example, in my bag today I have a box of 

strawberries, a container of blueberries, a bag 

of grapes, 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, a 

cucumber, 4 bananas, 2 bell peppers, and 1 

apple. 

○ This is my ration for the day. 

○ This food will power me through my tasks and 

provide the energy I need to continue to think 

and work for hours on end. 

○ This food will power my workout later today, 

and will set the tone for my healthy habits for 

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the next workday tomorrow. 

 

○ You may not be a fan of eating such a huge 

amount of produce. ○ Fine, then pack your own bag. 

○ Fill your bag with your healthy food and make 

no excuses. 

○ Take your health seriously and you WILL get 

seriously better results. 

 

● 7. Establish Hardcore Boundaries 

○ The difference between people who get things 

done and people who don’t always comes down 

to boundaries. 

○ Boundaries define when we do things, and for 

how long. 

○ Boundaries clarify how much time we have, and 

when we have to stop. 

○ Boundaries provide motivation when we’re 

battling against the clock, and they provide 

immense relief when our time is up. 

 

○ If you want to ensure your day is filled with the 

most value you can imagine, you have to first 

define what your limits will be. 

○ Days are already set for us at 24 hours, and I’m 

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assuming you know how much sleep you need. 

○ The time remaining defines your effective 

waking hours. 

○ These hours are yours to craft, mold, and test. 

○ These hours are up for grabs every day, and 

need to be tamed like a wild animal. 

○ Your well-chosen environment will do wonders 

for eliminating distractions and keeping you 

focused on the task at hand, but when will you 

get there? 

○ How long will you stay? 

○ How much time do you really have? 

○ What has to be cut so you can focus on what 

truly matters? 

○ What needs your attention first so you can 

dominate your day before breakfast? 

○ What predetermined boundaries are already in 

place, like your employer’s requirement to be at 

the office, or the daycare pick up time for your 

kids? 

○ The answers to these questions will clarify your 

boundaries. 

○ Your boundaries will clarify what options you 

have available, and working within those options 

will clarify what you ideal day looks like. 

 

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○ Now, let’s go back to Step #1, “Stop Tweaking 

What Isn’t Working.” 

○ If your current boundaries will NOT ensure the 

results you want, it may be time to take some 

radical action and change your boundaries. 

○ Does this mean you have to quit your job to 

change your boundaries? 

○ No, but it may help. 

○ Your boundaries are your choice, just like the 

job you go to every day, the house you live in, 

the spouse you married, the kids you had, and 

the dog that just peed on your shoes. 

○ Your life is your choice, and if you want 

different results you have to make different 

choices. 

○ Your most productive day is based on your 

willingness to change and do what no one else is 

willing to do. 

 

○ I don’t see many other entrepreneurs at the 

library. 

○ I don’t see many other people eating produce 

bags for lunch. 

 

○ I don’t see many people taking the actions 

that would produce the results they want 

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because they are living within the 

predetermined confines of their fixed beliefs 

and ingrained habits. 

 

○ The hardest thing in the world to do is to 

change -- but it’s the only thing that works. 

 

[Play “Opening Night”] 

 

Action Step: ● Start Over. 

○ There are only 2 ways to improve anything, 

tweak your current system, or begin with a 

brand new one. 

○ The best way to restructure your day, and get 

the best possible results, is to start from 

scratch. 

○ Take an hour this week to think through your 

ideal day. 

 

○ What does it look like? 

○ What top priorities need your attention on a 

daily basis to ensure long term success? 

 

○ Asking a few key questions like these can be 

the springboard you need to craft your most 

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productive day ever! 

 

[Fade In Music]  

● If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to The 

5 AM Miracle in your favorite podcast app. 

 

● You can also visit JeffSanders.com/subscribe to 

see a quick list of the most popular podcast apps 

where my show is available, including Apple 

Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, 

Pandora, Overcast, and a variety of Android apps.  

● For this week’s show notes page, visit 

JeffSanders.com/300.  

● I would love for you to join The 5 AM Club where 

you can get a variety of free productivity resources, 

as well as updates every Monday morning about the 

latest episode of the podcast. 

● You can join for free right now at 5amMiracle.com.  

● Well, that's it for this episode of The 5 AM Miracle 

Podcast. 

 

● Until next time, you have the power to change 

your life, and the fun begins bright and early. 

 

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[Fade Music Up and Out]