Why Your To-Do List is Toxic: A Wake-Up Call from Mister Productivity aka Mark Struczewski

What if you could turn small daily habits into a powerful productivity engine?

Join us as we sit down with Mark Strucheski, a.k.a. Mr. Productivity, and uncover the secrets behind his mission to help 100 million executives eliminate distractions by 2032.

From being fired in 2005 to hosting over 1,280 podcast episodes, Mark's journey is a testament to the transformative power of consistency, health, and positivity.

You’ll hear how he turned simple changes like daily running and morning routines into game-changing strategies for a more productive and fulfilling life.

Mark dives into the science and personal anecdotes, highlighting the importance of physical well-being and energy management. Hear about his morning rituals, including the 30-30-30 protocol, and how prioritizing health through disciplined habits can lead to long-term benefits.

We also discuss the dynamic nature of entrepreneurship and why tackling tasks in the correct order is crucial for success. This episode also offers insights into managing self-doubt and the necessity of extending grace to oneself. It is packed with practical wisdom and actionable steps.

Finally, Mark invites you to leverage his extensive podcast library, filled with productivity hacks and insights, to implement small changes that yield significant results.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to transform your productivity game with Mr. Productivity himself!

Links:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Twitter
• TikTok
• YouTube

Chapters

• 0:08 Productivity Journey With Mark Strucheski
• 8:08 Unleashing Your Productivity Potential
• 19:57 The Power of Taking Breaks
• 23:05 Morning and Bedtime Routines for Productivity
• 29:25 Morning Routine for Successful Productivity
• 37:25 Prioritizing Health and Productivity
• 45:47 Paying for Results
• 50:05 Slow Carb Diet and Productivity Hacks
• 54:06 Productivity Tips and Generosity
• 1:03:15 Maximizing Productivity With Mark Strucheski

Transcript

Dai Manuel: 0:08

Welcome back to the 2% Solution Podcast, where small changes lead to big impacts. I'm your host, diamond Well, and today we've got a powerhouse guest who lives and breathes productivity Mark Strucheski. I practiced saying that last name, by the way, don't ask me to spell it, but he's also known as Mr Productivity, and he's not just any coach. He's a force of nature when it comes to helping executives eliminate distractions, prioritize their tasks, while also gaining daily clarity to live their most productive lives. With over 1,280 podcast episodes under his belt and a mission to help 100 million executives conquer Overwhelm by 2032, mark has seen and pretty much done it all. But here's the real talk.

Dai Manuel: 0:55

Mark's journey from getting fired in 2005 to becoming a solopreneur is not just inspiring. It's proof that it is possible to thrive despite the noise and distractions of modern life. Today we're going to dive into the strategies and mindset shifts that can turn anyone into a productivity machine and, trust me, mark isn't afraid to make some bold statements. So buckle up, because you're in for an eye-opening conversation. Welcome back to the 2% Solution Podcast. I'm your host, simon Well, and, as you heard in the intro, I'm super stoked because it's like full circle of full circles when you put two circles together, you got an infinity sign. I don't know if that means anything, but hey, we'll find out after this conversation, because we have Mark here today and I was on Mark's podcast. My goodness, I think what number was I, mark?

Mark Struczewski: 1:52

Oh, you know what? Because you could probably edit this out if you want to. Let me go back really quickly to my Mark's looking.

Dai Manuel: 2:04

Let me give you a little highlight on Mark. I know I said it in the intro, but I'm going to just repeat a couple of things here. His expertise is in productivity coaching. All right, his podcast is called Mr Productivity and, trust me, he earned the title Mr. I'd go as far to call him Dr Productivity, but I know he's already trademarked, mr.

Dai Manuel: 2:23

Well, keep it with that. But he's already trademarked, mr. We'll keep it with that. But he's just celebrating 1,280 episodes in seven years since its inception. But he's got a mission to help 100 million executives eliminate distractions by 2032. And, of course, today he's here to share a bit of his journey, but also some amazing hacks, with all of us, and I can tell you, after almost 1,300 conversations with people in this space, he's got a few little tidbits to add and so we'll dive into it. But I had the pleasure of being on Mark's podcast and I for those that can't see if I was to hold out how long my hair is right now, it'd be about this long ago, inches ago, mark. What number was I? Do you remember Mark? What number was I? Do you remember?

Mark Struczewski: 3:02

Episode 513, february 27th 2020. Dude, that was right before the lockdown, when we had the pre-interview call for the show and I saw you for the first time in all those years, I said to you. I said you don't die. Now I know when I shave my head every morning. Now I know where the hair goes right to your head.

Dai Manuel: 3:27

Hey, true enough, man. And hey, listen, I'm going to enjoy my hair while I have it still so it's, I said to my wife as I'm going out longer. I actually it's funny because now I just I can see the thinness now much more prominent. So I'm doing my best to enjoy it while I got it. But listen, mark, mark, it's an honor to have you here and to talk a bit about productivity but, more importantly, your history. I got to ask you this, wasn't? I didn't think about asking. If I'm gonna ask this anyways, what's the biggest thing you've learned in 1300 episodes later?

Mark Struczewski: 4:01

a couple lessons. Number one anyone can do it to give a little context, for in spring of 2017. I happened to see a Gary Vaynerchuk short and he said everyone needs to have a podcast because the future is voice and audio. And I remember thinking to myself I used to be a radio DJ because I started a podcast. So I went to Google and type those staple words how do we start our podcast? And I launched it July 7th 2017. I can't believe it'll have the seventh birthday this July, and so I tell people the lessons I've learned is number one it is your private radio station. In other words, nobody has a podcast listening party. So you are.

Mark Struczewski: 4:46

We are actually in people's ears and I respect that so much. It just humbles me that these people who are listening to your show right now have given us their time, because time is such a valuable commodity that when someone listens to your podcast or watches your video, we have just got to get the mad respect. So I've learned that part. I also learned that life is short. I'm 58. I'll be 59 on June 21st. I lost my mom to Alzheimer's in 2022 and I lost my dad suddenly in April 2023. So I'm an orphan now. And what I tell people is you get one life. So instead of going on X or meta or tick tock and spewing hate, why don't you spread kindness and love and positivity? Because you get one shot at this thing life. And you're in the health and wellness space more than I am, because I believe healthy people are productive people, but people who are positive tend to live longer than the people are always angry and who are curmudgeons. That's right.

Dai Manuel: 5:49

Oh my gosh and Mark, you're throwing down some goals here and I love it. It's landing. I'm just like, yes, preach, but it comes through experience and I can just imagine how it's also just shifted your perspective on this subject of productivity as well, because it's not just your journey. You've been sharing other people's journey to what does it mean to be productive? What is productivity? Because I think we all have different ideas what it means, but I thought, before we dive into that because I I'd be doing everyone in the service we didn't at least talk about the origin story. I'm a big comic book fan too, by the way, so the origin stories, origin stories, always get me excited.

Dai Manuel: 6:24

So if we go back to 2005, you got fired, man, you got fired from a career and but that was what some people would consider a really well, a bummer of a day, a little bit, no, no bummer. But I'm going to completely turn things around and do something I've always wanted to do, and we're now moving forward beyond the 2017 to starting your podcast. That is quite the time now, man. We're going on almost 20 years. So what? What is it that happened with that career and how did it set you in motion to be Mr Productivity?

Mark Struczewski: 6:59

Here's the funny thing I've been asked that a lot on podcasts, podcasts.

Mark Struczewski: 7:04

I don't ask my own self that question but I've been thinking about it a lot because, yes, it was a pivotal point getting fired in july 2005, but then, the more I thought about it, I have to go back to my childhood. I was born in 1965, so I was raised in the late 60s and in the 70s my parents were a stickler, for chores had to be done at a certain time a certain way, whether setting the table, clearing the table. I was raised before there's dishwashers, and that would be me the dishwasher, the non-electric dishwasher, and so I think I have to give my credit to my late parents because they raised me. We didn't know what Mr Productivity was, or I was going to grow up to be late parents because they raised me, we didn't know what Mr Productivity was, or I was going to grow up to be Mr Productivity, but my parents gave me the foundation, but I didn't recognize that until I was fired in July 2005. And I remember talking to my wife and I'm like, okay, should I give this solopreneurship thing a go or go get another air quotes, real job. And we agreed, okay, let's try it for two months. Going on what? 18 years, 19 years, whatever it is now I, just when I was in college and high school I did not like to speak to empty rooms.

Mark Struczewski: 8:18

Now I have a podcast, I'm on video all the time. I'm a speaker. I don't know what happened, but I remember that after I was fired, I went into wedding and portrait photography. I thought that was going to be it. That failed, but the one thing that came out of it was my love for speaking. I don't know where it came from, it just came, and so I went to a lady who was in her Bible study class and she was a speaker. I'm like, hey, I'm a speaker and go to Toastmasters, go to the National Speakers Association, and I got really fired up and wired up about it. But the one thing about it is my photography business failed. So what am I going to talk about? That's when I invested in my first coach and he saw something in me that I never even imagined and I didn't mean sorry yes, sir, that was me sorry.

Dai Manuel: 9:13

Go ahead, I sneezed, sorry. Oh okay, do I need to pause for your editor? No, I don't care, keep that. That in guys.

Mark Struczewski: 9:23

Ron Reel, I was wondering why you did that. I'm like, okay, is he dapping, who knows? So I was having a call with my coach and I was, uncharacteristically, I identify as Tigger and I was having an Eeyore day and he goes what's going on? And I'm like I'm really excited about speaking but I don't know what I should speak on. He goes why don't you talk about productivity? And I remember saying to him, as clear as it was, like yesterday, I'm like where did that come from? Why would you say that? He goes. I know a lot of people. You are naturally gifted at being productive. You should share that gift with the world.

Dai Manuel: 10:00

And the rest, as they say, is history yeah, oh my gosh, but okay, where did it go from there? It's one thing to have a wonderful, and I think this is a beautiful thing. That's why everybody needs coaches, even coaches and coaches, right like it's, and we don't need to dive into that. But I'm sure it's going to come up more as we start talking about rituals and the importance of rituals, and especially when it comes to being productive and getting stuff done right. Had a little bit of a pause there on the s, but you know what I was going to say anyways, but mark like to have just that one blink of a moment in a conversation and then to go and now be 18 years deep in it. There must've been something to that. When he brought that spark up, like that ignited more than just an idea.

Dai Manuel: 10:48

What was it about that Like? How did it start? Cause I can imagine it's morphed into so many different ways in in in almost two decades, but what did it look like at the beginning? Because I was thinking back. It's like mid two thousands. I'm like what was it really out back then? I guess it was getting things done, david allen, what else was there? I don't even know what the hell so was, even speaking to that productivity side of things, I I imagine you must have also noticed there's a huge landscape. That's just whatever you want to paint, right remember I was fired in 2005.

Mark Struczewski: 11:20

I didn't really find my way until about 2011. That's when I hung my shingle off. But when he first told me about productivity, the first thing after I said, where'd they come from? Self-doubt like who's going to listen to me. I mean, I'm just, who am I? And I think everybody. If they're honest, they get really excited and then all of a sudden, the devil goes who are you? Who are you to talk about this topic? Who are you kidding? So I fought that for five, six, seven years. Man, I didn't like time it how long it took me, but it was a long time. And the more I talked to solopreneurs and entrepreneurs, a lot of them said oh yeah, I deal with that.

Mark Struczewski: 11:59

Today, celine dion is still freaking paranoid to go out on stage and look at how successful he is. She is. So if people go on, I'm not. I don't suffer from that. Yeah, you probably do, because it's. You're a human being. And if you go I've always been in health and wellness. I've always been in stock trading. I've always been a real estate never had an issue. I would say there's a word for it and that's like a liar, because we're human. We're human because you go in and start. Things start going great and then something bad happens, like run row, and then you have to pivot. But I think that's what makes life so interesting is, every day is not the same. I couldn't imagine working back in the 50s and 60s and all you had to do all day for nine, ten hours just put rivets on a wheel or a car. So that would drive me crazy. I like the variety of life.

Dai Manuel: 12:51

And I think that's the interesting part about entrepreneurship. I find those that are attracted to entrepreneurship are usually, for the most part, quite creative, like they strive for creativity, but they find that expression through building business and businesses and serving a client and also solving a problem. So what was the big problem that you've noticed with this term productivity.

Mark Struczewski: 13:14

What does it mean to?

Dai Manuel: 13:14

be productive. Maybe we should start there and then talk about the misconceptions that you must encounter or have encountered that relates to productivity, and so if we could start there, that might be a great place.

Mark Struczewski: 13:27

For me, productivity is doing the right things at the right time. A lot of people get the orders wrong. Item number 10 needs to be done, but it doesn't need to be done until items number one through nine get done. But we're like I like doing item 10. So I'm going to put that first, and then what you have is one through nine get done, but we're like blank doing item 10. So I'm going to put that first, and then what you have is one through nine get delayed. And now your clients or your boss is like, hey, where's that project? Oh, yeah, I'm working on this project, and they're like, oh, wait, a minute, that's number 10.

Mark Struczewski: 13:59

So I think a lot of it comes down to knowing when to do the right things. Now I teach something we can get into just a little bit later. I'm called the O'Day method because it frees people up, and so I want people to do. Free people up to give you more time to work within your genius. We all do stuff that we don't want to do. Everybody does stuff they don't want to do. It's part of life. The thing is, you want to reduce that stuff so you can work on the stuff you really love to do.

Dai Manuel: 14:32

I think it's so simple and concept right, but we know we struggle with this and at least I'll admit it, I have struggled with being productive at periods of my life and your way that the example you just painted I was like, oh geez smart. Talking to me, it's like because it's true, there's other things in the day to day, especially when it comes to certain projects or campaigns, and there's steps that I really love doing and then there's steps I don't love doing, and I love that you mentioned this idea of working in our genius can you expand on that, because I think this is really important when it comes to being productive, but also as entrepreneurs.

Dai Manuel: 15:11

I think we get stuck doing a lot of things we're not very good at but we believe we should be doing, and I'll tell you that energy that gets sucked and drained into that stuff doesn't leave much left to do the things that we actually like doing well so please go ahead before I address that I want to.

Mark Struczewski: 15:29

I want to tell an inside secret to the listeners. Please host, have guests on the show for themselves. Be honest. It's like a coaching call for die and then we just let the the rest of the world listen. Let's be honest, right? That's why we have the guests we do.

Dai Manuel: 15:45

It is man Totally. Okay so I was stoked to have you on the show man. I was like I know I'm good at getting stuff done when I want to, but there's just those times where I'm like gosh.

Mark Struczewski: 15:59

I just don't want to do this right now.

Dai Manuel: 16:01

So I'll go do this thing because I really like doing those things. But then it's the coming back to do the other things that I told myself I'll come back to that, but then it's like huh, forgot about that, huh. So, mark, you're speaking to me, but I know that everyone that's in the audience is also listening, just nodding their head right now.

Mark Struczewski: 16:18

So let's talk about the zone of genius. Everybody has got something. They're really good at that. When they do it, it doesn't even feel like work. One of my favorite quotes is from Kathy Lee Gifford. She says if you have a pulse, you have a purpose. So if you're on this planet, you're listening to this podcast. There's a reason why, and I teach something called the Oday Framework, which all it stands for is outsource, delegate, automate and eliminate. So what I encourage people to do over several days and I don't like to give an exact number of days because everyone's different you just carry a little notebook with you and you write down everything you do.

Mark Struczewski: 16:52

Now, you're not going to capture everything, but try to capture as much as you can. Then what you do is you let that list to the side After you complete the list for about a day. Then you gift yourself 90 minutes. Then you gift yourself 90 minutes. Then you go through that list four times. Not don't try to do a shortcut, it doesn't work. You go through one line item, go okay, can this be outsourced? Put an O next to it. Then you go to the next one and the third one, and so on. Then you go back and do the delegation Now delegation outsource a kind of gray in your solopreneur it.

Mark Struczewski: 17:22

You know a gray area. You do it for delegate. Then you do it automated. Now we live in 2024, you can automate a ton of stuff and my final letter is e, how much? How many things are you and your listeners doing that? You're just doing them because you've always done them and you don't know why. So once you identify all these things off your list, then what you do is you actually outsource, delegate, automate, and then you stop doing the elimination stuff. You're going to free up any work from 30 to 50 on your calendar. Now this is where it gets really important. Do not fill other stuff that could be outsourced or delegated, automated, eliminated on your calendar, because this extra space is going to give you breathing room to work in your genius. So I hate spreadsheets. I can do really simple spreadsheets, but if I want a complicated spreadsheet I'll say hey, honey, not you die.

Mark Struczewski: 18:18

I want to be very clear to the listener I would tell my wife, with my business partner, can you create a spreadsheet for me? I hate spreadsheets, but there are people who love them. It's not my zone of genius, so I think people need to outsource, delegate, automate, eliminate the stuff that's not in their zone of genius. Maybe it needs to be done, but maybe not by you and it frees you up to do the stuff you get excited about and stuff that you're really good at.

Dai Manuel: 18:44

The great answer and also great strategy. I love that O'Day method. I'm a big fan of acronyms. Thank you, because, again, my pleasure Productivity hack helps us remember things.

Dai Manuel: 18:57

And yes, now, mark, I know you've been working in this space a long time, but let's be honest, sometimes to execute on a new strategy requires change and as entrepreneurs, I think we get stuck especially solopreneurs, stuck in the day-to-day, right In the trenches, and it's really easy to feel like we're struggling with the juggle right Struggle with the juggle of life, but also business and all the the other little demands that are appalling us. What are some words of encouragement or advice that maybe you've picked up over the last couple of decades to help people with this, to help with dealing with that overwhelm, that stress, because again it's just oh gosh, another thing I got to put on my plate and on my list oh gosh, woe is me. And I'm just curious because I can only see this change happening if we actually take the time to create the space to do exactly what you talked about. But I guess it's overcoming that first part right, that first hurdle, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on that.

Mark Struczewski: 19:57

Yeah, one of my biggest productivity tips this day and age is to take breaks. We are constantly on the go. We're like the Tasmanian devil we're just go, and the problem is your body can only do so much every day. Now, before we recorded this podcast, I told you I came in here. I was sweating because I went out and got 45 minutes of sun in the Texas heat. I didn't allow myself enough time to cool down. I'm still sweating on the show today, but it's important that you don't work all the time.

Mark Struczewski: 20:30

Even if you're in your zone of genius, even if you absolutely love what you're doing, you need to take a break. What I call micro breaks means you get away from your technology. You don't go from your MacBook to your iPhone. You go outside and maybe you take a walk around your block, or maybe you go outside, take your shoes and socks off and let your round or also known as earthling get some sun. I think we need to take a break whenever we start beginning to feel overwhelmed, and I also think we also need to move a lot. So one of the things I do, even if I'm on a training call now. I'm not going to do it now, although I have my standing desk right now so I keep moving around.

Mark Struczewski: 21:14

If I'm on a training call and I'm not on on screen, you'll see me like walking back and forth, because we were not created to sit behind our computers for eight, nine, 10, 12, 14 hours a day. We are created to move. That's why we have two legs. Okay, I always tell people Jesus didn't take an Uber. Okay, walked everywhere. I'm afraid if we don't, if we keep sitting behind our computers and on our phones, that maybe someday evolution will take away our legs Not going to happen. But I'm just saying because we are not prioritizing our health. I'm 58. I plan on running on my 110th birthday. I can't do that if I don't take care of myself. So I tell people it sounds counterintuitive, but if you want to be productive, take care of your health, which is right up your alley.

Dai Manuel: 21:57

I'm happy you said that, gosh man, it's. You know where I want to go with this conversation, because, of course, I want to bring the health in, because I also know in 2017, that's where you made a commitment to start running yes and I'm just really. I wanted to know what was that experience like for you, noticeably as someone that was already very productive and already embracing certain habits and rituals around being productive because consistency is a big, important part of productive right, but how did it change for you just your own productivity, your own business and your own day-to-day personally and professionally, when you started to create that daily habit of running?

Mark Struczewski: 22:35

I just I'd love to hear that but I first started, yeah, I didn't know I'd be running 2,453 days in a row, as of today.

Dai Manuel: 22:45

Had no idea.

Mark Struczewski: 22:46

Congratulations. We had a hurricane here back in 2017, hurricane Harvey, yeah and for three days we couldn't leave our house and I happened to read an article on runnersworldcom that said what I learned from running one mile a day for 250 days in a row. I'm like I could do that one mile and all of a sudden I got 10 days. I'm like I could do that it's one mile, and all of a sudden I got 10 days. I'm like, oh, this is. I started feeling different when I ran. I'm like, because there's something about you get the blood flowing, you feel really great. And then 10 days became 100, became 1,000.

Mark Struczewski: 23:16

And now, if I can't run first thing in the morning, this is how obsessed I am with running first thing in the morning. With running first thing in the morning If it's thundering and lightning outside, or when we had a freak snowstorm in Houston back in February of 21, where it's 15 degrees outside Fahrenheit, not Celsius every day I ran in my house. Even on the one day, we had no power. All day I actually carried a flashlight and ran, because running first thing gets me ready for the day. I don't run later because it wakes me up. You get that blood flowing, you purge your body, the cortisol makes a big difference. I can't imagine not running. And now my wife and I we're going to take a road trip in August and I told her I'm like, okay, we're going to be in this city on a road trip, okay, I got to find, we got to find a hotel where I can run around the park and I'm not going to run at the end of the day.

Mark Struczewski: 24:04

I run first thing in the morning and I make no excuses. I ran the day my mother died. I ran the day my father died. Some people go. That's disrespectful. I'm like, all due respect, they're gone, so my parents wouldn't mind. So I just think that for me it helps me be more productive because it gives me energy. Like I said earlier, healthy people are productive people and you need to take care of yourself and if you're not taking care of yourself now, I'm sure Di would back me up on this. Start small, don't try to move the world. What is one small hack you can do today that's going to start moving that needle towards you being more healthy? Thank you, hence.

Dai Manuel: 24:43

The 2% being more healthy. Thank you. Hence the 2% solution everybody. 30 minutes, that's it. You take 30 minutes a day, 2% of your 24 hours. It's amazing what you can do, even if you just prioritize a little bit of movement with purpose. And what I mean by that is you're moving your body with the intention of giving yourself something to improve your body. Right, it's giving yourself a little bit of strain, but not pain, okay. So there is a fine difference between those two things, and I so thank you for sharing that, because I know I'm ever and people have heard me say this, like I'm only ever one workout away from feeling better than I am before the workout. And I can imagine for you. It's that early morning injection of activity. It gets the blood flowing, gets the oxygen to the brain. You're right, it helps us with that cortisol regulation as well. It's like there's so many boxes that get ticked and yet you would think that more people would just be into this, but it's not the case.

Mark Struczewski: 25:38

Why do you think that is?

Dai Manuel: 25:39

What do you think the reason is for that, Mark?

Mark Struczewski: 25:41

I used to think it was laziness, but now I think it's a lack of priorities. So I'm in bed by 8.30 every night and I'm up between 4.30 and 5. So I get up, I run the Tim Ferriss 30-30-30 protocol, which is 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes and then 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day. And when people tell me, oh, I can't do this, I can't do that because of that, all right, can we stop with the excuse making and excuse making? Now I'm an empty nester. I have my wife and my our two dogs, but if you have six kids, you can create a morning routine that's going to start your day off right and healthy. You may have to go to bed early, like when you put the kids to bed. Maybe when you put the kids to bed, you don't stay up for another four hours. Maybe you go to bed when they go to bed, so you can get up early.

Mark Struczewski: 26:31

I don't like people making excuses, because in any situation there's a way that you can figure out how it works for you. But I got to believe someone like you. Excuses are never going to make you healthy. You have to figure out a way where you can be healthy. Maybe you take a walk at work Maybe, like I got out, my wife bought me a rebounder for our anniversary and I got the rebounder right behind our couch. So when I'm watching my European football or watching TV, I'm bouncing for 15, 20 minutes, and so don't make excuses. There is no way you're going to live a long time and live healthy if you're making excuses. Am I not right? You're really right.

Dai Manuel: 27:08

Very right, and people have heard me say if you use an excuse more than once, it's now just really a habit. Yep, stop 100%.

Mark Struczewski: 27:19

There you go. What's interesting is you tell your audience the same thing and it may resonate with a couple people, because I said it. It's like when people come on my show, oh, totally and they say the same thing I've been saying, but they heard it from someone else, so maybe someone out there's going. I've been hearing die say this over and over again. All right, mr productivity said it.

Dai Manuel: 27:39

I guess I really have my attention now, and we're not alone in these statements, mark, that's the one cool part when you start to meet people that are doing just living very full lives that's the way I like to put it and it's not just sitting in front of the couch or consuming a lot of content, like we're out there doing stuff right, and we also have our downtime Like I still like to Netflix and chill, don't get me wrong Like I got my favorite series. Our downtime, like I still like to netflix and chill, don't get me wrong like I got my favorite series. I binge, like we all do that, and but it's learning how to offset that with some healthier habits as well. But for you, I know, it's really important to bookend the day.

Dai Manuel: 28:15

You start the day a certain way, but you also end the day, and I find that we don't talk about the ending of a day, correct, like we just often say, yeah, just go, just go to bed, go to sleep, like we'll hear sometimes, sleep hygiene or sleep rituals, blah, blah, blah. But it doesn't get the same amount of play that morning rituals get, and so could you briefly just talk a little bit about morning ritual. But, more importantly, I'd love for you to talk about the ending of the day, because I know if you don't end up, it doesn't set you up for starting the next day. Very well, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this Cause. I know you really speak to this.

Mark Struczewski: 28:48

I think a bedtime routine is way more important than a morning routine, because if your bedtime routine is a big poop emoji, the morning routine doesn't matter. So let me tell people the way my routine works. And again, what I just just said.

Mark Struczewski: 29:05

You can take this, tweak it for your particular situation, diane, I don't want to hear any excuses, okay? So I generally go screens off around 7 30 and I go in my room and I will journal in my print journal and then I'll read a book on my kindle until about 8 30 go 5.30, which is three hours before bedtime. I stop eating Now for the longest time. I never went without food. When I was a kid I always had this fear that I couldn't sleep unless I had a full stomach. Then I educated myself and realized if you go to bed full, your body is not going to sleep because it's trying to digest the food. And when I learned that, whoa, so I cut my food off. Three hours for bed, one hour for bed, no more electronics.

Mark Struczewski: 29:49

Sometimes I cheat, I'll be honest with you. Sometimes I cheat. And then I go to bed and I keep our room nice and cold. We keep it house about 65, 66 degrees Fahrenheit and I got to have air moving. I've always had air moving. So I've got a couple fans in my room, a ceiling fan, another fan. I just got to have air moving. I can't have it cool and just no air moving. It just drives me crazy, and I generally sleep pretty good, and first thing I do when I wake up I use the restroom and then I shave my head every day and now I know where my hair goes, yes. And then what I do is I have what I've been doing right now is because it's easier I have two muscle milks, which is 50 grams of protein. Then I do a single pushup, one pushup. It's a proper pushup, it's not one of these lazy ones, it's a proper pushup. And then I read a book called Built to Move by Kelly and Juliet Starlet. It's called Built to Move.

Dai Manuel: 30:42

I just said that twice, but that way. No, it's great. Kelly and Julian are coming on the podcast, so they'll be excellent.

Mark Struczewski: 30:46

Yeah, I know them for a long time.

Dai Manuel: 30:47

It's funny they actually wrote the endorsement for my book when I published eight years ago.

Mark Struczewski: 30:51

It's funny.

Dai Manuel: 30:53

Good people.

Mark Struczewski: 30:54

Good people.

Dai Manuel: 30:54

Yeah.

Mark Struczewski: 30:55

So one of the things in the book they talk about that really resonated with me is squatting. So people don't squat, and so I. I read that I want to start squatting. So the first day I did it, my brain, my body goes oh, that's cool, no problem. Second day, my body's like going whoa, we're gonna do this every day now and in about two, three weeks my hip flexors are going oh, my knees are going out. But now I'm over 100 days.

Mark Struczewski: 31:21

I could could do a five, six-minute squat, and the problem is because people are so sedentary, let's die. If you don't squat, you have trouble getting up. Can you imagine you're down on the floor for whatever reason and your house catches on fire and you can't get up and now you're going to be burned to death? So I believe it's important to know how to squat and I can't believe I could squat five, six minutes no pain whatsoever. But that first couple weights was tough. So after I do that, then I gotta wait for the first light to come out, for it to be safe to run outside, and then I will do two to three miles. Come home, take a cold shower, then I'm out with my day it's a great way to start the day.

Dai Manuel: 32:05

Yeah, I love it. I think it's just beautiful, like it's. And do you eat when, after you've done all the morning ritual? Do you have cause? You talked about the muscle milk, the two for 50 grams, but you actually eat another meal later on. Or do you go until noon, or it depends if I'm hungry or not.

Mark Struczewski: 32:25

I try to go. My wife and I do. We flip lunch and dinner so I like my heavy meal at lunch instead of late, late in the day and it's worked out pretty good. So if we're gonna have steak, we'll be cooking steak out in the grill. People go after lunch.

Mark Struczewski: 32:37

I'm like, yeah, I don't like to have a heavy meal late in the day. It doesn't sit well with me, but sometimes I'll have some cashews or like strawberries are in season now, or some apples, something like that. So I'm trying to eat more whole foods and it's like told my wife, a whole cookie is not whole food, right, and she's like, no, that's not a whole food. A whole gallon of ice cream is not whole food, but I do have. I do fall by the wayside, like I like my Klondike ice cream bars, but I'm trying to eat better. Like I had McDonald's for lunch today but I only had nuggets and fries. But I'm not perfect and I'm sure you will not tell us that hey, I always eat perfect all the time. But I think it's okay if you have it once in a while, but when you're saying every once in a while is every time you eat, that's not every once in a while. But when you're saying every once in a while is every time you eat, that's not every once in a while. And so for me, I try not to snack, but if I'm going to snack, I try to eat something like cashews or something like that.

Mark Struczewski: 33:30

I'm really big on organic foods because I had a friend of mine who's a doctor and she developed some medical issue and then she got a whole bunch of tests and found out that she had a toxic buildup in her and then, once he started eating organic, she started feeling better. So I go out and I make sure my deodorant is not toxic and all those things people don't think about. Again, small hinges small hinges shut big doors. And if you want to start getting healthy, number one, keep listening to Dye's podcast. And number two, keep listening to Dye's podcast. And number two, educate yourself. Like I'm reading Dr Peter Atiyah's book.

Dai Manuel: 34:10

Outlook. I'm reading it again, but it's important to educate yourself.

Mark Struczewski: 34:14

You can't just rely on Dye, as awesome as he is. You've got to educate yourself. And it's your health. And I remember, before my father passed away, I'd go visit him. He was in Florida and I'm in Texas and he had all these pills he's taken. I'm like dad, what's up with all these pills? He goes oh doctor told me I should take it. I'm like dad, it's your responsibility because it's your health, it's your life, and I could never get him to understand that he has a right to say hey, why am I taking this? And I said you don't get the answer. You understand, ask again and again. So, even though you have a doctor, even though you have died, it's still your responsibility to go. You know what I'm going to figure out. Should I be eating all this stuff? What should I eat? What's?

Dai Manuel: 34:57

something.

Mark Struczewski: 34:57

I should start eating or something. But again it goes back to excuses. Stop making excuses for why you don't feel good, you can't sleep, you can't get up in the morning, you have no energy, you can't walk upstairs. If you've got to go up one flight of stairs, don't take the elevator, take the stairs. This is how lazy we're getting people. I've known there'll be. I remember it was someplace and it was like one flight of stairs, the stairs. And I start walking the stairs and they go. What are you doing? Taking the stairs? The elevator is right here. I'm like it's one flight.

Dai Manuel: 35:31

What are you doing? It's one flight, but it's small things, right? It's those small things that we just, unless we intentionally choose to do the small things we'll constantly I let people off the hook a little bit, and what I mean by that is I'm not the only one that says this, but it is in our dna, isn't it? Mark like we're, we have been engineered to be as lazy as possible get as much done with as little energy expanded as possible.

Dai Manuel: 35:57

That is really this in the room, it's in our dna, it quite literally is, and yet we're trying to work and live beyond that and especially this idea about being productive. It's not a matter of trying to do more, but we are trying to produce more, but maybe do it in a much smarter, more effective and efficient way, and that's why I love your O'Dea method, because that really highlights that in a great way. And I guess what I'm thinking here, mark, is that we've talked about a number of things that relates to this idea of being more productive.

Dai Manuel: 36:29

What are the misconceptions that you've seen working in this space for 20 years? Because I got to say there's a lot of people that do speak to this idea about being productive, but being and feeling productive are very different. I gotta say there's days where I'm like, oh, wow, I feel really like I did a lot, got a lot of things done, but I might have done a lot of things that really weren't important. You know what I mean, because I like the dopamine hit I get when I check that off my list right, like I'm like, oh yeah, another thing off my list, great, great. But Like I'm like oh yeah, another thing off my list, great, great. But meanwhile I'm like there was two things that I really needed to get done today and I didn't.

Dai Manuel: 37:10

And then I got this feeling of guilt and shame and like, oh gosh, the more I'll do it, the more I'll do it. And then I'm like God. I hear people say tomorrow all the time, and pretty soon I'm going to poke my hand in my pocket and I'll pull them out and all I got are these empty yesterdays. Anyways, what are your thoughts? How can you save me and sorry, I meant the audience that needs help with this how?

Mark Struczewski: 37:31

are you going to help them? First of all, I would tell people there's no one answer for everyone. So one of the joys I love about being a productivity coach is everyone's different, which I think makes my job really exciting for me. Anyways, what I encourage people we talked about it several times on the show what is one thing you can do today If you are able to walk outside? If you can unless I know, you live up in Canada, right? Sometimes it gets cold up there, but the coldest I ever grounded, by the way 27 degrees fahrenheit. People thought I was crazy. I did. I did some uh stories on this. I went on my bare feet, I covered them up with blankets, I was wearing on my winter coat and stuff like that, because it does get chilly sometimes in houston. But no excuses, I do ground every day.

Mark Struczewski: 38:20

So take care of your health. If you do not have the energy, you are not going to be productive. Okay. And if you pull an all-nighter, you know what that's going to do your energy next day. You know what that's going to do with your productivity the next day.

Mark Struczewski: 38:35

You've got to prioritize your health, and I'm not telling you to do what some of my clients do, though. I'm going to go get some books from Amazon and I'm going to read it and I'm going to listen to the podcast. No, you need to. We gave you enough on the show today. We gave you enough on the show today that you can pick one thing, one thing and start doing it I don't want you to think about. Oh, let me write down the ideas, let me relisten to podcasts. That's called procrastination. You need to start doing if you want to live to age a hundred. You got to start today. I don't care if you're 20, 40, 60, 80, it doesn't matter. I know people and you probably know as well Di people who are in their eighties, who are healthier than people in their thirties. Oh, absolutely yeah, and I find that very sad, me too.

Dai Manuel: 39:22

I really do. It's amazing, but some of the stats that are out there right now just based on where things are trending. The funny thing is the fitness industry, the health industry, the health food industry they've never been as profitable or as large volume wise, and yet, as those are growing, we have more healthy options, more healthy choices, more healthy mentorship and coaching and some more resources. And yet obesity, yep and a lot of the chronic ailments that are attached with that condition of unhealth are all on the rise as well.

Mark Struczewski: 39:54

It's just like what the hell?

Dai Manuel: 39:55

is going on here, right, and, but it is. It's frustrating. I mean being a health professional and 30 years thinking that gosh, I'm trying to make you know a dent in this issue. And there's days where I just feel like gosh, what's the point? Like really, and I'm just being honest. There's those mornings I wake up where I'm like do I have the energy to keep doing this, keep saying the same damn message, where I don't feel like it's really making a difference.

Mark Struczewski: 40:19

Yeah, no, you're right. I, you know, I had a client once who was a CPA and her life changed as a result of my coaching. And so her friends would say, oh my gosh, you're so productive, you have so much more energy, you have a light now. And how did you do that? I went to this guy, mr Productivity, and they're all excited about it, until she told them that she paid me and they're like, oh, oh. And then, of course, this is the way her mind was she'd go wait a minute, wait, stop.

Mark Struczewski: 40:54

I know that you go out to dinner and movie every friday and saturday. I know you go to starbucks every day in the way to work and you don't have money to get the training I got to be more productive. So it comes back to I think it. Remember I said it wasn't laziness, it's priorities. People. They look at you and look at I want that. Oh, I no, I don't want to. I'm going to go to Domino's or I'm going to McDonald's, because it's not important to them, it's not important to them until it becomes not important to them, until it becomes a priority for you.

Mark Struczewski: 41:26

Like I didn't take care of my health until my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2018. She lost her battle in 2022. I didn't take care of my health as much. I'm going to live forever. I'm a guy, I'm active, but that jolted me. I'm like whoa. It caused me to stop and go hold on a second. Maybe I should be living life a little bit differently. And I actually talked to her doctor and I made some health decisions. Don't let that happen to you. Listener. Make changes now.

Mark Struczewski: 41:56

The good news is you can go out and ground on your bare feet. You don't need a prescription, don't need to go see your doctor. Just don't stand on a fire ant mound. If you're in the South, like we are, don't go out in thunder and lightning. But there's simple things you can do. Oh, it's raining outside, walk around your house, walk around your apartment. Don't I just excuses, drive me crazy. I know excuses drive you crazy or not. When people say, oh, it's cold out, walk in your house. Put. There's things you can do. People have been going outside when it's cold for years. Why do you think you're different?

Dai Manuel: 42:25

You're right and it's that voice of reason and I do know that also, you're very active on social and you share your own experiences, the things that you do, and I think that's a wonderful way to mentor people. Right, it's okay, you don't have to do what I say. Why don't you just do what I do? Just try it. And that's the wonderful thing about this show is that I really try to instill that invitation to try to do the things that these amazing experts like yourself are sharing.

Dai Manuel: 42:52

And the funny thing is, success clearly has consistent friends bedfellows, as I would say, because I had Dave Albin on not too long ago. I think Dave's been. Has Dave been on your show, dave Albin? If he hasn't, I got to introduce you to Mark Cause you guys can get it off. He's 70 years old. The last 30 years he's been running all the firewalk events for Tony Robbins, but also all the other global events and like NASA, google and he basically brings the full fire production team and then to host them, takes them through that experience and but he has a morning ritual. He's done for 20 some odd years.

Mark Struczewski: 43:29

Wow.

Dai Manuel: 43:30

And four of the things that you shared are the exact four of his five things that he does Grounding and the one thing that he does that he's very religious about is breath work. He does a breath work ritual as well in the morning, but other than that it was identical to your morning ritual.

Mark Struczewski: 43:45

And I thought breathing's overrated.

Dai Manuel: 43:48

I'm like hey, listen, I'm 47. I think I'm an expert at breathing by now. Come on, let's be honest. No, I'm being a little facetious, but there is something to that. And proper breath technique there's something to it, but that's another episode entirely. But I was bringing this up because he also mentions the 3-2-1 method, which is what you referred to. At the end of the day, three hours before bed, no food. Two hours before bed, no drink. One hour before bed, electronics. And so this three, two, one is also something that he's been living by. And to hear you say it again, I'm like okay, maybe I should look into this. Like I I not only share this, because I've been contemplating myself, but now, hearing it from you as well, I'm like you know what? I should really try that, because that's the one thing I've not been consistent with. I do eat right up to before bed using like a smoothie and stuff, and I do know that my sleep patterns are not consistent because of such and anyways.

Dai Manuel: 44:41

I just want to say thank you for the reminder today.

Mark Struczewski: 44:44

And I got to ask you about your coaching?

Dai Manuel: 44:46

Okay, Cause I imagine like in 20 years you've had some pretty interesting stories on coaching. What's been the most interesting person that you've had to work with and how did your coaching support them?

Mark Struczewski: 44:55

The most interesting the way you phrased that, because the most interesting question I had the most, I'm sorry, the most interesting client I ever had. We. He started with me before covid and then worked through me the beginning of covid and we went from productivity to covid and what we should do to protect ourselves. And I'm telling my wife I'm like why are we talking about COVID? I'm a productivity guy and when he said he didn't want to re-up, I'm like hopefully this is a podcast, but it was so weird because I'm like we were not talking about how we can be productive during COVID. We're talking about should we leave the windows open? Should we get vaccinated? I'm like this is the what are we doing right now?

Mark Struczewski: 45:41

And that was the strangest thing I always never, no one's ever asked that question the way you asked it before. But it was very weird. But my favorite client I have two favorite clients. One was the lady I told you about before. Like CPA completely changed your life. The other one is my cousin, who actually is a full pay client.

Mark Struczewski: 46:01

See, I believe that if you believe what you do, if you're really good what you do, you shouldn't give a discount to your family. If they respect you, they shouldn't go. You know what? Die Coach me for free. No, my cousin gave me his credit card and I charged him full fee. He didn't even ask for a discount.

Mark Struczewski: 46:18

So when I go to someone else I don't say, hey, can you send me your book? Now, you did send me your book as a courtesy for being on my show, but I didn't ask for it. It was completely optional and I think if you make it a gift, it's one thing, but too many people are wanting discounts. They want a shortcut. Remember the old day method. Someone's going to hear that on this show and they're going to go through. I'm not going to go through a four. They're going to go to the first thing and go.

Mark Struczewski: 46:43

Okay, is this an O, a, d and A and E? I can tell you it doesn't work. You need to go through it four times. It's just like the point. I didn't understand this. A'm a loser. That's not the point of it. The point is it's that, yes, there's things I can do outside my comfort zone to do it. I didn't understand that. I'm like I'm scared of fire. That's not the point. And I think a lot of people, when it comes down to it, they're making excuses and it comes down to lack of priorities. They really don't want to get healthy, they really don't want to be productive. Now, I've had we've all had good clients. We've all had clients that say, hey, can you just stay on Because I love you so much? But those are I don't want to give you a long-winded answer Too late but those are I don't want to give you a long-winded answer too late but those are clients that really brought me to my, came to my mind.

Dai Manuel: 47:42

I love hearing those stories, though, because I am of the same mind. I do know that we tend to pay better attention to the things that we pay for. We just tend to treat it more seriously, and as someone that gives away a lot of free stuff, I know that it's interesting, but those that pay tend to get better results.

Mark Struczewski: 48:02

Yeah, 100%. I'll give you an example Recently, about two weeks ago, tony Robbins did a live event. His events are not an hour, they're six hours long, and it was a free event. It's called Unshakable Business and his pitch was, of course he pitches something. It was $ thousand dollar membership for a year. I called my cousin the same person that full paid me, who has a full-time job, and I said hey, cause I think you should sign up for this. He didn't even go to the sales page, but he went to the sales page and bought it because he trusts me. So the more you do stuff, people are like okay, mark and die die, don't compromise. I can take what they say, because they're putting their, they're putting their money where their mouth is. They pay for coaching. I pay for coaching. It's really important, see if it's. If you said, yeah, you should go get a coach, but I don't have a coach, so I'm like wait, why don't you have a coach? And so it matters, it matters, and again, it's the little things that matter.

Dai Manuel: 48:58

Said, said, oh my gosh, there's so many questions I want to ask you and I, you know, I and I'm like, look at the time too, and I'm like, okay, I know I'm pushing it. But I wanted to talk briefly about diet, cause I know that you're a big fan of Tim Ferriss and the slow carb Right and I was wondering, in your, your opinion, as it relates to you and obviously other people that you've supported with some of these nutritional changes, have you found that this has been one of the best programs just to give people sort of some consistent energy food wise because I do slow carb, I think, is a great way to eat if you can sustain it. Right, maintain it, and I know that's where people it's like everything, everything, right, yeah, it's consistency, and lack thereof will usually affect our results or lack of results. Can you just speak to what your experience was like with the slow carb diet?

Mark Struczewski: 49:48

I was on the slow carb diet for four months and then I came off it because I was getting great results. Nothing wrong with it. I still do the 30, 30, 30 protocol in the morning, but then if I want an ice cream sandwich during the day, it's not a cheat day, because what was working for me is the slow carb was Sunday through Friday. If you're not familiar with the slow carb diet, it means you eat low carb six days and you like gorge yourself on the seventh day. I didn't like gorging myself on the seventh day. I'd have cream puffs for breakfast and I'd have ice cream sandwiches and jelly bean and I didn't like it. So what I do is I decided to sprinkle it through. So I'm more of a modified slow carb diet. I try to eat a lot of low carb. Like he says, don't eat nuts on the slow carb diet because you can't have just a handful. I do measure all my food. I use an app called chronometer, so I recommend people when you're going to go on a diet, it should not be about losing the poundage. It should be about I'm going to feel healthier, because a lot of people go. It's April, may. Let me get my bikini body or whatever a speedo body and then in August you start eating like crap again because you're like, ah, who cares? Until next summer. And what that does to your body is insane.

Mark Struczewski: 50:58

I listened to Outlive and then went out and bought the hard copy. I'm going through it slowly. I'm like, oh my gosh, this is crazy. I think people need to educate themselves. So I do the slow carb diet. I'll tell you one thing that came out of the slow carb diet. It's amazing when I did it the first time a number of years ago. He's really big on black beans. I First time a number of years ago, hated he's really big on black beans.

Dai Manuel: 51:18

Hated black beans.

Mark Struczewski: 51:20

Now, last night for dinner I had chicken with black beans, organic black beans and organic grape tomatoes and my wife goes oh, that looks pretty good and I'm like I can't believe. I like black beans, but that's what came out of it because I guess black beans are supposed to be really good for weight loss or a lot of protein and fiber and stuff like that, but I never liked them. So I have kidney beans, black bean. I can't say this Cannon Lenny bean. I always had trouble saying that, but I love beans now. I never liked them and people go cause. The first time I did the slow carb diet I had a problem with flatulence and then I didn't read the part in his book that said he buy canned. We were buying the dry ones and then soaking them. He says no, if you buy the canned beans you won't have issues. So I never have. I don't have problem with flat since now because I guess when you buy them canned and they're soaked in water it does something to the bean.

Dai Manuel: 52:11

you'd probably know that better than I would yeah, I'm not sure the, the reasoning, but there's some, yeah, like oil or something like that gets released. I forget what it is, but there's some digestive enzyme or something like that. I don't know per se, but I do know that when I was doing more of a paleo diet, that obviously legumes there's some legumes that are okay and then some that wouldn't be, but that's also because of some of the, the, even how some vegetables have a certain oil cover over it and some of those could be affecting inflammation in the body and stuff.

Dai Manuel: 52:45

now we're really nerding out, but I like the idea of the slow car because it well, it just teaches people how to be more present to the energy that food has on their body and I think that's the relationship piece, it's understanding that, oh yeah, when I eat like this, not only 30 minutes, 60 minutes, oh man, even two hours later, I still feel good. I don't feel like I need to have another sugary treat or a double with like here in Canada we've got the double right At Tim Hortons, so it's two treats, two sugars.

Dai Manuel: 53:12

And, like you say to Canada, people are like, oh, double, double, they know it's two, it's two sugars, and it's like throw a little coffee or donut on the side there and you got your little meal made in heaven. But it's funny, but it is part of that culture, right? And I think it's those cultural shifts that sometimes the hardest changes to make. I don't want to take all your time, but I know I'm going to have you back again for season two and I'm already thinking about about a hundred things I'd like to ask you, but I think we'd be remiss if we didn't at least share with the audience some of your best or most actionable tips or tricks, whether there's tools or hacks, or what would be your top three productivity hacks.

Mark Struczewski: 53:55

Number one take care of your health. Remember what I said several times in the episode healthy people are productive people. Number two searching for the perfect app. Air quotes here.

Mark Struczewski: 54:06

Perfect app is a form of procrastination. Start with the app that came with your device. I see people wasting time or they DM me. What app do you use for this? What app do you use for this? What app do you use for this? Like, use what you got first of all.

Mark Struczewski: 54:21

And third is work on your attitude. Be a Winnie the Pooh, be a piglet. Be you. Don't have to be a tiger like me, but be positive. Positive people are productive people.

Mark Struczewski: 54:35

And I would give you a fourth one Always tell your time where to go instead of wondering where. Productive people. And I would give you a fourth one Always tell your time where to go instead of wondering where it went. What do I mean by that? Don't wing it on your day. Have a plan. What do I want to do tomorrow? Oh, I want to do this and this, because if you have a plan and you do the plan, your productivity is going to shoot through the roof. And the fifth thing I'll give you a fifth one Extend yourself, grace. We're all going to shoot through the roof. And the fifth thing? I'll give you a fifth one. Okay, extend yourself, grace. We're all going to have those bad days. When the train goes off the tracks, just say you know what? It's okay, tomorrow's another day, and extend yourself, grace. A lot of people put holes in walls and scream and get mad. That's not being productive.

Dai Manuel: 55:18

So extend yourself, grace man, great advice and everyone these insights. They're only good if you actually take action with them. Otherwise it's just a whole lot of Mark and I have been pushing air this whole hour and we like the thing that you're going to take at least one of these tidbits and apply it. That's all. It takes Just a long one and see how it goes. That just the prioritizing the health. My invitation to people just start walking every morning for 30 minutes. Yeah, do that in the earliest sunrise, those early rays. 30 minutes.

Dai Manuel: 55:50

Put an audio book or listen to one of 1300 episodes of Mark's podcast feed your head something positive, Do something positive for your body, but also it's amazing Get outside and collect some of that vitamin D. Simple Simple doesn't mean you've got to take action, Mark, so listen before we go today. I'd love to know what are you working on right now? That's got you super pumped and excited.

Mark Struczewski: 56:16

Right now. What I'm excited about, besides my podcast's seventh birthday, is I'm really. I have recently pivoted from collecting followers, subscribers, views, comments, likes on social media. I want people to get on the phone call with me, and so I got this great thing. So if you go to Mrproductivitycom, at the very top of my page, you can enter your name and email address, click the button that says grab free training. I've got like a five minute video there which is going to give you tons of value, and then in the first email you get when you join my list, you're going to get a link to get a 45 minute call with me, absolutely free. Here's why I do that.

Mark Struczewski: 56:55

I used to do 15 minutes and then I had a coaching call with someone and they go you're not going to get serious people on a 15 minute call and you're not going to get. The people are going to waste your time in a 45 minute call because they're going to know you're going to talk about your coaching there. But I want to get on the phone because I have this mission. I have this joy of helping people and, yeah, I can help you through the Mr Productivity podcast and through the email newsletter and through social media and through this podcast with you, dye. But if you really want to take it to the next level, sign up for my email newsletter, get on the call with me. You can unsubscribe from the list after what you want, but I want to get talk to you if you're serious about becoming more productive.

Mark Struczewski: 57:35

Now. We're not going to talk about COVID on the call. Okay, I'm not a doctor. I'm not. That's not what I do. I'm not going to talk about who's going to win the elections. That's not what I do. I'm a productivity guy. So if you're serious, mrproductivitycom, sign up for my email list, watch the training, get on a free call with me. It's my gift to you.

Dai Manuel: 57:54

Mark, thank you. That's such a generous gift but also everyone in the show notes. You just click on that little button wherever you're listening to this expand that. It's right there. I click the link and go check out mark's page. But also more than a site. He's got tons of resources. Like it's ridiculous how much resources you put out there. Mark, I gotta commend you. The content you put out is top notch, but it all adds value, it makes a difference, and so thank you Cause I know that is a lot to constantly put that out. Like I look at you and I'm reminded of Seth Godin. Like I know he writes every single day, he publishes Right, and it's been like that for like ever, but it's a sign of and it's a great reminder of just the power of being consistent.

Mark Struczewski: 58:45

He said I saw a quote from Seth Godin once that he says if I died, you wouldn't know it for seven years, because he has so much content scheduled. That's crazy, Isn't that crazy?

Dai Manuel: 58:50

to think about that. It is, and now, with the way that they make these new AI bots, they could probably push all of his content he's ever created into one of those bots and I think we'd have Seth Gordon forever, but also just his unique way. I thought he died, I don't know. There's some hologram over there talking yeah, either way, listen. Thank you for being here today, mark.

Dai Manuel: 59:15

And congratulations again on seven years. I know it's coming up. It's going to be here quick, but also almost 1300 episodes in Wow, just so you know. It's super inspiring for me, someone that's now on the other side of the mic, people like you, but just to see what you've built and what you've done, but also the consistency with you show up and passionate consistency and I just yeah, it's just amazing, mark. Anyways, I'm excited for the next 1300 episodes, but we'll have you on the show before another seven years to inspire.

Dai Manuel: 59:49

Oh my goodness, but thanks for being on the show. I always give my guests last word If there's anybody that's on the fence or thinking yeah, okay, all this stuff sounded great. Morning routines, routines yeah, prioritize my health, okay. I just don't know where to start. What would be your words of recommendation? Or you don't even have to answer that. Whatever you want to leave the show with today, the final words are yours.

Mark Struczewski: 1:00:15

You get one life. Gary Vaynerchuk said you're going to die. We're all going to die at some point. And how long do you want to be on this planet? I don't care how old you are 20, 40, 60, 80. I don't care. You have to make a decision right now that you're going to start taking your health and your productivity seriously, because nothing matters if you don't make the decision, if you just go through the motions, it doesn't matter. You have to make a decision.

Mark Struczewski: 1:00:43

So what I challenge people to do if you are serious, then I want you to create a video for social media. I want you to put it on TikTok, I want you to put it on Meta, I want you to put it on Snapchat. I want you to put it on X. I want you to put on x. I want to put on youtube. Say I am going to take my health seriously, I'm going to start taking my productivity seriously, because when you do that now, it's not staining your head now, it's out in the world. Now other people are like hey joan, hey jimmy, didn't you create a video three months ago? Said you're going to take your health seriously? How's that going? You're like. It's called social accountability.

Dai Manuel: 1:01:19

I highly recommend oh great, oh man, I, I like that, I like that challenge. Or oh no, invitation. It's much nicer, a little softer, but I love that. So, everyone listen, I'm gonna tell you right now if you take mark up on that, you do that video and you tag him and I will send you a copy of my book. Whoa, right there, all right, I better cap that First 20 people. First 20 people. They do one of those videos. You tag Mark and I'm sending you a signed copy of my book. So there you go, people. There's an invitation.

Dai Manuel: 1:01:53

Take action. What Mark shared with us. Say take action on what Mark shared with us today. Get over to his site, check out the free resources, get on his newsletter and gosh, hey, if you're feeling into what we talked about today, he's just offered up a free call. I would highly say take advantage of that. Again, mark, thanks for being here today. Absolute pleasure, as always. Excited to have you back next season, but keep putting up the good fight, because it's amazing to watch you win. Thank you, dai, I really appreciate it. See, I told you what an amazing conversation today.

Dai Manuel: 1:02:28

Now, if you're like me, you're probably rethinking your entire approach to productivity after hearing Mark's insights From his unique ODA method to his thoughts on why most of us are prioritizing the wrong things, mark has definitely given us a lot to chew on Now. Remember productivity isn't just about getting more done. It's about getting the right things done at the right time. If you're ready to take your productivity to the next level, don't miss out on the incredible resources Mark has shared today. Head over to mrproductivitycom. I've also linked it in the show notes, along with all of other Mark's amazing social channels. And, believe me, when you go and you start following the stuff he's throwing down, you'll always feel inspired, motivated, but also leave feeling educated and empowered to start influencing changes in your own life.

Dai Manuel: 1:03:15

Sign up for his free training, take advantage of the 45-minute call with him it's a game changer and don't forget to check out Mark's podcast, where you can dive even deeper into the world of productivity, with over 1,280 episodes of Pure Gold. Now, before we go, let me leave with this. Take just one of Mark's tips from today and apply it today. Small changes can lead to big results, but only if you take action. Thanks for joining us on the 2% Solution this week and until next time, keep striving to be just 2% better every day because you're worth it and you're awesome and I can't wait to see you next time.