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1 1 The 5 AM Miracle with Jeff Sanders #177: 7 Strategies to Get Out of a Mental Rut November 14, 2016 Introduction [Play Double Stoker ] This rockin episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast is being brought to you by our friends at FreshBooks. FreshBooks offers amazingly simple accounting software for small business owners who need to focus and get things done. They have an advanced invoicing system, great mobile technology, and streamlined features to make tax-time a breeze. FreshBooks is offering my listeners a free 30-day trial at FreshBooks.com/5am. This episode is also being brought to you by State and Liberty. State and Liberty designs beautiful men s dress shirts with athletic performance fabric. These are my new favorite dress shirts and I m sure you will love them too!

2 2 You can save 10% anytime by simply using the coupon 5AM at checkout. Visit StateAndLiberty.com today! What is your protocol when you get stuck? Mental ruts can be more frustrating than most things I encounter. Creativity is stifled, progress slows to a halt, and it becomes harder and harder to stay positive. Since I encounter these exact challenges on a regular basis, I have a system to get out of this funk and get back on track. [Fade Out Music] This is The 5 am Miracle - Episode #177: 7 Strategies to Get Out of a Mental Rut [Intro Song] Good morning and welcome to the 177th episode of The 5 AM Miracle. I am Jeff Sanders and this is THE podcast dedicated to dominating your day before breakfast. Every Monday morning my goal is to help you bounce out of bed with enthusiasm, create powerful lifelong

3 3 habits, and tackle your grandest goals with extraordinary energy. Here on The 5 AM Miracle Podcast we discuss early mornings, and we dive deep into topics like healthy habits, personal development, and rockin productivity! This week I share my system to overcome writer s block, mental ruts, and finding yourself stuck in an endless loop. In the Tip of the Week segment I will share how to ensure you have time to take care of yourself. But first, did you know I wrote a book? That s right, you can buy The 5 AM Miracle on Amazon today. It s full of specific how-to advice and action steps to help you wake up early, dominate your day, and achieve your life s grandest goals. Just visit JeffSanders.com/amazon to get your copy today. Once again, that s JeffSanders.com/amazon. Now, let s begin with this week s feature segment! [Fade Music Up and Out]

4 4 We all get stuck sometimes. It could be writer s block, a creative obstacle, a mental rut, or simply feeling like you can t get out of the negative spiral that you re in. Since I frequently encounter these types of challenges, I created a simple list of strategies that I can use whenever I feel stuck. It works every time because there are so many possible solutions. Let s dive in! 7 Strategies to Get Out of a Mental Rut 1.Take a step back and acknowledge that you are actually in a rut right now. 2. Stop what you are doing and pull out your pre-written plan to get out of a rut. 3. Follow the plan. The Plan: 7 Strategies 1. Change activities

5 5 a.mental to physical, physical to mental b.whatever you are doing -- do the opposite 2. Listen to inspirational audio to think about something different a.audiobook, podcast, etc. 3. Workout vigorously a.intensity matters here 4. Stop the activity and schedule it for 3 days from now a.create space between the tasks and your next attempt at it 5. Socialize a.talking to others about your issue can stimulate new ideas to move forward 6. Change environments a. Get out of the space you re in and move to somewhere new (e.g. inside to outside) 7. Double down on the task a.activate your FBOT and get to work harder than ever before

6 6 b.sometimes what you re experiencing is not a mental block, it s just distraction that pulling you away from your work. Quick Review 1.Do the opposite activity of what you are getting stuck on 2. Listen to inspirational audio 3. Workout vigorously 4. Come back 3 days from now 5. Socialize 6. Change environments 7. Double down in an FBOT [Fade In Spring in My Step ] Now, I want to tell you a little more about State and Liberty. State and Liberty is an amazing company that creates men s dress shirts from athletic performance fabric. That means these beautiful dress shirts are both comfortable and stretchy, just like your favorite workout shirt!

7 7 I own 5 of their dress shirts and I love them! In fact, about a month ago I wore a few of these shirts to a conference and was complimented every single day because of these shirts. Total strangers stopped me in the hallway and asked where they could get one of these amazing shirts. Well, it s simple. Go to StateAndLiberty.com and use the coupon code 5AM to save 10% off your order. Once again, that s StateAndLiberty.com, using the coupon code, 5AM. FreshBooks is excited to announce the launch of an all new version of their cloud accounting software! It s been redesigned from the ground up and custom built for exactly the way you work. Get ready for the simplest way to be more productive, organized, and most importantly get paid quickly. The all new FreshBooks is not only easy to use, it s also packed full of powerful features. FreshBooks is offering a free, unrestricted, 30-day trial. To get started today, just go to FreshBooks.com/5am and enter 5AM in the How Did You Hear About Us? section.

8 8 [Fade Out Music] This week s Tip is a simple strategy to ensure you always have time to take care of your health. Build your life around your healthy habits. Now, that sounds easier than it is in real life. Work schedules, commitments, soccer practice, weekly chores, and other life stuff always seems to get in the way of working out, eating healthy food, and getting plenty of healthy rest. However, the reason that it s so hard to stay healthy is that we rarely think of healthy habits as our top priority. For most of us, our 9-5 trumps everything. But, what if it was the other way around? What if our health was our first priority and we scheduled work and other life commitments around our healthy habits? Once again, that sounds easier than it is, but the goal here is not to quit your job so you have time to eat a salad and get to the gym. The goal is to think in terms of scheduling everything you can around the healthy habits

9 9 that ultimately dictate your energy, attitude, and happiness in life. Health matters -- a lot. Without it, we cannot get to work, take care of responsibilities, or have the energy to enjoy the best parts of life. So, in the middle of your chaotic schedule, ask yourself one simple and important question -- how can I prioritize my health? You may not be able to reschedule everything just yet, but you can may be able to make more room for your health than you thought possible before. You may be able to make time for a morning run, a smoothie for breakfast, and a solid night s sleep -- all while maintaining your current work schedule. If you stick to this plan over time, your other commitments will end up getting scheduled around your healthy habits, which in turn can make you the healthiest and most productive version of yourself. Give it a try this week and let me know how it worked for you.

10 10 [Opening Night Music] Action Steps: #1 Write out your own steps to get yourself out of a rut. If you re not in a mental rut now, you will be soon. So, prepare ahead of time by having your own simple system to overcome that challenge. It could be a simple as a post-it note that you stick to your computer monitor, or as detailed as a fully-developed plan that requires deep introspection. Whatever works for you, do it this week. Plan out what you will do the next time writer s block kicks in, or your creativity seems to disappear. Preparing for these inevitable circumstances can make a dramatic and positive difference in your life. #2 Take notes during your next mental rut. Notice what is happening when your brain slows to a halt. What activities are you engaged in? Have you slept well recently? Have you worked out in the last few days?

11 11 Are you surrounded by a certain group of people, or are you by yourself? Lots of factors contribute to creativity or the lack thereof, so be sure to pay attention to what works well for you and what causes you to fall into the endless loops of going nowhere fast. #3 Schedule 1 healthy habit on your calendar this week and plan everything else around it. This is a test of your ability to prioritize your health and stick to your own schedule. It s hard. I frequently schedule healthy activities and then make excuses for why I can t do them. I know exactly how challenging this can be. So, start with 1 simple healthy habit. Put it on your calendar and guarantee that it happens. [Fade In Music] As always, if you would like to see the complete list of the links I mentioned in this episode, please visit the show notes page at JeffSanders.com/177, as in Episode 177. Finally, on the podcast next week I will be chatting with Michael Sliwinski, the creator of Nozbe -- my

12 12 favorite task manager. Michael and I will talk about his upcoming book, 10 Steps to Ultimate Productivity. Well, that's it for this episode of The 5 AM Miracle Podcast. Until next time remember, you have the power to change your life, and the fun begins bright and early. [Fade Music Up and Out]

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1 The 5 AM Miracle with Jeff Sanders #182: Sleep Smarter with Shawn Stevenson December 19, 2016 Introduction [Play Double Stoker ] How much does your sleep (or lack thereof) matter to you, your health,