Building Productive Habits

My agency's revenue grew by 40% when I stopped working for 12 hours everyday. Sounds counterintuitive? Let me explain. 20 habits that helped me get my time back: 1. Write down 10 things I'm grateful for each morning - completely shifted my mindset about success. 2. Make quarterly 'stop doing' lists - we eliminated 15 tasks we thought were "essential." 3. Listen to business podcasts at 1.5x while working out - double learning while staying healthy. 4. Write only 3 non-negotiable tasks daily - long to-do lists are a trap. 5. Follow 'touch it once' email rule - reduced inbox time from 3 hours to 45 minutes. 6. Create SOPs immediately after completing tasks - your future team will thank you. 7. Just ask for what you want - got my first 6-figure client this way. 8. Keep a 'wins wall' with screenshots of client success - perfect for low motivation days. 9. Maintain a content swipe file - never run out of LinkedIn post ideas. 10. End each day by preparing tomorrow's environment - saved 45 minutes of morning chaos. 11. Keep phone in another room while working - productivity doubled, not exaggerating. 12. Spend 30 minutes daily on highest-ROI channel - LinkedIn brings us 70% of leads. 13. Track time religiously and delegate anything possible - question everything you do. 14. Embrace boredom - my best business ideas come then. 15. Hire an EA early - most underrated investment for scaling. 16. Practice 'zero-tab workdays' - doubled my task completion rate. 17. Work out 5 times a week - non-negotiable energy boost. 18. Treat health like client meetings - miss neither. 19. Track every hour for a week each month - you can't improve what you don't measure. 20. Build systems over relying on motivation - create processes that work even when you don't. These aren't massive changes. But small habits compound into massive results. Which one are you implementing first?

Law school taught me the law. But building a career? That’s a different story. Many years ago, I walked into my first day as a lawyer, armed with my 2nd Upper Degree, thinking I was ready. I WAS NOT. Here are 12 lessons I learnt the hard way: (I wish someone had shared with me before I started) 1️⃣ It’s Okay to Ask for Help Pretending to know everything? Rookie mistake. Ask questions. Get clarity. Even top-tier lawyers do. 2️⃣ Networking > Billable Hours Winning cases builds a reputation, but relationships build careers. That partner you avoid at events? Talk to them. 3️⃣ Reputation Is Currency Every email. Every call. They all shape how people see you. Guard your reputation like it’s your most valuable client. 4️⃣ Billing ≠ Just Hours Worked It’s not about grinding for numbers—it’s about delivering value. (And yes, padding your billables will get you noticed—for all the wrong reasons.) 5️⃣ Clients Crave More Than Advice They want trust, empathy, and someone who listens. Legal skills matter, but human connection wins clients for life. 6️⃣ The Best Lawyers Never Stop Evolving The law changes, and so should you. Stay curious. Stay sharp. Stay ahead. 7️⃣ Mentors = Secret Weapons Find someone who’s been where you want to go. The right mentor will save you years of trial and error. 8️⃣ Burnout Is the Silent Killer The late nights will come, but don’t make them your norm. Protect your energy—because no case is worth your health. 9️⃣ Pick Your Battles Not every fight is worth the courtroom. Strategic restraint is a superpower. 🔟 Mistakes Are Inevitable Here’s the secret: It’s not about never failing—it’s about how you bounce back. Own it, learn from it, and keep moving. 1️⃣1️⃣ It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint You don’t need to win every deal or impress every partner. Pacing yourself is how you last in this game. 1️⃣2️⃣ Never Lose Sight of Your WHY When the grind feels endless (and it will), your WHY will keep you grounded. Don’t let go of it—it’s your anchor. Law school taught you the law. But no one taught you how to build a career in it. Lawyers reading this, did I miss anything? What else would you add to my list? --- Repost this♻️ to help the juniors out there! ➕ Follow Shulin Lee for more. P.S. To the trainees starting out: It’s okay to feel scared. P.P.S. The partners you’re intimidated by? They were once where you are. Everyone starts somewhere. You've got this!

We were standing in the middle of one of our production halls. Machines humming. People focused. And one laptop screen showing us something crucial: our energy reality. Mathias Weßelmann and I weren’t looking at a dashboard for the sake of it. We were looking at live data from our Energy Management Service Proficloud.io. It didn’t just show consumption—it revealed patterns, inefficiencies, and opportunities. This system connects machines, infrastructure, and buildings into one transparent energy landscape. And ISO 50001 gives us a solid framework for this. But the real value comes when we bring it to life with digital tools. Tools that don’t just collect data, but help us understand where we’re wasting energy, where we’re efficient, and where we can do better. That’s what our Energy Management Service is about. It connects the dots between data, people, and action. Real-time insights allow us to act immediately, not wait for monthly reports. That’s a shift—from reactive to proactive operations. And it supports our sustainability goals without slowing us down. How are you approaching energy management in your operations? Are you using live data or still relying on manual tracking? I’d be interested to hear what’s working for you and where you see room for improvement. Energy efficiency is becoming a strategic capability. Not because it’s required, but because it makes us better. Better at making decisions, better at reducing costs, better at building resilient operations. And that’s exactly what industrial transformation demands. And sometimes, it starts with two people, one laptop, and the willingness to look closer.

Over the past couple of years, I've interviewed several sleep professors and physicians. They've shared a LOT of sleep tips with me. Being the lab rat psychologist I am, I tested them all. On myself. At this point, I have tried everything short of sleeping upside down like a bat. Many sleep tips failed to shift the dial. But three strategies genuinely transformed my sleep. Tip #1: Sleep LESS to sleep better This one surprised me. When I was struggling with insomnia, I was told: the worst thing you can do is spend more time in bed. Instead, less time in bed is the trick. Sleep restriction therapy (which I wrote about in The Health Habit) works like this: If you're only sleeping 6 hours but spending 9 hours in bed, restrict your bed time to 6 hours. Your sleep efficiency skyrockets. Then gradually increase it over the course of a few weeks. Tip #2: The 3-2-1 Rule 3 hours before bed: No more food 2 hours before bed: No more work 1 hour before bed: No screens (Kindle doesn't count) "But Amantha, I need to scroll the socials at 11pm!" (Said no well-rested person ever). Tip #3: Wake within the same 30-minute window every day Yes, even on weekends. I can hear you groaning. Let me explain. This is the cure to "social jetlag". Your circadian rhythm doesn't care that it's Saturday. When you sleep in for "just 2 more hours," you're essentially giving yourself jet lag. I wake between 6-6:30am every single day. No exceptions. The payoff? I fall asleep easily, wake naturally, and haven't needed an alarm in months (except when I have a ridiculously early How I Work podcast interview to get up for). What's your most effective sleep hack? Or are you still searching for the holy grail of good sleep? #SleepScience #ProductivityHacks #EvidenceBasedWellbeing

If you’re just starting in sales, doing these 5 things over the next 6 months will catapult your career more than you can imagine: 1. Adopt the mindset of “it’s not how you feel that determines how you act; it’s how you act that determines how you feel.” Pick up the phone, make an extra stop, ask for referrals. When you get good responses, your attitude changes and you create your own luck especially on days you’re in a funk. 2. Study a sales process and actually follow it every day. When I got trained at UniFirst for 2 months, I learned a proven system that guaranteed success. But when I got out in field and started making sales, I got comfortable and eventually started to skip a few “minor” steps. I did really well there, but I missed out on some MASSIVE deals that haunted me for a while due to skipping simple small steps up front. 3. Join Toastmasters and attend at least 2 meetings per month. This changed my life and created more confidence, grit, and more sales. 4. Read You Cant Teach a Kid How to Ride a Bike at a Seminar, Never Eat Alone, The Slight Edge, Millionaire Success Habits, Grit, and I Will Teach You to Be Rich. 5. Post at least once a week on LinkedIn and follow-up with everyone you messaged the past 6 months and who you message moving fwd. Posting once a week increases your profile views by up to 4x and builds familiarity. Following up will make you stand out because most people give up after a single attempt and almost everybody gives up after 2 attempts. I spent my first 3 years in sales not doing these things consistently and it was very costly career wise and financially. Hoping at least 1 person takes these tips and runs with them! Share this post with your network for accountability or screenshot it and DM me. Let’s GROW this year!

Communication at work sucks? Ever noticed how some teams just “click” while others go back and forth all the time? The secret lies in how high-performance teams communicate. After all, we spend 88% of our time at work communicating. After many years of working with diverse teams, I’ve identified 10 core principles that can transform your team or business. These principles have helped me advise CEOs, founders and organizations of all sizes. So here are the 10 Principles for Effective Communication at Work: 1. Quality over Quantity Surprisingly, high-performance teams communicate less. When everyone is aligned, there is no need for never-ending meetings and Slack convos. 2. Clarity is Key Don’t just speak; make sure your message is understood. Focus on a few key messages that tell people how to behave, not what to do. 3. Consistency Creates Alignment  Align your communication across all channels to avoid confusion. Then repeat, repeat, repeat so everyone knows what’s important. 4. Listen More Than You Speak Active listening builds trust and shows that you value other perspectives. Remember: communication is a two-way street. 5. Have the Small Conversations "If you don’t have the small conversations, you will have to have the big ones." – Blake Eastman Don’t shy away from difficult conversations. That never ends well. 6. Use Stories, Not Just Facts  Facts inform, but stories inspire. Use storytelling to connect and make your message memorable and engaging. 7. Be Transparent Honesty builds trust. Be open about successes and challenges, as companies move at the speed of trust. 8. Encourage Feedback Create an environment where feedback is welcomed, not feared. This sets the tone. It is also the embodiment of a growth mindset. 9. Mind Your Body Language  Non-verbal cues can speak louder than words. Align your body language, tone, and facial expressions to your message. 10. Build a System of Push/Pull/Exchange Mediocre leaders push out information. High-performance teams use a Push/Pull/Exchange communication system. ♻ Please share to help your network and follow me Oliver Aust for more like this.

My client just called me saying he finds it hard to switch off from work. This is what I explained: Most of us try to slam the brakes at the end of the day. 100 → 0 in five seconds. Imagine if a car did that... Screeching tires. Abrupt impact. Not fun. Not sustainable. So I asked him: “What does switching off actually mean to you?” Is it so you can be fully present with your kids? So you can cook dinner without replaying the last meeting? So you can read, think, or just breathe without distraction? Switching off isn’t about shutting your brain down. It’s about creating a soft landing - giving your mind a gentle transition so you can be fully present in the next thing that matters. Here’s a simple approach I often share with clients: • Write down tomorrow’s first task - so your brain doesn’t carry it. • Close a small loop - wrap up one tiny thing to signal an ending. • Step away from your workspace - stretch, make a cup of tea, or take a short walk. A ritual that signals, “the workday is done.” (I sometimes say this out loud to myself!!) The difference this mindset makes is subtle but profound. Even a small soft landing: • Makes evenings feel calmer • Improves sleep • Helps mornings start sharper • Preserves energy for real focus, creativity, and decisions So try this today! Never underestimate the power of small actions or rituals. How are you going to experience a soft landing today?

Think about brushing and flossing. Do it sporadically, and plaque builds up. Do it daily, and you prevent it. The same principle applies in sales. An action is something you do once in a while. A system is a set of actions you do consistently over time. Why does matter? When you have a system, you’re doing the right things over and over again, not just when you feel like it. The benefit? You create momentum which stacks the odds in your favor for success It’s not just for you. It’s something you can hand off to others too. For example, if you’re a SDR, here’s a system called Winning the Day. How it works: You earn points for completing actions every day. 1. Before leaving work, list 35 people to prospect the next day. Let your present self help your future self (1 point) 2. Make cold calls for 45 minutes. (1 point) 3. Confirm meetings. (1 point) 4. Send 20 cold emails. (1 point) 5. Send 5 handwritten notes or videos to prospects. (1 point) 6. Stay positive—no gossiping or blaming. (1 point) 7. Spend 20 minutes calling closed-lost opportunities to ask for feedback. (1 point) 8. Send a one-sentence email to prospects who missed meetings: “Have you deferred looking at [your solution]?” (1 point) 9. Share 5 useful articles with prospects you haven’t spoken to in 3 months. (1 point) 10. Take a 10-minute tech-free walk. Notice what you see, hear, and feel. (1 point) Scoring: 8+ points in a day? You won the day. 40+ points in a week? You won the week. 160+ points in a month? You won the month. If you fall short, it’s okay—simply begin again. This isn’t a competition. It’s a practice. Success is built by showing up consistently. What’s your system? What’s your score today?

As a founder, I’ve let my sleep slide—and it’s cost me. Here’s how I’m fixing it in 5 simple steps to boost performance and longevity. 1. Set your wake time—this is non-negotiable. I’ve committed to a 5:30 AM wake-up time. This step is key because a consistent wake time anchors your entire sleep schedule. And I mean, it anchors the whole day. 2. Know your sleep needs and set a bedtime to match. Through trial and error, I’ve figured out that I need about 7.5 hours of sleep to feel rested, most of the time. This means my lights-out time is 10pm. Knowing your personal sleep requirement helps you set a firm bedtime, ensuring you’re getting the rest your body needs to perform at its best. 3. Create a ‘wind-down’ hour. The hour before bed is sacred—it’s when you need to start signaling to your brain that it’s time to sleep. This means no late-night social media scrolling or binge-watching intense shows for me. Instead, I’ve opted for calming activities like reading, meditation and breathwork. This practice helps ease your mind into sleep mode naturally. 4. Establish a food-sleep gap. I’ve started giving myself at least a 3-hour window between my last meal and bedtime. This helps prevent digestion from interfering with sleep. Some people find that a light, carb-based snack before bed, like a piece of fruit, can actually aid sleep, but the first step is creating that food-sleep gap and seeing how your body responds. 5. Focus solely on sleep for 30 days—nothing else. It’s tempting to overhaul your entire health routine all at once, but I’ve seen too many people burn out this way—many of my clients come to me after they’ve tried this. So, for the next 30 days, don’t worry about adding exercise, meditation, or food changes. Just focus on getting your sleep right. You might have a few off nights, but stick with it, and you’ll start to see a difference in how you feel and perform. I understand that not everyone has the luxury to set rigid sleep boundaries due to work and family commitments, but if you can make even small adjustments, they can have a big impact. Sleep isn’t just about rest; it’s the foundation for everything else in your life. So if you’re serious about improving your performance and longevity, start with sleep. How have you improved your sleep?

Communication at work isn't just about talking. It's about connecting. I learned this the hard way after working with hundreds of professionals. Most people think effective communication means: - Always being formal - Using big words - Speaking more But that's not what drives results. Real workplace communication is about: • Understanding context • Clear, simple messages • Reading non-verbal cues • Following up consistently • Active listening (yes, before speaking) I see this pattern every day. The best communicators aren't the loudest. They're the most intentional. Here's what nobody tells you: - 80% of workplace conflicts stem from miscommunication - Brief messages often work better than long ones - Your tone matters more than your words I helped a team leader transform their communication style. Before: Long emails, confused team, missed deadlines. After: Clear messages, engaged team, faster results. The difference? They learned to communicate with purpose. If you're still struggling with workplace communication, ask yourself: Are you speaking to be heard, or to be understood? Because in today's workplace, understanding is everything. #Workplace #Communication #ProfessionalGrowth #CorporateCulture