In this solo episode of the No Days Off podcast, host Brian Gubernick builds on a previous episode about habits to stop and shifts the focus to habits to start. Aiming at high‑performing entrepreneurs balancing business and family, he outlines twelve concrete actions that can transform how listeners think, lead, and live. The habits range from developing creativity, expressing appreciation to loved ones, improving sleep and building muscle, to scheduling thinking time, embracing boredom, learning to say no kindly, finishing projects, modeling hard work for children, making identity‑based decisions, discussing money openly at the dinner table, and showing up before feeling ready. Brian concludes with a seven‑day challenge: pick the habit that scares you most, write it down, place it where you’ll see it, and commit to practicing it daily for a week. The episode ends with a motivational reminder to take action every day and "Take No Days Off."
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Thank you for joining me today. It's Brian Gubernick, and welcome to the No Days Off podcast, where we believe that every single day brings a new opportunity to get better. About 6 or 7 months ago, in episode 402, 402, I talked about the things that I think we all need to stop doing to increase our success. Things like stop comparing yourself to others, stop saying yes to things you don't want to do, stop thinking you'll do it tomorrow, and a handful of other things that I believe we should all stop doing. That particular episode resonated. But stopping bad habits, I think, is only half the battle. I think you also have to start better ones. And so in today's episode, it's going to be about the things that I think you should start doing right now. These are things that I've had to start doing at some point, or restart doing at some point in my business career and just in my life. And I thought it'd be worthwhile to share with our audience. So if you're a high-performing entrepreneur, you know, in, in the early part or mid part of your career and you're trying to balance business and family, this is going to be your playbook. The 12 actions that I think will change the way you think, the way you lead, and the way you live. So, let's talk about these 12 start doing habits. Number 1, start using and developing the creative side of your brain. I don't think creativity is reserved just for the artist. Innovation, business, and life, it comes from your imagination. So, doodle, write, brainstorm freely. Give yourself permission to explore without needing immediate ROI. Start a podcast. Do things that are different, that are outside your natural behavior. Number 1, start using and developing the creative side of your brain. Number 2, start telling the most important people in your life what they mean to you. Don't assume that they know. Your spouse, your kids, your closest friends, tell them very clearly and consistently and without waiting for a special occasion. Make sure you tell them what they mean to you. Time is finite and you know my thoughts around that. Number 3, Start sleeping better right now. Start sleeping better right now. Quality sleep is your competitive edge. We all know this, but we don't do something about it. Well, many of us don't do something about it. Quality sleep is going to improve your memory, your mood, your energy, your decision-making, and your longevity. So, build your bedtime like you build your business. And that's with structure and that's with intention. Number 4, start building muscle. Start building muscle, especially if you're over 40 years old. But that doesn't mean if you're younger than 40, it gives you an excuse. Start building muscle because muscle, in my opinion, is medicine. Muscle supports hormones and posture, energy, and confidence. So start lifting. Don't overthink it. Just get one— get stronger one session at a time. Yes, running and cardio and stretching, all these things are good for us, but pretty much everybody in the health space that I believe is, is, is an authority will tell you the importance of resistance training and building muscle. So number 4, start building muscle. Number 5, start scheduling time to think. We talk about it quite a bit here, but I don't know how many of us are taking action around this. Start scheduling time to think. Don't confuse movement with progress. If your calendar is packed, but your mind is cluttered, you're not leading, you're simply reacting. So, block time to sit, to think, and to plan without interruption. Number 6, kind of along those same lines, start embracing boredom. Start embracing boredom. Every gap doesn't need to be filled with a screen. Boredom happens to unlock ideas. It reconnects you with what matters. Maybe that's driving in silence. Maybe that's walking without a podcast or music on. Just let your mind wander. Start to embrace that boredom that so many of us used to have in our lives, but technology in the world today has just changed that. So number 6, start embracing boredom. Number 7, start practicing saying no with kindness and clarity. Start practicing saying no with kindness and clarity. You are no longer in the season of proving yourself. You're past that season. Every yes must earn its way in. So be kind, but be firm. Say no and free up your time, your energy, and your attention for what truly matters. So start practicing, practicing saying no. Number 8, this was a big one for me, still working on this. Start finishing things. Start finishing things. Half-finished projects don't count. Neither do the unread books or the unsent messages. Start to build the muscle of completion. Pick one thing, finish it, then pick another. So start finishing things. Number 9: start letting your, your kids see you pursue hard things. Start letting your kids see you pursue hard things. Don't just talk about work ethic, live it where they can see it. Let them see you struggle. Let them see you sweat. Let them see you recommit. Let them, let them see you grind and what it takes to be successful. Let them see you pursue hard things. Your grind becomes their model. So, start letting your kids see you pursue hard things. Number 10, start making decisions based on who you want to become, not who you are today. Every decision is a vote for your future identity. Act like the person you're becoming, not the one that you're trying to outgrow. So, start making decisions based on who you want to become, not who you are today. Number 11, and I love this one, I love them all, but I really like this one today. Start talking about money at the dinner table. Don't let money be taboo. Talk openly with your kids about budgeting, about saving, about investing and giving. Tell them the things you've done right with money and the things you've done wrong. Equip them early. Normalize financial literacy in your home. Many of us, many of the No Days Off Nation, you were not raised with money being a topic of conversation in your house. And I think many of you wish you would have. You wish you would have learned certain things when you were younger that you had to learn the hard way as you grew up. Don't let that happen to the next generation. So, start talking about money at the dinner table. And then number 12, start showing up before you're ready. Waiting for perfect conditions guarantees you'll stay stuck. So, start messy, start scared, start anyway. Clarity comes through action, it doesn't come through preparation. So, start showing up before you're ready. Here's your challenge for the week. I want you to pick one of these 12 habits. Just pick one of these 12 habits, not the one that's the easiest, but the one that might scare you a little bit. Write it down, put it where you'll see it, and commit to it daily for the next 7 days. So, pick one of these 12, the one that scares you, write it down, put it where you'll see it, and commit to it, to it daily for the next 7 days. The win isn't in checking a box. It's in becoming the kind of person who starts. So just take action. Just get after it. High performers aren't just defined by what they stop doing, but by what they consistently start doing. I don't think any of these things are hacks. I think they're foundations. So again, it's start today, it's start small, it's start with intention. And of course, whatever you do, Take no days off. That's all I have for you today, the No Days Off Podcast. Thank you so much for listening. And remember, every single day brings a new opportunity to get better. So let's get after it.
