6:00 AM

Morning Routine

I practice what I preach in my podcasts, videos, and second book, The Secret To Super Productivity. A healthy morning routine helps one start their day out full of energy and ready to tackle that task list. I start with coffee and a healthy breakfast while I read for 30 minutes. My morning reading consists of a self-improvement book of my choice, often one on the subject of perception, emotional intelligence, or communication. For today's reading I started, "Healthy Brain, Happy Life" by Wendy Suzuki. I then exercise for 20-30 minutes, choosing something different each day from Apple Fitness, then I shower and prepare for my day with a ten or so minute meditation and moment of gratitude. Some days, I play tennis at the McLean Sport and Health, so my morning routine takes a bit longer, but today is packed, so a short workout this morning.

7:30 AM

Prep for the Day

I start each day reviewing my goals and tasks for the day, adjusting priorities, reviewing the calendar for upcoming workshop deliveries, speeches, podcast interviews, client engagements, volunteer work, and anything else for which I may need to prepare. Today's tasks include: reaching out to three different clients on training sessions next week; coordinating with the assigned instructors; podcast audio and YouTube video edits; and booking two days' worth of escape rooms for an upcoming trip (yes, we take escape-cations each month – learn more about our adventures here.   9:00 AM   Client Engagement   I was very much looking forward to this video call with one of my clients because we are brainstorming how they'd like to roll out their Leadership Development Program this year, of which I get to be a big part. We've scheduled six workshops (two sessions each), coaching programs for over 20 participants, Discovery Insights assessments, Emotional Intelligence Assessments, and 360 evaluations. This client understands the importance of investing in and developing all their employees from line-level to the top, and my team and I are grateful to be a part of it.   10:30 AM    Video Shoot   Time to get caught up on some videos for some of my volunteer work and my YouTube Channel. Besides volunteering for Metro DC ATD, I also work with Suited for Change, a local charity near and dear to my heart. For today's video shoot, I'm recording three videos for my YouTube channel and one video for Suited for Change's website's resource section. After a quick shoot, I edit and post the videos.   12:00 PM   Lunch time   I usually enjoy my lunch while watching one of my favorite shows, but today (and once a month), I get to have a virtual lunch with my team. Except for one instructor/coach on my team when I led the FBI's Leadership Development Program Delivery Team, I met these amazing ladies through the Metro DC ATD Chapter. We quickly became friends and enjoy partnering for work whenever we can. After lunch, I hit the office again to complete various tasks on my list.     1:30 PM   Guest Spot on a Podcast   I set a goal of being a guest on some media outlet each week, and today is the day I get to be a guest on a podcast. Today's interview is with the Entelechy Leadership podcast. You can check out other times I've been a guest here. 3:00 PM    Afternoon Break and Close Out the Day   Like most everyone else, I hit a 3 pm slump, so this is the time I have a healthy snack, then take a quick walk, either outside or on the treadmill in the gym in my building. Then I close out any remaining tasks and do my planning for the next day.   5:00 PM    Time with the Hubby   Time together is essential to us, so we make a concerted effort to spend most nights together, first cooking a nice meal while we catch each other up on our day, then we watch a couple of shows. Tonight we decide to watch WandaVision and His Dark Materials.   8:00 PM    Bedtime Routine   A bedtime routine is just as important as a morning routine to get a good night's sleep for the next day. After the typical self-care stuff like washing my face and brushing my teeth, I'll slip into bed and enjoy reading fiction for about an hour before going to sleep. I also enjoy the fantastic view outside my bedroom window. For tonight's reading, I'm excited to start "Ready Player Two." I'm usually out cold by 9 pm, so I can get much-needed sleep to start another busy day in the morning. What I love about my life is even through the self-care routine stays consistent, each day is different. If we're not already connected, let's do so on LinkedIn. Connection with others is an important part of one's success. Another way to connect is to volunteer for the chapter - what an amazing group of folks! I'd like to leave you with my company values - learn, grow, and achieve: at work and in life. I'm happy to have found lots of learning, growing, and achieving through my connections within our community and I hope you do as well!