In Episode 29 of The Mindful Creator, I chat with Jeff Sanders – Host of the 5am Miracle Podcast, a 10-time marathon runner, passionate raw vegan, author of 4 e-books and the upcoming traditionally published book titled “The 5am Miracle,” which will hit shelves in early 2016.

In our conversation, Jeff and I discuss methods, processes and tips, as well as mindset shifts, to empower you to dominate your day from start to finish.



Link Love

On Turning Pro (meta and anchor habits) – Matt Frazier, No Meat Athlete


The 5 AM Hybrid: A Modified Miracle for Irregular Schedules


The 5am Miracle Podcast


Season 1 – MC15: The Art is Enough with Charlotte Eriksson

In this Episode



* Jeff’s talks about how he fell in love with personal development after his first boss asked him to read a few books to help with his role; how he became an entrepreneur; how the identified need of a set structure to help him reach his early blogging goals led to the birth of the 5am Mircale Podcast.

* Learning from the less obvious experiences in our daily lives and how that applies to entrepreneurship.

* The importance of “Learning by doing.”

* Brett: “The best way to figure out what works for you is to try things.”

* Jeff talks about his mission to help ambitious working professionals discover and become the highest and best versions of themselves, and how that is intrinsically tied to his personal journey.

* The power of creating products and services in a business based on what you’ve actually experienced and experimented with.

* Authenticity and how it strengthens the bond between creator and customer.

* The power of establishing an “anchor” ritual/routine/habit for your day, like waking early consistently, for example, and how Brett first stumbled on this concept after a conversation with Matt Frazier of No Meat Athlete.

* The benefits of starting your day with a positive ritual, and how that can help you manage your energy and carry a healthy mindset throughout.

* Jeff shares his thoughts on a “work-first mentality.”

* Jeff talks about his process of setting the intention for healthy habits and his process for actually building them.

* Why you can’t control what happens in the guts of your day, but you can control how you show up.

* Jeff talks about where he’s allowed more space and agility with his daily routines.

* Using routines and rituals as guideposts instead of rigid rules to help you stay on the path (i.e. there is no perfect process).

* The benefit of having more intentional “bookends” to your day in the form of morning and evening rituals.

* Why it’s okay (and likely necessary) to be more flexible with your structure when you’re early in the entrepreneurial journey and have a lot on your plate to figure out.

* Why there is no “one model” for structuring a successful day.

* The mindset shifts that have helped Jeff and Brett make mornings work for them vs. feeling like they’re not at the wheel.

* Jeff on having a purpose to anchor your mindset before you make changes: “You have to really believe that mornings are worth it. You have to have a reason to wake up early.”

* Why we underestimate the power of purpose when it comes to creating positive habits.