November 20, 2025 • 7 mins
This episode breaks down the real secret behind successful morning routines and shows why your first hour of the day determines everything. You will learn how to protect your personal development time and start each day in control rather than in reaction.
Host: Paul Falavolito
Connect with me on your favorite platform: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Substack, BlueSky, Threads, LinkTree
View my website for free leadership resources and exclusive merchandise: www.paulfalavolito.com
Books by Paul Falavolito
Host: Paul Falavolito
Connect with me on your favorite platform: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Substack, BlueSky, Threads, LinkTree
View my website for free leadership resources and exclusive merchandise: www.paulfalavolito.com
Books by Paul Falavolito
- The 7 Minute Leadership Handbook: bit.ly/48J8zFG
- The Leadership Academy: https://bit.ly/4lnT1Pf
- The 7 Minute Leadership Survival Guide: https://bit.ly/4ij0g8y
- The Leader's Book of Secrets: http://bit.ly/4oeGzCI
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of
performance through strong human relations, team building, and golajving. This
is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellavledo.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.
It's episode five twenty nine. Today, I want to talk
about an article I read called the Lie We're Buying
every day. It hit me because it exposes a trap
leaders fall into without even noticing. We get obsessed with
(00:44):
the morning routines of successful people. We read about Tim
Cook starting his day at three forty five in the morning,
Oprah meditating before breakfast, and Richard Branson exercising at sunrise,
and without even realizing it, we chase the routine instead
(01:04):
of the reason behind it. But the article said something
that stopped me. It said, these routines aren't the power move.
The power move is what is happening underneath them. They reserve,
they protect, and they defend. Their first few hours of
the day not for email, not for putting out fires,
(01:28):
not for reacting, but for personal development. Their first hours
belong to themselves, not to the world. And that right
there is the lie we are buying. We think if
we wake up at a certain time, or drink the
magic smoothie, or make our bed like a military inspection.
(01:49):
That will be successful. But those routines are only markers.
What actually matters is that these leaders guard the first
part of their day like their life depends on it.
So let me tell you why this is so powerful.
When you roll out of bed and immediately check texts, emails,
(02:13):
or social media, you put yourself in reactive mode. You
hand control of your day to someone else. You let
the world steer your mindset, your mood, and your priorities.
You walk into your day already behind, already responding, and
already reacting. But when you start your day by controlling
(02:39):
what enters your mind, when you start on your terms,
everything shifts. You don't chase the day, the day follows you.
So let me share a quick story with you. Years ago,
I used to wake up and immediately start dealing with
the morning chaos of operations, overnight messages, staffing issues, and
(03:04):
whatever fire had popped up. I was exhausted before my
second cup of coffee. One day, a mentor told me,
you're leading from the back seat. Start your day in
the front seat. I didn't understand it at first, and
then it clicked. I wasn't protecting any time for myself,
(03:27):
I was letting everyone else set the tone. So I
made a simple change. I claimed the first thirty minutes
of my day, just thirty minutes, no notifications, no work,
no calls. That thirty minutes rewired how I think, in
how I function, and now that time is non negotiable.
(03:51):
It's mine and I defend it. So let's talk about
how you can do the same thing in a simple
way that doesn't require a three forty five in the
morning wake up call or a monk level meditation practice.
Here are a few steps to help you build this
(04:12):
type of a habit and mindset. First, pick a window
of time. It doesn't need to be two hours, it
can be twenty minutes, and block it off. Treat it
like a meeting with yourself. Leaders cancel meetings all the time,
but make sure you don't cancel this one. And Second,
(04:36):
decide what that time is for personal development only. That
can be reading, thinking, writing, listening to something meaningful, planning
your day. It has to be something that you choose,
not something you owe. And Third, remove the noise. That
(04:59):
means no news, no email, no scrolling, if it pulls
you outward into the world it doesn't belong in this window.
And then fourth, protect it. This habit will only work
if you defend it. That means you don't give it
away because someone wants something. You don't give it away
(05:23):
because your phone buzzed. You don't give it away because
you think you need to immediately respond. You wouldn't tolerate
someone walking into your office and hijacking a meeting, so
don't let them hijack your morning. In fifth track the difference,
(05:45):
pay attention to how you feel after a week of this,
your clarity improves, your confidence strengthens, your stress drops because
you're not starting your day with a fire hose pointed
at your face or at a problem. You start with intention,
you start with control. You start in the front seat.
(06:08):
And here's the leadership twist. When you protect your first hour,
you start thinking better, you lead better, and you show
up stronger for everyone else. This habit isn't selfish, It's
what allows you to be the leader that your team needs.
(06:29):
You control what enters your mind first. You control the
direction that you set. You control the energy you bring.
So that is what the billionaires figured out, not the
wake up time, not the fancy routine, not the cold plunge.
They figured out that the world gets the leftovers, not
(06:54):
the other way around. So here's your challenge for the
rest of this week. Pick your window, protect it, and
use it for something that makes you smarter, calmer, or
more prepared. If you want to take it even further,
build a short morning question that becomes your anchor, something
(07:17):
like what is the one thing I need to get
right today? Answer that every morning in your protected time,
and watch how fast your leadership sharpens. This has been
the seven Minute Leadership Podcast, and I thank you for listening.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
For more Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot com.
Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of
performance through strong human relations, team building, and golajving. This
is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellavledo.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.
It's episode five twenty nine. Today, I want to talk
about an article I read called the Lie We're Buying
every day. It hit me because it exposes a trap
leaders fall into without even noticing. We get obsessed with
(00:44):
the morning routines of successful people. We read about Tim
Cook starting his day at three forty five in the morning,
Oprah meditating before breakfast, and Richard Branson exercising at sunrise,
and without even realizing it, we chase the routine instead
(01:04):
of the reason behind it. But the article said something
that stopped me. It said, these routines aren't the power move.
The power move is what is happening underneath them. They reserve,
they protect, and they defend. Their first few hours of
the day not for email, not for putting out fires,
(01:28):
not for reacting, but for personal development. Their first hours
belong to themselves, not to the world. And that right
there is the lie we are buying. We think if
we wake up at a certain time, or drink the
magic smoothie, or make our bed like a military inspection.
(01:49):
That will be successful. But those routines are only markers.
What actually matters is that these leaders guard the first
part of their day like their life depends on it.
So let me tell you why this is so powerful.
When you roll out of bed and immediately check texts, emails,
(02:13):
or social media, you put yourself in reactive mode. You
hand control of your day to someone else. You let
the world steer your mindset, your mood, and your priorities.
You walk into your day already behind, already responding, and
already reacting. But when you start your day by controlling
(02:39):
what enters your mind, when you start on your terms,
everything shifts. You don't chase the day, the day follows you.
So let me share a quick story with you. Years ago,
I used to wake up and immediately start dealing with
the morning chaos of operations, overnight messages, staffing issues, and
(03:04):
whatever fire had popped up. I was exhausted before my
second cup of coffee. One day, a mentor told me,
you're leading from the back seat. Start your day in
the front seat. I didn't understand it at first, and
then it clicked. I wasn't protecting any time for myself,
(03:27):
I was letting everyone else set the tone. So I
made a simple change. I claimed the first thirty minutes
of my day, just thirty minutes, no notifications, no work,
no calls. That thirty minutes rewired how I think, in
how I function, and now that time is non negotiable.
(03:51):
It's mine and I defend it. So let's talk about
how you can do the same thing in a simple
way that doesn't require a three forty five in the
morning wake up call or a monk level meditation practice.
Here are a few steps to help you build this
(04:12):
type of a habit and mindset. First, pick a window
of time. It doesn't need to be two hours, it
can be twenty minutes, and block it off. Treat it
like a meeting with yourself. Leaders cancel meetings all the time,
but make sure you don't cancel this one. And Second,
(04:36):
decide what that time is for personal development only. That
can be reading, thinking, writing, listening to something meaningful, planning
your day. It has to be something that you choose,
not something you owe. And Third, remove the noise. That
(04:59):
means no news, no email, no scrolling, if it pulls
you outward into the world it doesn't belong in this window.
And then fourth, protect it. This habit will only work
if you defend it. That means you don't give it
away because someone wants something. You don't give it away
(05:23):
because your phone buzzed. You don't give it away because
you think you need to immediately respond. You wouldn't tolerate
someone walking into your office and hijacking a meeting, so
don't let them hijack your morning. In fifth track the difference,
(05:45):
pay attention to how you feel after a week of this,
your clarity improves, your confidence strengthens, your stress drops because
you're not starting your day with a fire hose pointed
at your face or at a problem. You start with intention,
you start with control. You start in the front seat.
(06:08):
And here's the leadership twist. When you protect your first hour,
you start thinking better, you lead better, and you show
up stronger for everyone else. This habit isn't selfish, It's
what allows you to be the leader that your team needs.
(06:29):
You control what enters your mind first. You control the
direction that you set. You control the energy you bring.
So that is what the billionaires figured out, not the
wake up time, not the fancy routine, not the cold plunge.
They figured out that the world gets the leftovers, not
(06:54):
the other way around. So here's your challenge for the
rest of this week. Pick your window, protect it, and
use it for something that makes you smarter, calmer, or
more prepared. If you want to take it even further,
build a short morning question that becomes your anchor, something
(07:17):
like what is the one thing I need to get
right today? Answer that every morning in your protected time,
and watch how fast your leadership sharpens. This has been
the seven Minute Leadership Podcast, and I thank you for listening.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
For more Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot com.
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