0:00
[Music] there we are there's a red light

0:07
Okay so it wouldn't be how I see it hmm true if

0:15
we didn't screw up a little bit with new technology am I right a learning curve it's a

0:21
learning we didn't screw up we just or experiencing a learning curve and you know why don't they make these things up

0:29
in your ear yeah like yeah tell you I don't know so but now we know moving right along

0:36
look at this count counting thing and if it says zero it's not recording yeah just we we have to watch our own lights

0:42
I guess is what it comes down to take responsibility for the red lights was the red lights that red light right

0:48
there it wasn't it wasn't on once the card got full when I when you looked

0:54
over and I look forward yeah that's why I noticed is because it said zero zero zero [Music]

1:13
foreign [Music]

1:30
[Music]

1:37
foreign [Music]

1:50
[Music] so what happened is our new technology

1:57
we had an SD card yes but it was not big enough yes because this thing makes big

2:03
files real fast good good sounding big files yeah they sound nice so we did

2:09
hear it in his hand but yeah it ate up that card real quick so we recorded

2:15
probably 12 minutes sure of nothing

2:20
did not record [Music]

2:28
welcome to how I see it with me Mark Pratt and Justin Sternberg this is a

2:35
podcast that works to counter cultural polarization through thoughtful

2:40
conversations [Music]

2:46
and we're back yes back and we got a topic we do

2:53
good morning good morning how are you I am well and you I'm very well we already

2:59
covered that we have new equipment we did and happy birthday still thank you yes today early and again

3:07
um so yeah we would like to talk about is uh directly tied into what we do here

3:13
every Wednesday morning most everybody yeah and I think that's a good

3:18
clarification yeah yeah why you say that because I think there's something to be said for morning disciplines yes yes

3:27
uh right so my question to you yeah is

3:32
what makes you who okay so there's a few questions here

3:38
yeah and what we would like to talk about is kind of this idea of discipline but generally speaking more specific to

3:45
the morning right so sure um what in the morning yes when the morning sure

3:51
um two things what what do you do to win the morning but before you get to that question what makes you want to win the

3:59
morning like what makes what drives you to creates that desire yeah yeah

4:06
that's a that's a good question because we could talk about how to do it a lot but if you know you don't desire a late

4:14
sleeper or whatever then and I and I think there is definitely something to be said

4:20
for personality you know yeah I I I have

4:26
my entire life like you say my family would attest to it you know my entire

4:31
life I've been a morning person you know I've never been a night owl person I mean granted even in college

4:37
yeah there'd be nights you'd have to do a all-nighter but I just wasn't I wasn't that wasn't my thing did you do

4:45
any all-nighters oh yeah nice yeah but it wasn't it wasn't ever my thing it was

4:51
just something I had to do to get the work done because I contend to procrastinate or back then I did more so

4:56
but um so yeah for me it is far easier to get

5:03
up and get my day started and I recognize that I enjoy

5:09
that time in the morning when the house is really quiet there really isn't any

5:15
other distractions other than the ones that I create for myself so you know as long as I you know leave

5:22
my phone in the other room or you know I can really just kind of say all right this is what this is what I want to do

5:29
for the morning and I think there's something to be said for that you know I um that the when the morning stuff is

5:37
kind of about you know people and I I don't always like to use the word successful because I think that

5:43
has a variety of things but you know I'll say successful people you know when

5:50
we study their habits they all have this you know that Dynamic where they have

5:55
their morning rituals or disciplines where they're either you know I think it's exercising and reading and

6:03
you know and meditating you know there's a routine yes yeah yeah and I think you know for me

6:10
that's that's easier because I like the morning and I and and for me I feel more

6:18
rested by getting up at the same time every day yeah I don't know and I don't even

6:24
really care how early that is I just soon get up early same time every day

6:29
versus you know five days a week and then sleep in on a another day I just I get up at the same time every day seven

6:34
days a week pretty much yeah that's it so you mentioned personality I think personality and you

6:41
know obviously uh our physical bodies and kind of mentally how we tick all

6:46
those things play a factor into our desire for thank you no problem tell

6:53
me you get closer to Mike is this better it is better good yes I'm learning I hear you

6:59
um all of that plays a factor into kind of that morning wake up routine and whether you do it or don't and um I also

7:07
think you know habit is a big part of that so sure you've been doing it since forever and

7:13
it's just ingrained in you and that that that part is not hard in fact it's it's

7:18
a desire you have this craving to sure to get up early right yeah if I

7:23
understand correctly no I just I just feel better when I do yeah yeah and there have been times of my life where I

7:31
could I could agree with everything you just said where I was like I had the Habit in place I had that craving and it

7:37
just it worked for the career I was in you know when I painted houses we had to get up earlier than I do now

7:45
and school different things like that and kind of like what you're saying I really

7:51
love that the same things you described I love those same things um the problem is if I don't have to get

7:58
up early I could set the alarm and my bot whatever it is just says yeah you

8:04
don't have to get up sure you know and sure visit this news until it's your normal get up time well I tried

8:11
so that's why I like things like this where uh I'll schedule things pretty

8:16
early in the morning meetings with certain guys that I meet with or doing this podcast because I know it will

8:23
reinforce The Habit that I want to have anyway sure and so I have a you know I I

8:29
certainly don't do what you said which is get up at the same time every morning I can have a more varied schedule

8:35
schedule exactly get your schedule in line all right so we were talking about

8:41
schedules I guess I was talking about how I'm not quite like you but but you have your guys in the morning

8:47
because you have a desire to yeah grow in that area yep and it's nice to have things that kind of force me into that

8:53
and I I don't I don't really have a problem getting up for something if I have to but I don't remember if I

8:59
already said this in the previous recording but if I just set an alarm to get up because I want to get up early

9:06
it I I can't do it when it Go the alarm goes off I just go yeah I know I don't

9:11
have to get up so I'll hit snooze I'll be like I'll get up in 10 minutes sure I say that 52 times and then you know it's

9:17
a normal wake-up time yeah so I I don't know I there's I need something externally to kind of drive me and or

9:24
you know and that's I think that's what I said earlier is this podcast you know this episode sure might be enough to

9:31
kick me over into trying a little more or figuring out a way to do that yeah better you know yeah

9:38
no I was thinking about it in the context of uh force me kick me over kick me out yeah someone's

9:45
gotta kick me into it and I think there is something to be said for the ability to choose yes when

9:53
when it's something that I desire to do I think anything I desire to do is far

9:59
more fun and even energizing then anything I have

10:05
to do yeah so when I see something as something I have to do I'm going to have a completely different attitude about it

10:12
and that's what we uh that's what we were talking about that was good so we're gonna we're gonna talk

10:18
about that again uh I mentioned that that's one I realize there's another markism oh yeah and it's uh thankful for

10:25
the opportunity like hey Mark I'm glad you're here thanks for being here thankful for the

10:32
opportunity until we were kind of talking about how that mindset right sure yeah I think I

10:40
think our words do tend to convey what our thoughts are so when I have to do

10:46
something you know when I have to pick my kids up from school when I have to go to a soccer game or you know now or is

10:54
have to pay you know help pay tuition you know it's like yeah I think I think when we can reflect

11:02
on the opportunities that those things provide or you know when we can actually

11:09
be in a moment because we choose to and we can see that as a as a gift you

11:17
know to answer to other people you know and yeah hopefully reciprocal and be thankful for the opportunity and be

11:25
thankful for the opportunity yeah I think you know in in also the other thing I was thinking about or mentioning

11:31
is that I maybe there is something to saying it

11:38
even if you don't quite feel it to maybe have your words precede your thoughts because basically what you are saying is

11:44
that your your words kind of reflect your thoughts but it might not be the case you might feel kind of begrudging

11:50
of well about getting up early for instance or you know having to leave work early because to pick up your kids

11:56
from school or something like that but if you maybe I'm saying it would be a

12:01
good practice to say no this is an opportunity I'm gonna say I get to you know I have this opportunity to go get

12:07
my kids from school yeah and say it even though and maybe the tail end right you

12:13
start to embrace that thought sure you kind of reframe your thinking in such a

12:18
way that says okay yeah yeah I'm gonna I'm gonna hear about my kids day in a

12:25
way that no one else could in that moment you know and no one else is going to be inside that car no one else is

12:31
going to have those moments and I am and if I don't I oh I won't right sure I

12:38
won't have an opportunity will never exist if I yes yeah it is

12:43
when you're thinking about that opportunity will never exist again it's kind of I mean it's true though this is

12:49
they will never be again so if you and that's true of getting up early right like sure I don't get up early tomorrow

12:56
morning Thursday morning I will never have January 19th of 2023 to have that

13:03
time in the morning again like you're gone it's in the past that opportunity is missed and I do think that's an

13:10
interesting and unique and hopefully maybe transformative way to think about opportunities sure and I and

13:17
I think my my uh as we talk about the continuums you know I think there is

13:25
that other side of that discipline if you will that can tend to lead more

13:31
towards pride and arrogance I'm gonna I'm gonna do this I'm gonna do that and

13:38
you know and it and it leads towards that that Pride that says look at me

13:43
what I'm doing something just beeped but sorry carry on

13:50
spoke that out loud [Music] but um yeah and I think you know we can take

13:58
some of the disciplines and make it about success or what we're doing or

14:04
what we want to do and I think you know it's an important part to be able to recognize okay yeah

14:10
what I did or what the you know the disciplines I have

14:16
don't necessarily change the world you know I'm not that

14:22
big but there is a part of me that is able to recognize if I'm able to kind of have

14:29
that time you know to to check in with with God in such a way that he is big

14:35
enough you know then that's when I'm able to recognize how small I am and I get to be

14:42
a part of the design because I think you know there is that part of us and I you know and I feel you

14:49
know I guess in some ways I see it a lot recently you know with some of the stuff

14:54
that's been going around you know as far as you know I guess just recently with um like

15:00
Facebook and stuff like that as far as anything else I do get on there occasionally but you know just the

15:07
part of that animosity between people and the polarization you know and

15:13
there's a lot of judgment and I think you know when well for me that even comes back to

15:20
attitude of the heart just like the words reflect our thoughts I think our words reflect our heart and you know and

15:27
when I'm looking at other people saying Justin you need to get up in the morning for crying out

15:33
loud you know you're just loafing around what kind of you know that's that's a

15:39
that's a a bad attitude that's a bad you know it's a heart problem with for me

15:46
you know when I take that and I tend to be judgmental about you know what a

15:52
person did or who a person is and I don't necessarily extend to them the

15:57
same Grace that I would desire if I was in their shoes so I think yeah and

16:04
that's true of whatever the thing is right whether you're getting up earlier yeah and I think that's that's the the

16:10
part that I want to recognize is it's not about you know some

16:17
some ability that I have that's any greater than anyone else's it's an

16:22
opportunity yes I do think that's a good again a good way to frame it because again

16:28
because we've talked about um even dietary Styles right oh sure

16:33
podcasts when we talked about with Mary Ellen about vegan lifestyle and I you

16:39
know I think that's I think it's a common Trope uh that

16:45
people who kind of live that way are arrogant about it or like you know so it

16:50
can come off that way yeah it can come off that way but I think even um presenting it as that opportunity as

16:57
an opportunity sure is is a I don't know I guess a healthy way to present it to others when you're looking

17:04
to you know talk about it sure and I think there's something to be said for the fact that yes this works for me yes this

17:13
has been beneficial in my life and you know it can continue to you know I hope

17:19
this is something that benefits you as well yes

17:25
because when we have that you know and and granted I suppose there is a certain arrogance that can go along with us

17:32
saying well you get up at a certain time of the day and you know and it's quieter and that kind of thing but that's where

17:39
I'm coming from it's just that aspect that makes it it's yeah beneficial to me

17:44
and there are there are a lot of things like you know a beginner vegetarian lifestyle and getting up

17:51
early that has a lot of proof like out there of people doing it successfully so sure you know it's it's not nonsense but

17:58
like you said there there could be some arrogance to say Well it worked for me so I know it'll work for you it's you

18:04
know they're people are different people yeah different not everyone's made cut

18:09
the same right exactly um but I do but yeah so back to the concept excuse me of winning the morning

18:16
if if at this point we've kind of gotten the disclaimers out of the way in terms of maybe your win the morning is at

18:23
night that's fine sure whatever um but but also don't don't um it's counter to win the morning

18:29
though yeah it is yeah win the night

18:34
I guess I guess what I would say is don't um don't cut yourself short either to say

18:41
yeah yeah I'm a night owl so I do that at night because there are some Concepts too and this is what I want to talk

18:48
about there's some things you can do in the morning um that if you could do at night or you

18:53
could do anytime but if you're not doing them you know you can't say yeah I'm just

18:58
like them but you know just like Mark but I'm doing it at night I think there are some key things that are important

19:04
to winning the morning and that's what so those are some things I'd like to talk to you about sure you already kind

19:09
of touched on it in terms of you know connecting with God and getting your marching orders right so I'd like you to

19:15
kind of expound on some of those things in terms of what are some non-negotiables for you for winning the

19:21
morning for me personally yeah yeah you're willing to get personal it's for

19:28
me personally um I definitely get up in the morning and I

19:33
just kind of as quietly as I can I just go into my office and you know and I'd shut the door

19:39
because you know I shut the door because uh the light going out the back of the house will wake the chickens up and then

19:44
they start uh break the roosters up and they start growing in the backyard so I'm mindful

19:50
of how much light I turn on that's interesting yeah it is I don't have that problem well I'm I'm mindful of uh my

19:56
neighbors having that problem yeah um that should be my family as well but yeah so I'll just close that door and

20:03
you know and I'll grab a I actually grab a you grab your coffee I grab a glass of

20:08
Kombucha and you know and you make yourself yeah that we make no is this a

20:14
key component to winning the morning making your own kombucha and it's not but I I do believe it's for my I do

20:22
believe that's healthy for me dietarily speaking it's you know keep things moving gets my microbes up on account

20:29
anything you know that fell away over the night but still yeah so I'll I'll just sip that along and you know I kind

20:37
of typically like to start that day just committing it to God in such a way and

20:43
you know and I recognize you know and we haven't necessarily talked about it much but you know we Chris and I have the the

20:51
vision for you know what will be Sparrow's rest you know in time and we have the property and it's one of those

20:58
things that um I just have a little uh it's actually a plot map that shows the

21:04
you know the property and I'll just kind of start my day recognizing that that's

21:09
all bigger than me and yeah that doesn't scare God in the

21:14
least you know things that are bigger than me make him happy because at that point you know I'm

21:22
turned into him and saying okay yeah this is bigger than me I need your help

21:27
and you already got it so I just want to recognize if there's anything you need me to do specifically today I want to be

21:35
about that because it's not going to be what's done in a day it's going to be what's done you know through a lifetime

21:41
yep and so yeah I'll take that time just to basically say okay yep and you know

21:47
talk about the family and you know what's going on there and then I'll just I just typically read through the Bible

21:54
that I don't ever read through the Bible in the process of a year you know it may be a year it may be six months but I

22:01
just have Old Testament and New Testament stuff that I read along with a proverb for the day there's 31 Proverbs

22:07
so I get a proverb every day you know that's that's part of that and then and I'll you know

22:12
I'll have my journaling that I do you know where I really kind of nailed down some of the prayer concerns that I'm

22:18
talking about you know with people you know facing cancer health issues or just those things that are on my mind and for

22:24
me that's an aspect of committing them to God as well and it's just that helps

22:31
me lighten my day because I can commit all that stuff so from my perspective

22:37
I'm just ready to go ahead and face the day you can kind of hand all that off yep that's that's exactly what I'm doing

22:43
I'm handing all that off and you know and then most mornings you know I

22:50
typically will do some kind of exercise you know whether it's a group with F3 or

22:55
you know stretching on my own on Wednesdays you know that kind of thing Saturdays not so much but I though

23:01
Saturday and Sunday I kind of take a little break give my body a rest because rest is important too yeah yeah rest is

23:07
very important so that's that's what I'll do I'll still get up still have the the quiet time but I'm not into the

23:13
exercise seven days a week I don't think it's beneficial for me and so yeah that

23:18
that will start my day and by the time you know I'm kind of wrapping up with

23:24
that then I'm I'm you know with the exercise and so forth I'm done by 6 30. so I'll have all that done by 6 30 and

23:31
then I'm ready to start my day yeah and for me that's funny

23:38
yeah yeah but like I said I don't know whether it was in the first part for me that getting up in the morning is part

23:45
of the way I grew up I've always appreciated the mornings I've always enjoyed the mornings and that's just how

23:53
I see it now that I'm 53 and I'm recognizing that uh

23:58
I just need God more because I'm also recognizing that

24:03
um um I'm not gaining physical strength you know so and I think that's been

24:10
beneficial for me to recognize because I'm realizing this isn't going to be me

24:16
that gets it done probably in my early 40s or you know it's like that word there would have been a greater part of

24:21
I'm doing it and maybe even to more of an arrogance if you will but

24:28
um definitely not that I don't have my pride issues but I'm definitely recognizing how small I am in comparison

24:34
to some of the things that I believe God wants me to do well I didn't know you

24:41
when you were 40 something but yeah you're one of the most capable guys I know at 53 and you're old the crap at

24:48
age of 53. I'm far from Olden to crack I like to say but uh yeah you get some

24:55
stuff done Mark it's impressive and uh that's my problem I'm not 40 till tomorrow so well there you go tomorrow

25:01
I'll be 40 and then I'll be like Mark yeah you have all the opportunity

25:08
so going back to the the you know you said this is something you you know kind of learned as you were young to embrace

25:15
that and appreciate that morning time yeah and I would agree again there's been there I've certainly been pockets

25:21
in times of my life where I have been forced sure to be up that early and

25:28
there also have been times I have taken the opportunity to do what you said like well if I have to be up this early then

25:35
I'm gonna make sure I'm up at this time and there have been times where I was able to embrace that opportunity and

25:41
loved it I loved that early morning time so I'm 100 with you in terms of that

25:47
appreciation um but you know my appreciation of the amount of sleep I can get at this point

25:54
is greater than my appreciation of that time in the morning completely understand but yeah so for me winning

26:00
the morning definitely looks different but it's there's still a big com large

26:05
part of the components that that we share right sure um for me it does look like well I was

26:12
thinking as you were saying there though too I didn't mean to interrupt but I think I think different people have

26:17
different sleep requirements as well for sure which which makes a tremendous difference yeah yeah and there's also

26:24
the aspect of uh kind of sinking like with my wife's

26:30
sleep schedule and stuff like that in terms of going to bed together we we prefer to go to bed together and it just

26:36
makes us feel like we're on the same page sure and um So that obviously can impact it too

26:41
she's not going to bed at 9 00 p.m you know sure she goes a little to bed a little bit later although she's not a

26:47
late person either yeah there's plenty of room for me to get up earlier that's for sure I know that's to

26:54
be true but um but yeah as far as um like I share a lot of those things in

26:59
terms of getting up and committing committing my day to God and one thing that's you know generally been important

27:06
to me is you know doing that before work starts before kind of the influx of inputs happen right so yeah

27:15
um and that can be tough depending on like uh so I bring the girls to school

27:20
uh I think four days a week most weeks okay um and so

27:27
if I don't get up before that it can become problematic to be able to get get

27:34
done what I need to get done because by the time I'm back you know things start coming in from work and yeah it becomes

27:40
much more difficult to shut out the agreed and make that time yeah

27:46
um and I'll just say this year since the girls kids have gone back to school I've

27:52
kind of struggled with it I've kind of struggled to have a proper routine and I've been hit or miss and it's been good

27:57
times you know good good periods where I've gotten into the habit and then you know something will happen or vacation will happen you know whatever so it'll

28:03
mix up the routine and it becomes difficult again and I'm kind of Hit or Miss throughout the week and I don't

28:10
like that I don't like that at all because like you said I mean using that term winning the morning I don't feel

28:16
like I won the morning I feel like the morning won me you know what I mean I do I hear where you're coming from there's

28:21
a different Outlook in my days when I do it and when I don't do it and when I'm consistent with it there there's a level

28:29
of Peace sure too in some cases mandatory amount of Peace you know it's

28:35
like I need this in order to be doing life the way it is right now you know

28:40
what I mean I do and I and I would dare say others you know are family members typically notice when we don't do it

28:48
yeah just because of who we can become you know without that peace that's in

28:53
our lives and the ability to say yeah you know really I got to do that you

28:59
know can't you figure that out you know but no if I'm actually having that piece I'm

29:04
able to say okay yeah I get I get an opportunity to be able to help someone

29:09
or to you know talk them through the day and it's not I think it's helpful in the

29:15
process of I'm not so consumed with the next thing hmm you know when I'm able to

29:22
prioritize to a certain degree I think it helps me prioritize the rest of my day so you know I'm not you know that uh

29:30
that saying um the tyranny of the Urgent yes you know we're not caught up in that

29:36
in such a way that says okay I'm just I'm just juggling plates and I have to be you know the next plate

29:43
the next plate the next plate and I'm able to kind of prioritize what my day

29:48
is going to look like and I think that's part of that thing that provides success for people you know in that when the

29:55
morning is I'm just I'm just really able to better prioritize what needs to be

30:01
done with the finite time that I have today yeah yeah it's good

30:08
and uh you know you mentioned some other things I think uh reading and or spending time in God's

30:15
word is a key component that we both would agree to I think um you know you mentioned copy for me

30:21
kombucha for you I think there's also something about kind of a comforting routine oh sure that can become part

30:27
sorry I was getting a little far from my mic could you hear me I hear you now good good

30:33
um there's there's something about that that can draw us back to it on a daily basis sure I think that that is where it

30:39
can switch from that you know curmudgeonly have to do it thing to more

30:45
of the opportunity like I'm looking forward to get back in my cozy spotter you know sure my closed office door away

30:52
from the chickens or whatever it is you know uh get my kombucha on you know

30:57
there's something about that routine that can become comforting and natural right sure don't you agree I would agree

31:04
yeah yeah I mean you might be so natural for you he gives you so automatic for you that

31:12
yeah it's not you don't see it as uniquely uh

31:17
comforting it's just life to you yeah and I and I can admit you know because you kind of had like this look on your

31:24
face like oh I guess so and I I think

31:30
you know whether some whether you have something or something has you you know

31:36
like with the coffee or the you know it depends on I think in some ways it's

31:42
defined when I'm not able to do that and can I still have a positive attitude or

31:49
you know it's like it's like am I okay to go on vacation and step out of that

31:54
routine you know because if I'm not able to go on vacation then I know that routine has me yeah yeah versus me

32:02
having a routine so how's that work for you uh my problem I'll be honest my

32:07
family would probably give you a different answer yeah than I would all right give me your answer and then give me their answer I I enjoy the

32:16
opportunity to go on vacation um and I'll be honest a lot of my

32:22
routines I'll still take with me because even when I'm on vacation I'm still gonna get up at that time of day unless

32:28
you know something is really you know it's been a you know we've stayed up as a family you know later on in the

32:34
evening and I know everybody's going to kind of recover but you know even in that I'll probably still get up and get

32:41
some exercise in and and um when we go away as a family Lizzy is very much like I am you know to where

32:47
we'll talk about it even before we go to bed and say okay are we going to run are we going to do some exercise in the morning and it's like

32:53
yeah and you know and then we'll we'll decide what time and so then I adjust

32:58
you know from there as far as okay well am I going to do something else between that time you know getting up and the

33:04
time with Lizzy and I agreed so I think I can adjust well but I I just take my

33:12
routines with me yeah and that's so that always works that routinely works for me

33:18
um my family I know on vacation or so they would probably say you know that I have a hard time just kind of sitting

33:23
still you know and that's that's probably true because I you know do tend to

33:29
like to be doing something and so you know that that makes it not difficult

33:35
but I'm probably not easy to travel with in the context of you know just being

33:43
able to you know sit in the moment yeah and I and I I'm able to reflect on that like

33:50
vacation time the base that this is what this is about this is a this is a form

33:55
of rest yeah and you know and I I can typically I'm not saying I do it well

34:01
but I can typically wrestle with that in such a way that says yeah okay yeah this is what we're doing today and

34:09
I I do honestly enjoy the moments when yeah we're able to shift away from that

34:14
and have time apart doing something different or new as a family so it's not that I'm you know

34:21
what's your word curmudgeonly uh begrudging that opportunity yeah yeah

34:27
it's interesting because for you that because the the uh

34:34
those moments of reflection as you say in those times of doing nothing on vacation essentially those become the

34:41
opportunities yes for most of us the opportunity is that morning routine and for you that

34:48
morning routine is just life and the opportunity is to to chillax to do it someplace else yeah yeah well I'm just

34:55
saying even what you were saying about being able to relax and sure be present in doing nothing along with others you

35:01
know yeah whether it's sit at a beach or whatever that looks like I don't know but yeah and I and I thinking back you know yeah

35:10
I'll typically find myself something to do yeah like I might go for a kayak ride

35:15
you know or early morning to catch a sunrise or something you know that's that that's cool on vacation just

35:20
thinking back on different images that come through my mind you know of what we've done on vacation and yeah quite

35:27
often you know those runs or activity yeah is a part of my morning routine

35:33
okay because here's here's here's a question for you what goes through your mind in

35:40
that time when you're in bed which time in the morning in that in

35:46
that time between that that thought of wanting to get up and actually setting

35:52
an alarm and I think you said something to you know 52 seconds later or 52 times

35:58
later yeah yeah you know it's it's nothing going through my mind it's sleep

36:03
it's just like that's the thing that I think that might be the difference

36:08
between you and most people is or certainly me I know me so I don't I

36:15
don't have any cognitive thoughts okay I'm trying to wake up it's not until I'm

36:20
awake the problem is it doesn't wake me up the alarm doesn't the things that

36:26
will wake me up is the alarm and then going why is my alarm going off oh because I have to meet Mark yeah I gotta

36:32
get up and then my brain starts waking up and then so that I think those maybe that's the

36:39
answer right so on the days where I don't have I'm not embracing the opportunity well

36:45
you're gonna say obligation I was gonna say that I don't have to get up I mean the days I'm not embracing that

36:52
opportunity if even if I set that alarm the first thought is oh it's my alarm the second thought is what is it set for

36:58
and you know again maybe if my brain at that point can go oh yeah I said it so

37:05
that I can Embrace this opportunity yeah maybe I would get up so do you routinely

37:10
get up to an alarm oh yeah I mean if I'm getting up uh for

37:16
anything yeah pretty much yeah I have to set an alarm okay I could sleep till noon pretty easy well I don't know if I

37:23
don't know about really I don't know about noon but I can definitely sleep till 10. no problem wow yeah see I that

37:30
would yeah yeah I just not saying that I can't do that or couldn't do that but you probably couldn't I'm not sure I

37:36
could yeah yeah I've never I've never tried it but I was I was thinking about let's

37:43
trade challenges okay yeah 4 30. oh wow you're gonna sleep till 10.

37:48
yeah but see for me if my alarm's going off at 4 30 I'm

37:54
gonna wake up before that yeah see that's it's I've ever been that person yeah yeah and that's what to where the

38:01
alarm is just there as a reminder but yeah and I I know quite often I just as

38:08
soon be up before that because then I don't risk the chance of waking Chris up with my alarm yeah you know but that's

38:15
not to say that it doesn't go off some mornings and well you'd be surprised wives are pretty resilient to a

38:21
husband's alarms when you yeah hit the snooze 52 times no I'm just kidding Megan's gonna kick

38:27
me about that well if you're providing a certain heat level and the bed stays more comfortable there's something to be

38:33
said for that no there's definitely been some mornings I've gotten kicked like that's your alarm I'm not gonna get up

38:40
I'm like what what alarm so yeah that's just the difference yeah

38:46
as far as and I think that's a blessing for people who have because you're not the only one I've

38:52
heard that that's like that they don't they don't set alarm there's like 30 a.m sharp you know or whatever whatever that

38:57
time is for you it's 4 30 which is what but uh yeah I think they're that that

39:04
man that is a physical difference sure can be seen in people or experienced um

39:12
yeah when you that was that was just coming to mind it's like oh

39:17
yeah yeah that's an aha moment for me into just an Insight yeah and there's

39:23
probably I I'm guessing as many people like me as there are like you sure probably I don't know maybe

39:30
more like you yeah hopefully yeah oh yeah I mean specifically Mark in terms of

39:37
getting up before the alarm oh okay I gotcha yeah but yeah there is that part

39:43
of me that's like once I'm awake there's no use me laying there yeah I agree

39:48
because I have that problem right yeah that's another part of that difference

39:53
yeah but the the thing what's interesting is I am definitely a morning person so as soon as the brain does trickle

40:01
over into oh I'm awake mode it's like all the lights come on in my brain and I'm going and and my morning is my most

40:09
creative time my most honey yeah I value the the morning the most

40:14
because of that it's kind of like all systems go um but it does take

40:21
that you know getting getting awake how helpful is coffee in that process okay I

40:27
don't need coffee okay yeah um well who knows I mean I'm concerning 40s dude I might need it more than I

40:33
realized but uh uh no actually coffee um I just really enjoy coffee I drink

40:39
half calf because I don't need the caffeine it doesn't Okay um but I also realized when I was

40:46
drinking regular coffee every day I would get with withdrawals and I'd get headaches from it so that's why I

40:52
switched um but I've never experienced a boost from drinking coffee sure so there

40:58
I can go without it and I'll have the same energy in the morning um in fact if I drink too too much you

41:05
know and I'm not the only one like this puppy Works differently for some people but for some people like if you drink

41:10
too much it'll make you sleepy and that's definitely true for me like if I drink too much coffee too quickly I'll

41:16
start getting drowsy wow yeah it's very odd yeah wow yeah so I don't know that

41:23
it's necessary for that I it's I'm certainly already in that all lights on mode before I drink my first cup of

41:29
coffee but yeah there's just something comforting about drinking a warm cup of

41:34
coffee yeah to start the day um but I've I've you know I've done it with tea before and it kind of has a

41:41
similar thing but I also just really like coffees you like that warmth yeah kind of coursing through yeah yeah

41:49
nice so what about you anything that uh you would recommend as a like a daily

41:59
not necessarily having to win the morning but the daily things that you see as important for you winning the day

42:06
if I may as far as disciplines yeah um

42:12
well I mean I do think these things we talked about is kind of the key key components as far as

42:18
that time with God um and and for me a journaling is a big

42:24
part of that um I do that pretty regularly um but again it's it's kind of hit or

42:31
miss when everything else is hit or miss right sure um for me there's something about that ability to reflect on and for me it ends

42:40
up being mostly a conversation with god it's kind of like a prayer journal or is it prayer Journal but it's an

42:45
opportunity to reflect on some of the things that I'm learning sure in real time in in my life

42:51
um so it may be about the reading that I'm doing in the Bible and what it might not but it might be about circumstantial

42:57
things I'm learning and um but there's just something about and actually I just had a conversation

43:02
with my dad about this the other day but about the idea of taking all these thoughts that are kind of

43:08
rumbling around in my head and having to force it through a single dot through your pen onto a piece of paper sure you

43:15
know there's a a quote by Dawson trotman that but we've I think probably said here before but thoughts disentangle

43:21
themselves when they pass through the fingertips and lips so the opportunity that's an opportunity right to be able

43:28
to focus all of that thought and kind of the things that I'm learning through the day into a single point of you know

43:33
through the pen onto a piece of paper is a really good exercise for me to kind of

43:38
forced me to realize what I'm learning you know yeah so I would I would say

43:43
something along those lines would I would encourage people to do as well um I think journaling is just the easy

43:51
way to say that but I mean any kind of method of marking down you know kind of

43:56
what you're learning right sure yeah yeah

44:01
kind of yeah getting your thoughts out of your head in a paper or in word to be

44:08
able to say oh that's what I'm thinking makes it yeah it can make a a tremendous difference offer a lot of insight let's

44:15
think about even uh from that win the day part and you know that's something that can be looked up because that's not

44:21
a phrased it when the morning that's not a phrased it you know we originated we coined yeah but there is a definite you

44:28
know dynamic of you know a certain certain level of productivity that is

44:34
available to people when they focus on you know the ability to prioritize and

44:39
you know that kind of thing and that's information we can link or you know put people to I don't have all that

44:45
information ahead of me but um yeah but it is I mean you mentioned priority and

44:50
I do think that's a big part of winning the day right is being able to have a point in time where you set the

44:56
priorities for the day ahead whether you do it at night for the next day or you do it in the morning but winning the day

45:02
I do think a big part of winning is defining what a win looks like yeah

45:08
right I hear you finding the diameter yeah exactly yeah and the way you do

45:15
that is you have to determine what's the biggest priority what's the thing that I need to get done the most and if I don't

45:21
do it's it's not a win you know sure and uh you know it might be something as simple as you know take my daughters to

45:28
school like that's a non-negotiable priority that will shift all other priorities you know and it does sure

45:35
because it's uh yeah being about the things that only I can do only you can

45:40
do in that day because those those only you should do because I think sure I

45:46
could hire someone to take my daughters to school yeah right we couldn't and some people

45:52
do that that's not wrong nothing wrong with that but I I do believe I should bring my daughters to school partly you

45:59
know to help my wife out so she doesn't have to she she could make it work on her schedule but it would be very

46:04
difficult for her for other reasons um of course I could you know whatever or we could you know shove them on the

46:10
bus or whatever and that's fine too like that it's not and people that's fine too but for me I feel like that is something

46:16
I should do that's the time I'm able to spend with him that's a priority I'm able to show to Megan and my kids that

46:24
this is something that I want to do on a date you know what I mean yeah that opportunity yeah you can so therefore

46:30
you want to yeah and I I don't know every day I mean there's some days that our friend um Picks Them Up and brings up we kind

46:37
of do carpool things or some days we'll bring their kids to school and some days over so it's not it's not like a a

46:44
recording kicking my microphone stretching my legs got a problem with what I'm saying

46:49
not at all no but uh yeah so I think not necessarily doing

46:55
because I I do think that can be a dangerous thing to say only do the things that you can do could potentially

47:01
put you in I don't know maybe I don't maybe like an arrogant place of I that's

47:07
too menial for me anyone can do that but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be doing it right yeah I think yeah I don't know

47:14
I still wrestle with that should but if I can I can yeah but I'm I'm

47:21
hearing what you're saying yeah but you yeah you still make things a priority

47:26
sure yeah you're right in the sun I am yeah you can move if you want I'm good all

47:33
right but I think we're uh yeah we're about there did we win the

47:38
day yet we are in the process of winning the day if this recorded then we'll it's a win

47:44
we'll have one it's a win yeah cools so I hope you have a great

47:50
birthday Justin thank you yeah and hopefully uh this podcast sounds even better oh man for our listening man our

47:58
listeners uh yeah yeah we hope this is a uh a better sound so yeah know that we

48:05
appreciate all you folks as you listen that's right and know that I appreciate you Justin and this is how we see it

48:14
[Music] hey thank you for listening to our podcast if you like how I see it please do all

48:22
the things that podcasts tell you to do subscribe rate review follow us and or

48:29
talk nicely about us on social media if you want to reach out the email is us

48:35
at how I see it dot click yep I said dot

48:41
click as in dot c l i c k please tell your friends about this show

48:47
and we'll see you on the next one [Music]