James LaughlinHigh-performance leadership and executive coach. Covering all aspects of life and career.

Most people wake up in chaos and then wonder why their day feels off.

7 May 2026 · 1 min

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In a brief interview, James Laughlin asks Hal Elrod about morning habits that can reduce procrastination. Hal emphasizes that the most important practice is learning to wake up calmly and peacefully. He describes his own morning routine as purposeful, light, and flowy, but stresses that the core of his approach is the calm feeling upon waking—a shift he only achieved after decades of restless mornings. This calm transition is presented as a meaningful way to start the day and combat procrastination.

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So is there anything in the morning in terms of a morning routine or habits when you wake up that can help combat procrastination?
The number one, one that I would recommend is figure out how to wake calmly. And that may not be— I just peeked into your recent episode with Hal Elrod, and I know of his beautiful work. And there are all these actions that we can take, of course. And my morning routine is is flowy and fun and light, but definitely on purpose. But the one thing that I know I, I do these days is that I wake with a feeling of calm and peace. And I can't tell you how many decades in my life that I did not go to sleep in that way and I did not wake up in that way. So that's a really important and meaningful transition to, to look at.