Our guest this week on Story Signals is Jeff Sanders, host of the 5am Miracle podcast! This is my first time interviewing a fellow podcaster, and Jeff’s attention to detail and ease on the mic was evident, in fact he saved the interview in a big way (more on that later).
Jeff’s podcast is dedicated to helping you dominate your day before breakfast, by giving listeners (and readers) actionable advice to living with intention and positive energy. In this interview, you’ll learn the value of an early morning and how it can help kickstart your day with greater focus and confidence.
Here’s a great quote Jeff shared with us:
Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity – Albert Einstein
How You Can Find Simplicity in Clutter
I asked Jeff how he returns to simplicity when life feels out of control, and he said there were three simple actions he took in the morning, before any type of work. He calls them his “Back to Basics” re-boot.
- Get a good night’s sleep – this starts with going to bed as soon as possible the night before.
- Eat a healthy meal – a good breakfast or smoothie to start your day.
- Exercise – a run, workout, bike ride, hike, or walk around the neighborhood.
Do these three actions sound simple and redundant? Yes and Yes! As Jeff was describing them to me, I was simultaneously nodding my head and kicking myself over how easily I can get knocked off track from the starting with the basics! Whenever you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, make a concentrated effort to focus on getting back to basics for a few days. It will help!
How Jeff Saved the Interview
We were about 20 minutes in to the show, and I looked over to check on the recording levels.
They were flat. As in not recording…
I was so upset with myself, and spent the last 20 seconds of Jeff’s response thinking about how I was going to tell him. I even muted my end and vented to my wife for a few seconds on my stupidity. When Jeff finished, I broke the news. He paused (to what I felt like was dramatic effect), and then said, “Well Matt, it’s ok, because I have been recording on my end”. What a pro! What feelings of relief!
So once again, thanks to Jeff for being a pro, and always remember to record your interviews.
I know you’re going to enjoy this interview, go ahead and listen below, or even better yet, subscribe and get each episode delivered to your smartphone or desktop!
Resources
Jeff and I talked about a lot of books, services, and apps during the interview, and he gave me a couple others after we stopped recording (for real this time).
- Jeff’s book Graduated & Clueless
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
- 5am Miracle ebook
- Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
- Tribes by Seth Godin
- 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell
- The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
- Stickk Goals & Acheivement
Where to Find Jeff
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