Developing Healthy Work Habits

The way you manage your business starts with how you manage yourself. I learned this while scaling HomeServe to £4.1B. In the early years, I thought the solution to every problem was more hours at my desk. But I was making worse decisions, not better ones. That's when I realised: if I couldn't manage my own energy and focus, I had no business managing a company. So I started treating leadership like I treated my running training: With structure, discipline, and a commitment to getting better every day. Over 40 years, I've built 10 habits that help me lead better, think more clearly, and stay sharp. Here are the 10 habits that make me a better CEO: (Save this list and try them out for yourself) 1️⃣ Wake up early ↳ I'm up at 6:15am. I go to the gym before a healthy breakfast of porridge and vegetable juice. 2️⃣ Prep for the day ↳ I do pre-reading for all meetings and keep most to 30 minutes. 3️⃣ Cut caffeine after midday ↳ Better sleep means better decisions. I have three Pret black Americanos before noon to stay focused. 4️⃣ Write things down ↳ I use a small iPad and Goodnotes to prep for and record meetings. 5️⃣ Stick to one-to-ones ↳ I've never cancelled a direct report meeting in 30 years, and for good reason. 6️⃣ Block out thinking and research time ↳ If it's not protected in the diary, it gets eaten by everyone else's priorities. 7️⃣ Reflect weekly ↳ Every Sunday afternoon, I review wins, misses, and prep for the week ahead. 8️⃣ Set tomorrow's priorities today ↳ I end each day by writing down my top 3 for tomorrow on my iPad. 9️⃣ Keep learning ↳ Once a month, I check progress against my annual goals and reset priorities. 🔟 Weekend training ↳ A long run in prep for my next half-marathon, plus a mystery shop store visit. These aren't complicated. But they do work. Working harder or longer hours isn't all there is to being a CEO. You have to show up for yourself before you can show up for others. Share your most productive healthy habits in the comments below.  Maybe I'll add it to my list. 

I used to walk through the door at 9 p.m., smelling like dust and concrete, boots still caked with mud. My kids were already asleep. My wife was tired of hearing me say, “Honey, it’s just a hard time right now.” Weekends? Gone. PTO? Didn’t happen. Balance? Forget it. That was me—working all the time as a Superintendent. What shook me was when Kate said one time, "It's always a busy time. We will just go without you." 😳 I was devastated. And decided to make a change. I went from missing family dinners to taking PTO, working standard hours, and actually being present for my kiddos. Here’s the pattern that made the difference: Top 10 Habits for Work–Life Balance in Construction ↗️ Schedule Your PTO at the Beginning of the Year - (Family time is a milestone. Put it on the calendar first and guard it.) ↗️ Create a Coverage Plan for All PTO - (Peace of mind comes when the project can stand without you. Build that into the culture.) ↗️ Prioritize Stability with Standard Meetings - (Fire drills steal your evenings. Rhythm and consistency with communication give them back.) ↗️ Make Planning Visual and Clear - (Get it out of your head. Put it on boards so others can lead in your absence.) ↗️ Time Block Your Days - (Protect deep work, meeting rhythms, and family transitions.) ↗️ Have Morning & Afternoon Routines - (Start with intention. End with a reset so you walk through the door calm, not chaotic.) ↗️ Go on a Weekly Date Night - (The foundation at home matters more than any foundation you place on site.) ↗️ Schedule Your Health Appointments (and Keep Them) - (Doctor. Dentist. Therapy. Don’t wait until you’re broken.) ↗️ Keep Leader Standard Work - (Daily, weekly, monthly checklists keep you proactive—not reactive.) ↗️ Create Buffers in Your Plan - (Don’t jam every minute. Leave space for calls, surprises, and just breathing.) Construction doesn’t have to cost you your family. It doesn’t have to cost you your health. If you drive your project with stability and a lot of discipline with planning—while protecting these habits—you can win both at work and at home. 💡 Which of these habits do you already use? Which one do you need most right now? Love, J$

When you enter the personal development space, the concept of habits becomes a hot topic. 🌱  Reflecting on my journey, I realize there are four key habits that played a pivotal role in building my Amazon agency to $70,000 in monthly revenue.  Those habits include tracking data weekly, starting work early, continuous learning, and working on weekends.  Let’s break down all four:  𝟏. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐲📊  One of the most impactful habits I’ve developed is consistently tracking data.  Every Monday, I update a dashboard to analyze a few specific metrics: weekly revenue, appointment setting, new clients, client churn, and follower growth.  This habit allows me to assess how the agency is trending and prioritize areas that need attention to drive growth.  This practice isn’t limited to me—every team member also tracks data related to their role.  𝟐. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 🌞 In the corporate world, a 9:00 a.m. start is standard.  I’ve shifted my schedule to start closer to 7:00 a.m., and those two extra hours have been transformative.  From 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., distractions like Slack messages, emails, and phone calls are minimal.  These “quiet hours” allow me to focus deeply on tasks requiring significant attention and set the tone for the rest of the day.  𝟑. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 🎓 Investing in my personal development has been a cornerstone of my success.  Since starting this business, I’ve spent over $50,000 on specialized education.  Early on, I enrolled in a course that taught me the basics of running an agency—compensating employees, hiring overseas talent, creating an offer, and generating leads.  Since then, I’ve continued investing in masterminds, cold email courses, conferences, and most recently, leadership coaching.  Through constant skill acquisition, I’m able to overcome the bottlenecks the business is facing.  𝟒. 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 🗓️ When people hear that I work on Saturdays and Sundays, they often react with surprise or even criticism. However, I challenge that mindset.  On weekend mornings, for example, I’d typically wake up and be unproductive for a few hours before heading out for the day.  Allocating those first four hours—8:00 a.m. to noon—to focused work has been a game-changer.  I still have the rest of the day to hit the gym, go out to eat, or check out the insane NYC skyline like in the picture attached.  𝐇𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐀𝐫𝐞: At the end of the day, who you are comes down to the actions you take every single day.  If I didn’t do these things, I wouldn’t be seeing the “success” that I currently have.  Be very careful about the activities you prioritize, and the activities you don’t.  They’ll shape your future.   #entrepreneurship #personaldevelopment #education #amazon #agencylife  

I recently worked with a company in the manufacturing industry, and during one of our sessions, something amazing happened. The company had been struggling with high turnover and employee burnout. One senior leader confided in me, saying, “We’ve been focusing so much on productivity that we’ve forgotten to invest in the people driving it.” That’s when we got to work. We started by reframing how they thought about rest—not as “time off,” but as a productivity tool. We implemented practical strategies like: ● Educating teams on how sleep directly impacts focus and decision-making and equipping them with specific, practical and actionable steps they could implement to start improving their sleep ● Introducing micro-breaks during meetings to improve energy and creativity. ● Encouraging leaders to model healthy rest habits, like unplugging after hours. After several months, the results were clear. The team reported fewer mistakes, better collaboration, and even higher engagement scores in their employee surveys. One manager said, “I finally feel like we’re running a marathon with water stations instead of sprinting until we collapse.” This client reminded me of an important truth: rest isn’t the enemy of success—it’s a prerequisite. When companies prioritize rest and recovery, they empower their employees to bring their best selves to work. What’s your organization doing to support rest and well-being? If it’s time to start the conversation, I’d love to help.

Working 60+ hour weeks taught me something about performance. The pattern I started noticing: Some days, everything clicked. Clear thinking. High energy. Good decisions. Other days, everything felt hard. Foggy brain. Low energy. Poor judgment. Then I started paying attention to what was different. The connection: My best work happened when I took care of the basics. My worst work happened when I neglected them. What I thought was discipline: Pushing through fatigue, skipping meals to stay productive, sacrificing sleep for work. What it actually was: Running my body into the ground and calling it commitment. The shift: I stopped treating health as separate from performance. Health IS performance. The basics that actually move the needle: • Consistent sleep schedule • Morning sunlight • Movement throughout the day • Eating to fuel, not just to fill Nothing fancy. Nothing expensive. Just fundamentals done consistently. You can't perform at your best when your body is running on empty. What one fundamental health habit would improve your performance this week?

I used to skip meals, sit at my laptop all day, and ignore my health until I realized this wasn't sustainable. Remote work often leads to an unhealthy lifestyle. But it doesn't have to be that way. Now, I have four non-negotiable habits: ‣ Sleep at least 7 hours: Limit screens before bed. ‣ Walk 7,500 steps daily: Take walking meetings or use a standing desk. ‣ Meal prep: Plan healthy meals ahead of busy days. ‣ Keep a daily journal: Track sleep, steps, meals, and mood in your notes app. It doesn't matter what yesterday looked like. Small steps can lead to big changes. What are your non-negotiable healthy habits?

Building healthy habits as a founder is crucial to your startup’s success Not just yourself, but it’s great to encourage your team around you also. At Connectd we have: 🫂 Connect Day which allows any team member to take time off when they’re feeling mentally overwhelmed 🏃 Our ‘Fit Force’ Slack group where we encourage everyone to share nutrition and fitness tips ⚽ Weekly 5-a-side football for all of our passionate football fans but also for those looking for another opportunity to get a workout in …and more to come Here’s a list of some habits I’ve committed to 👇🏻 Meditation every day 🧘🏻 This is key in helping me manage my ADHD as well as manage my stress levels before bed. 10 minutes before my head hits the pillow helps clear my mind! Journaling every day ✍️ This is a great time for self reflection and an opportunity to put my thoughts on paper, an important outlet for me to express any concerns but also to remind myself of any achievements 💪🏻 Learning a new language (Duolingo) every day 🇹🇷 As someone with ADHD, learning a new language through an interactive app like Duolingo is perfect for keeping my dopamine levels high. Training 6x per week 🏋🏻 There’s not much better than getting endorphins from a great gym session, especially at 6am when there’s so much space Mobility/stretching/yoga 3x per week 🤸 This has become even more important for me having suffered a major knee injury last year. Prevention is better than cure ☝🏻 7k steps a day 🚶 I can’t stress how important getting these steps in are for my mental health AND my dopamine levels, after spending hours sitting down at the laptop I’d love to know; what healthy habits are you trying to build? #HealthyHabits #Founders #MentalWellbeing #Startups 

I’ve built three businesses across three continents. Not because I had the perfect plan, but because I had learned the right habits. High performance isn’t luck. It’s design. Here are 11 habits that have helped me scale revenue, resilience, and impact 👇 1. Stay curious →    The best ideas come from unexpected places     2. Prioritise recovery →    Burnout isn’t a badge of honour. It’s a warning sign.     3. Ask better questions →    Especially when things go wrong 4. Build your peer circle →    The company you keep defines your energy     5. Say no (a lot) →    Clarity > busyness     6. Keep a decision journal →    It helps you learn faster than everyone else     7. Know your limits →    That’s how you scale without breaking     8. Share the credit →    Celebrate people. Often.     9. Audit your inputs →    What you read, watch, and listen to shapes your thinking     10. Work on your nervous system →    Regulation > reactivity. It’s a leadership edge.     11. Reflect often →    If you don’t make space for reflection, you’ll keep repeating.     🧠 High performance isn’t a secret. It’s a system. 💬 What habit changed the way 𝘺𝘰𝘶 work? ---------------------- PS: Follow me 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 for insights into health, leadership and entrepreneurship led by impact, as much as profitability 🔝 Connect with me ♻️ repost for more visibility PPS: Want to learn more about health, and impact led leadership and entrepreneurship? Join my newsletter Well Purposed. 𝗵𝘁𝘁𝗽𝘀://𝗹𝗻𝗸𝗱.𝗶𝗻/𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗩𝘂𝗛𝗽

Good habits at work don’t just happen—they’re built. We all know the drill: consistency + repetition = results. But the real trick is understanding how to make those habits stick, especially when distractions are everywhere and burnout lurks around the corner. Here’s what I’ve found key to building healthy habits at work: Start tiny, then scale. Don’t overhaul your entire routine overnight. Pick one small habit—like writing a 3-line daily to-do list—and build from there. Small wins build momentum. Anchor habits to your existing flow. Want to drink more water? Tie it to your coffee break. Need to clear emails? Do it right after lunch. The easier the trigger, the stronger the habit. Track, but don’t obsess. Accountability matters, but rigid tracking can feel like punishment. Find tools or methods that encourage reflection, not stress. Be kind to yourself. Miss a day? So what. Habits are about long-term progress, not perfection. Reset and keep going. In the end, building good habits isn’t just about what you do—it’s about how you build them. What’s one habit you’ve successfully built at work that changed your game? 👇 Share your wins—I’m all ears.

The reasons why ‘workplace wellness’ strategies often fail are the same reasons why we have own challenges getting healthier. We treat our health and wellbeing as our own problem. We fail to consider our co-workers and team – and then adjust. As you contemplate how you will get healthier and help your team with their well-being resolutions, take your job and team culture into consideration. It will increase your chances of succeeding. 5 reasons why it’s hard to have a healthy workday. 𝟏. 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 – What are the expected and accepted behaviors of your work team? If it’s expected to check your emails at night, how will you get enough sleep? Have the courage to bring this up to the team. I bet there are others who will thank you for raising whichever norm interferes with your wellbeing. 𝟐. 𝐏𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 – Creating a healthy habit is always easier when doing it with a friend or co-worker. Have the courage to ask your co-workers for support. 𝟑. 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 – What are the messages (subtle and overt) that you are getting at work and how are they supporting or making it more difficult to be well? Look around. Steer clear of unhelpful influences like a candy dish on someone’s desk. 𝟒. 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 – What’s your team spirit like? If your manager hasn’t created a sense of community with a positive outlook, maybe it’s time to suggest that someone from the wellbeing team come to help. It’s easier to keep your resolution when employee morale is high. 𝟓. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 – What do you need to ask your manager to improve the chances that your workday supports your goal, not interferes with reaching it? Do you need to politely ask your boss not to bring donuts to the team meeting because you’re trying to lose a few pounds? If you’re a leader and want to support the health and well-being of your team or organization, reverse engineer these five team culture elements. ▪️ What can you do as a leader to support your team? ▪️ Which unhealthy work norms exist that you can undo? ▪️ How can you make it easier for employees to find co-workers looking to achieve similar health goals? ▪️ What can you change in the workplace to make the healthiest choice the easiest choice? ▪️ How can you improve your sense of being? The feeling of community within your team? It doesn’t matter how many benefits you offer if you don’t have the fundamentals in place. Do any of these reasons why it’s difficult to have a healthy workday resonate? #WellbeingAtWork #CHRO #Management https://richardsafeer.com/