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Edition #004: ⚖️ 🎶 Beethoven’s Lesson, THE Productivity Hack, and Earthing

Hey Risers,

Welcome to EDITION 004 of the TRY HARDER Newsletter.

This week, I have a productivity secret with a side of Beethoven and a little woo-woo earth magic.

Enjoy!

In this Edition: ​

Building the Business The Secret to Productivity in Scaling a Business Building the Human Become One with the Earth Try Harder Beethoven’s Lesson

Building the Business:

The Secret to Productivity in Scaling a Business

I’m a productivity junkie. I’ve read all the books 📚, taken all the courses 💻, listened to podcasts 🎧, hired coaches🕴🏻 and everything in between to optimize my productivity.

You’ll run across things like habit trackers, GSD, bullet journaling, time blocking, the pomodoro technique, and about a thousand more.

And… none of those things are THE SECRET.

Every hack, trick, or technique assumes that you know what to do, what to work on, and the exact next steps 👣.

When you’re an entrepreneur… you don’t always know the EXACT next step for growth. And the more you grow, the less uncertain the next step becomes.

So what’s the secret? 🤫

GOAL SETTING TO THE NOW

Here’s how it works: Answer each question…

Someday Goal

What’s the ONE thing I want to do someday?

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Five-year goal

Based on my someday goal, what’s the ONE thing I can do in the next five years?

⬇

One-year goal

Based on my five-year goal, what’s the ONE thing I can do in the next year?

⬇

Monthly goal

Based on my one-year goal, what’s the ONE thing I can do this month?

⬇

Weekly goal

Based on my monthly goal, what’s the ONE thing I can do this week?

⬇

Daily goal

Based on my weekly goal, what’s the ONE thing I can do today?

⬇

RIGHT NOW

Based on my daily goal, what’s the ONE thing I can do right now?

When you stay focused on what you want, your path becomes more apparent daily. When the next step is unknown, you at least know which direction to head towards.

Takeaways:

• Be productive towards the big picture
• Stay focused on your goals
• Avoid shiny objects

Building the Human:

Become One with the Earth 🌎…❓

I’ve tested almost everything you can in the health & fitness arena to optimize mental and physical performance. When I see something new pop up, here’s where my brain goes…

1. What’s the cost (time or money)?
2. What’s the downside?
3. What’s the upside?

One of these “things” I ran into about 7 years ago was…GROUNDING.

Have you heard of it…? It has some studies… [1]​[2]​

It’s simple. Pop your shoes off and come in contact with the earth.

The Theory:

• Grounding, also known as earthing 🌏, is based on the principle of reconnecting the human body directly or indirectly with the Earth’s surface electrons 🔌.
• This connection is believed to enable free electrons from the Earth to enter the body, acting as natural antioxidants that can neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby reducing inflammation and promoting health and recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage​​ 🩻.

At first, I thought it was a little woo-woo, but then I came across a team in the Tour de France that was using it for accelerated recovery. So I ran it through my filter…

1. What’s the cost (time or money)?
   1. Time = zero (can be done while doing current activities)
   2. Money = free to $50 (nominal)
2. What’s the downside?
   1. Somehow earth’s electrons hurt you? Not likely…
   2. People think I’m weird… Who cares!
3. What’s the upside?
   1. Improved sleep
   2. Improved athletic recovery
   3. Reduced Inflammation

Let’s do it!

I slept with a grounding mat in my bed for a few years before I got tired of all the wires. Now, I have a grounding pad at my desk that rests under my keyboard and my hands are in contact with most of the day.

What have I noticed when grounding?

• Better energy throughout the day (subjective)
• Improved HRV (objective)
• Better Sleep Data (objective)

Am I suffering from a large dose of the placebo effect, or is it something you should try?

Takeaways:

• If you are thinking about trying something new, ask; What’s the cost (time or money)? What’s the downside? What’s the upside?
• Try some grounding!!

Try Harder:

Beethoven’s Lesson

Ever heard of Ludwig van Beethoven? 🎶

Of course, you have. He’s the deaf dude 🧏 who composed some of the most emotionally charged music ever.

Wait, don’t tell me you didn’t know he was deaf!?

Imagine this: You’re a musician, and the one thing you rely on—your hearing👂—fails…

What do you do? Throw in the towel? Nope. You double down, just like our man Ludwig did. When Beethoven began losing his hearing, he didn’t just mope around. He adapted, continued to compose, and literally felt the music through vibrations 😳 (I can’t do that…). He created symphonies that would leave the world in awe centuries later.

So, what’s your excuse? This isn’t a lesson in “making the best of a bad situation”; if that’s all that happened we’d see marginal work from Beethoven.

This lesson is about crushing your challenges so hard they become your strengths.

Beethoven’s story is a call to arms: face your struggles head-on, with more determination and grit than ever before. If he could redefine music without hearing it, just imagine what you can do with your challenges.

Now, go on—try harder.

Takeaway?

• Don’t make excuses
• Try harder

THE PODCAST

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My Weekly Effort (Content I published this week)…

Podcasts #88 & #89 can be found HERE.
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​Listen to the episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or your favorite podcast platform by searching “Better Human Business.”