Inspired Action For Imperfect Humans – S2 EP36: “Good Morning Investments”

Good Morning Investments

“Good Morning Investments” Brief Summary of Show: 

When you wake up for the day, is your morning routine setting you up to start your day in the right way? In this Inspired Action For Imperfect Humans podcast episode, Hosts Kyle Kalloo and Christopher Lawrence discuss, morning routines, and why it’s important to start your day in the right way, to set you up for a productive day.

Calls to Action:

Tell us your “inspired stories” stories by visiting www.InspiredActionPodcast.ca

Christopher Lawrence LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/career-life-coach-christopher-lawrence/

Kyle Kalloo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-kalloo/

Change My Life Coaching & Partner Groups LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/6446498/admin/

Change My Life Coaching: https://changemylifecoaching.ca

Strategic Leader: https://strategicleader.ca

“Good Morning Investments” Transcript:

I see starting your day the right way as an investment in the rest of your day.

[Narrator] Is the thought of being imperfect, keeping you from taking action? Welcome to “Inspired Action for Imperfect Humans.” Each week, we give you real life stories and thought provoking research that inspires your soul to live a more fulfilled life through your own actions. From the heart of Calgary, Canada, here are your hosts. Award-winning Coaches, Christopher Lawrence and Kyle Kalloo.

Welcome to another exciting week of “Inspired Action for Imperfect Humans.” You know that I’ve been saying that wrong, Christopher, for a while? I don’t know if you ever caught that? I always started with the imperfect. Imperfect humans versus inspired action before imperfect humans? And I’m just shocked that you didn’t say anything cause you’re very quick to judge me. I mean, to point out things that I do wrong. So I was just shocked that you didn’t say anything. In other words, how are you Christopher? How’s your morning going?

Oh, am I even on this podcast?

I don’t even know if I’m even on this podcast.

That’s gonna be interesting, you say that-

Well, I don’t know you just-

cause this topic is-

like asked three questions, made five comments my direction and then you wouldn’t even let me say anything.

How’s your morning, Christopher? Go, go, like tell me everything.

You know what, actually? I don’t know, it wasn’t very good. I haven’t been sleeping well and I didn’t-

Hmm?

get out of bed right away. I had my alarm set, I’m off today.

Mm-hmm.

Well.

Well you’re still on-

does it look-

Vacation this whole week.

Like I’m off, but-

Vacation is such a strong word for what I’m experiencing.

But yeah, I didn’t. My alarm went off, I didn’t even care actually. I turned it off and-

Mm.

And stayed in bed?

Just laid in bed.

Yeah.

I don't know if you ever have this experience? Like, you ever stay in bed and you're like, I know I need to get out of bed.
You ever stay in bed and you’re like, I know I need to get out of bed.

Mm-hmm, went back to sleep. And now, I don’t know if you ever have this experience? Like, you ever stay in bed and you’re like, I know I need to get out of bed.

I know what you’re saying.

But then it’s like you do get up and you feel like-

Yeah.

you’ve wasted part of the day and your mind isn’t quite right. Like you haven’t-

Yeah.

you haven’t got into your routine. That’s-

Yeah.

That’s the morning I’m having right now. I feel like I’m not in my routine. So my full intent is to be a complete bitch to you this whole sesh. No, I’m just kidding.

Even though, no one would be surprised by that. No one’d be surprised by that.

Totally.

How about you, how’d you-

However-

wake up this morning?

It’s interesting you say that because you know, getting out of bed can be tough, right. Like you just explained, right? Sometimes you’re like, hey yeah, I’m awake, I know I should get out. Or there’s times you’re like, all right, let me start. And sometimes there’s a physical, you know, when you get out of bed sometimes, right. So getting out of bed can be tough, right? However, getting out of bed with the right mind frame or if you wanna say mindset, can even be harder. Let me tell you about a situation that happened and I want us to talk a little bit about this. And I’m not sure what type of research is out there. So if you wanna kind of see what is out there, that would be great. So here’s the thing, for me.

Yes sir, I’m on it.

Okay, so here’s the thing for me. So I got up this morning. Now I didn’t get a full rest. And you know, I had a couple sessions that were early and because it’s international stuff, the times are a little bit different for me. So I know it takes me about a couple days just to kind of get back into that routine, like you were saying. However I didn’t. I felt rested enough that I said to myself, you know what, I need to get out of bed. I have a few you know, questions I ask. You know, I constantly ask myself before I get out of bed, which I’m gonna share with people, if they’re interested. And so I was deliberate about my mindset this morning. I really said to myself, you know what? I’m really gonna be on my A-Game today. I really wanna have a great day. It’s usually a short day for us on Fridays. So there’s a few things that I know is gonna happen at the office, that the team’s gonna be somewhat busy with. So I just really said to myself, I really wanna set up my day. And I go through some of my routines. Like I said, I’ll share that with you. Then I get in to the office. I get in to the office and, our Executive Office Manager says to me. He greeted me at the door right away. He says, “Hi, good morning Kyle, how are you? I hope you’re great, I hope things are fantastic.” Right, and I just thought to myself, he’s never done this before though.

No, that’s- No, he’s a nice friendly guy and he’s quite-

Yeah.

funny actually but I’ve never-

Yeah.

Heard him do that.

Exactly, he’s never done this before right?

Girl, it sounds like-

So he-

he’s gonna drop something on you girl.

Bad news
Bad news

That’s what I thought. That’s what I said to myself. I’m like, what is gonna happen? I said to him, I said, “Anil, you’ve never done this before. However, I’m getting…” And I like to take your phrase cause you know, it’s been a while I’ve heard you say it. I had a sneaking suspicion, he was gonna drop something on me that is probably not gonna be pleasant. It’s not that he wasn’t gonna tell me something. I knew it wasn’t gonna be pleasant, right. So I said, “You know, the impression I’m getting Anil is that you’re gonna tell me something that I’m not gonna like.” And he says, “Well, let’s go to your office. Put your bag down. Let’s just get you relaxed. Get you ready.” So of course I do it. And then he says to me. And I know some people would-

He’s given lots of-

have been like, no.

Bad news in his history. It sounds like he’s given-

Yeah.

lots of bad news.

And he has-

We should check on that.

And he has a process. Now how many people, before I continue that story. How many people would be like-

Hmm.

“No, tell me what’s going on right now.” Like, they won’t-

Oh, me!

Walk to the office.

Oh, me girl!

No, like my need-

for instant resolution-

Mm-hmm.

was five seconds before you started telling me. Girl, don’t even tell me what happened. Start with the resolution.

It’s like, “Just so you know, we’ve completely re-installed your Mac and it’s working perfectly.” Then tell me what was wrong.

What led up to it, right? Okay, fair enough.

Cause I don’t even- At this time in my life, I don’t even have the three seconds of capacity to wait for a response.

I can even see from your impression, you want me to get to that. But you’re like, okay, it’s a podcast. We need to tell the story before we get to it.

Well yeah, like I’m-

So trust me.

sitting here listening to this and I’m like, why didn’t you tell me before girl? Why didn’t, like-

What happened? Like, what happened, right?

I know there’s-

So-

more people in the world like me. I don’t know if that’s true but-

I don’t know, I don’t know if that’s true-

But I know there’s people-

But I know, yeah.

that are on this call-

Yeah.

Aren’t on this call. Listening to this podcast, that are going-

Yeah, or watching yeah.

Uh? What’s going on, like-

What’s happening, right?

what’s actually happening.

And you know, I’m-

And they wanna know. Tell them people, Kyle!

And you want. And you know, I’m usually good at leaving out the details and all these other stuff and get right to it as well but-

Good at leaving out the details? I think that’s it.

That’s actually a liability you have. It’s not that you’re good at it. It’s that you’re totally absentminded. Kyle starts a story with, “and then she told me blank” and I’m like, what are you talking about? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Girl.

So anyway. I trusted the process-

"The application that the system is known for." Doesn't work on Mac.
“The application that the system is known for.” Doesn’t work on Mac.

and I went to my office with him. I closed the door. I don’t even think the door got closed because I think he was just about to tell me. And he says, “As you know, we’re doing the install with the new phone system that we’re getting, which there’s some changes that goes with it. But the new phone system, there’s training that’s gonna…” That’s happening right now while I’m doing this podcast. There’s training happening right now. And the guys are out there trying to do the wiring and getting new headsets, and handsets, and all these things are set up, right? And he goes, “They told me…” The install guys, he said, told him that “The application that the system is known for.” That we’re gonna have additional features like transfer call, monitor call, see who’s on hold. Put someone on hold, how long the call is. All this great stuff, right? From an application perspective, doesn’t work on Mac. All of our system is on Mac. We have laptops, right? There are Mac books, we have iPads, we have iPhones. Everyone here is on a Mac. Now I know what you’re thinking, Christopher and I-

Oh no, you know what-

Appreciate the reserve.

You just did girl?

You know what you just did? I’m like your Christian Baptist mother.

And you waited until we were on this road trip to tell me that you are gay. That’s exactly what this was.

Girl, you are holding me hostage so I don’t have a meltdown right now cause I am sitting here going-

I might have thought that-

What the f-

I’m glad you’re not here. I might’ve said that to myself. I might’ve said-

Girl!

I am so glad he’s not here because

Yeah, I’m glad I’m not there too.

Listen, to our listeners-

So anyway. it’s not like I don’t have the capacity to deal with these things.

Mm-hmm.

It’s just. I have a value system that’s developed over the last few years-

Hmm.

and I’m very quickly gonna get left behind. I do not-

Mm-hmm.

I do not value the way that tech has moved in our world. I don’t value it, I think actually. You know, we talk about like, there was this big lawsuit against tobacco companies because of misinformation.

Right, mm-hmm.

I think that the same will probably start to come out of the sugar industry. I think that you will start-

Mm-hmm.

to see lawsuits into the sugar and food industry.

Right, mm-hmm.

And I actually, you know, if I have my way I would. I’m saying this tongue in cheek, I don’t really mean this but I would totally class action lawsuit the tech industry for all of my mental health issues because I am so sure-

Wow, wow.

Like girl. What responsibility do-

That’s a fair point though.

Microsoft and Apple have-

Yeah.

when they make a change-

Yeah.

that kills your productivity.

Yup, yup.

They make a change without informing you what that change really involves and it kills your productivity. And then for you to know what it involves it’s like, they say, well, you don’t have to download it right away. You don’t have to download it. Oh, girl, is that way my iPhone reminds me at every four minutes?

Yeah.

Girl, it reminds me every four minutes, hey, there’s a software update. And then it’s like, no-

Just lagging.

I don’t want to install it.

Yeah.

And then it gives you your password screen. So if you’re being a little bit absent-minded, cause what it says is install later, enter password.

Mm-hmm.

If you’re being a little bit absentminded, you think you’re logging into your phone-

Mm, mm.

but actually, you’re agreeing to install it later. And then girl, all of a sudden you wake up and you’re in a different bedroom. It’s like, what the hell happened? Girl and they took-

A different bedroom

Like they take away-

Is that me or?

stupid features, like-

Yeah.

like, oh God. Anyway, so.

Or put it somewhere else.

Or put it somewhere else. But part of it is one thing-

Kyle, I just wanna call you-

Hmm.

We're like half an hour into this podcast. I actually forgot to set a timer.
We’re like half an hour into this podcast. I actually forgot to set a timer.

on something. We’re like half an hour into this podcast. I actually forgot to set a timer. I don’t know if you did.

Yeah, I was just like we’re not. As we started because you had to do some other things

But, but-

so it’s not half an hour.

I don’t even know what this podcast is about yet?

Listen.

See what I mean? He’s like, he’s not even in the details yet girl.

Listen, we-

And I trusted this man to, to hire a company to re-install our phone system.

Let me come back to this, right. Because the podcast is about, are you starting your day in the right mind frame? Those who are keen listeners, know I said that already but again, you got stuck-

Oh.

at the drama that was gonna be happening. So, you went to that place. Right, okay.

Okay girl, back on track.

So.

Back on track what happened?

What I’m saying is, you had a point there-

What happened?

Not only-

Is it resolved?

Not-

Start with the resolution.

Not only the productivity but it does impact people’s mental health though, right? Like how they have to react to it. Because if I don’t know something, now I have to do something different. That can be stressful. So anyway what I’m getting at, is when he told me this, I said, very matter of fact. They said, you know what? Yes, could we have asked those questions? Sure, but is there some onus on them? The company who provides these type of tools and service that they have to say, here’s a checklist of things we need to check off. There’s some compatibility, that you have the right, you know, tools or hardware, software and that didn’t happen. So I just simply said, matter of factly, you need to speak with them and tell them no. We’re gonna reverse everything or they’re gonna find a way to do this and thirdly, I’m not paying for anything that I’m not getting, right. This is just not gonna happen. And so he said, “Okay, wow, great.” I think a part of him, between you and I Christopher and everyone else who’s listening. I think he was shocked at that response. I think he was expecting me to go to that place, right? That red zone of, what, what do you mean? And he thought he was gonna be some of it cause he’s the project manager on this, right?

Right.

So he thought, he was gonna get some of it. So when he’s like, okay. Yeah, I could do that. There’s a part of a little bit of relief, I saw.

And so I was like, but I just. It didn’t matter to me. And so what I’m saying is that-

Well, how have you-

if I-

Treated him so far that he feels that he needs to come prepared?

I think that’s his story.

No I think that’s. I think that’s probably-

Oh girl-

before us.

I don’t know. I mean, I have heard you-

No, I don’t think that’s us.

yelling at people-

No, he’s lying.

and throwing things in your office. You guys know he is lying. But what I’m saying is. I said to myself in a reflection when I closed my door after cause I had to jump into something else. I said to myself, what if I didn’t start with the right mind frame this morning? What if I didn’t? What if I wasn’t deliberate-

Totally.

about making sure that today I’m gonna be on my A-Game,

Girl, you know what?

that positive energy.

I see that. I see starting your day the right way is an investment in the rest of your day.

Amen, that’s exactly it.

I see it as an investment in the rest-

Yeah.

Oh girl, that’s a quotable. We’ll make a million-

I love, yeah.

Bucks off that phrase.

I love that.

Trademarked, trademarked!

Write that down. Write that down.

Yeah, yeah.

It really is-

It’s-

Say that again, if you remember.

Good Morning Investment
Starting your day the right way is an investment in the rest of your day.

Yeah, starting your day the right way is an investment in the rest of your day. I think about this, for a long time Kyle, I really struggled with getting some fulfilling things in. So I love my job, I love coaching people.

Mm-hmm.

Still love it to this day. Don’t love being a business owner, during these times. I think it’s probably one-

Mm-hmm.

of the hardest things that we’ve had to face. And you’re talking to-

Experience, true.

somebody who’s experienced extreme panic in their history. You know 20 years ago, panic attacks every day. You’re talking to somebody who

Mm-hmm.

has been through all sorts of kinds of trauma. And you’re talking to somebody who, you know, who has had to declare bankruptcy, dropped out of high school and was a drug addict. And now recovered, and-

That’s a lot, yes.

You know, that’s what you’re talking to. And I’m telling you that being a business owner in these last two years is probably, is probably the hardest thing-

The hardest.

I’ve ever had to face.

Wow.

It is so hard.

Mm-hmm.

And so prior. During all this, and prior to this. I couldn’t find. At the end of the day, I couldn’t find that energy to do things that fulfilled me.

Mm-hmm.

And so I moved them to the front of the day and started my day later.

Yup.

I’m like, no I wanna practice the piano. I wanna go for a walk.

Exactly.

I wanna, you know, read something. I wanna write something. So I moved to all of that to the front of my day and my days have gotten so much better-

Mm-hmm.

since that time.

Yeah, and that’s a great tip. And we’ll hold on to that tip too, right. The things that really fulfills you, move them to the beginning of your day, right.

I think.

Because that way-

I don’t think that’s the same for everybody. Some people just aren’t-

Of course not.

Aren’t in that place but-

Yeah.

you know, you can-

That’s what worked for you. Yeah.

Well, it’s worked for me. And what works for me-

It works for me too

should work for the rest of the planet. And as my late grandmother always said, “You have your opinion and I have the truth.”

I miss her.

She said that? Because you always say it. So I thought you said that.

Yeah, no girl.

Oh, she said that.

It was Grandma Lawrence. Oh she, I’ll tell you what. She’s a hard Norwegian farming woman.

Mm.

Start your day right.
Start your day right.

But you know like I said, to go back a little bit. I liked what you said. It really is that investment and I find sometimes, we don’t invest into that. We don’t invest in our day. We’re very good to investing into other people. We’re very good to making sure someone else gets what they need, right. We’re very good at anticipating their needs which I’m not saying those are bad things. All I’m saying is give some of that to you. It doesn’t mean. it doesn’t have to be an either or. It’s about what can you do for you, as well. And so I’m just saying in that moment, this morning? That was my saving grace, because it allowed me to continue. If not, I would have been off on this podcast. I would have been off for the next client. I would have been off with the other two meetings I’m gonna have, right. And how many times that has happened to us? You know, we woke up sluggish, feeling sluggish. We didn’t wanna get out of the bed. We didn’t have a good sleep. Your partner pissed you off. You stepped on some, someone’s toy, stepped on something that was on the floor. You throw yourself and this whole day is really snowballing all the way through, right? And you know, I know we talked about this in a previous podcast about getting, getting out on the right side of the bed or whatever the case may be, right. But I think how many times are we deliberate, and mindful, you know? And I love, love, love what you said. And do not tell me, I said I loved it. But I love what you said. It’s how you start your day is an investment to the rest of your day. So invest in your day. I’m really curious to see how you guys are gonna play out with some of that stuff. Here’s some tips I’d like to share, if you guys don’t mind. I liked the tip that Christopher offered as well, which was you know, things that are fulfilling for you, do them in your day. Like start your day that way because I know for me-

Well, actually Kyle, I might reword that more-

Okay.

More generally because for some people. Put them in the time of your day when you have your best energy.

Peak state, yeah.

Right. You know, put them in. So for me that is in the morning. I have my best-

Mm-hmm.

energy in the morning. I do not have my best energy after a long workday. So-

Right.

putting those things at the end of the day is not, as fulfilling to me.

And some people will say, and I have clients who have done this. Where they say, well, I just wanna get the things that I don’t wanna really wanna do out of the way.

Good for them.

And then save the stuff for later.

Yeah.

Which is fine. I do find that some clients say, although there’s stuff I really enjoy, I’m actually beat by the end of the day. So I actually don’t even get it done anyway-

Exactly.

which I just feel like, it’s a waste, right. So I think you have to be mindful of that too, of what that looks like. It’s almost the story about, you know, some people save the meat for last because it’s the most delicious thing. Do you remember that situation that happened to me growing up as a kid? Where, you know, I’m saving the meat for the last and I’m eating all the other stuff I don’t like. Maybe like veggies and rice, but I’m saving the meat. And then because I was sitting close to the floor, the dog came out of nowhere and grabbed the meat from my plate.

Aww.

Never again. So I start eating the meat first. Right, because then I know I am satisfied. I’m doing the things I want first. So that’s just my story on it. But just to get back to some tips, and I’m curious what you think about these as well. Four tips, there are four things, I would say, to be mindful of. So number one. Be deliberate about asking yourself before you get out of bed. I do this before I get out of bed. When I’m awake and I’m my thought starts going. I say to myself, “What kind of attitude am I going to be taking into the day?” Right, what attitude do I need to make sure is present in my day? So I ask that first question. And again the second one is, again, before I get out of my bed, right. So this is number two. Before I get on my bed. I ask this other question, “Who needs me in my A-Game today?” Right, so who needs me in my A-Game today? I know what was needed today at the office. I know the podcast that we’re gonna deliver. I wanna make sure I was at that energy level for it. So I was mindful of it. Then the third thing I do is while I’m in the shower. I don’t know about you Christopher but I do a lot of my best thinking in the shower, right. And so I would say while you’re in the shower where, like I said I do most of my best thinking. I usually reflect on gratitude. I usually will ask myself or reflect on, “What has happened in my life that I am so grateful for?” It could be the simple things. It could be a big thing. But while I’m showering I’m just letting that, allow it to just come into my mind, of gratitude. And the fourth one. While I’m on my way to work, I usually do this. And sometimes I may do this in the shower but mostly when I’m on my way to work as I’m transitioning to go to work. For me, I’m listening to a peak state playlist, right. You heard me talk about this before. These are some songs or you know, that I just know it always puts me in a great place. For me it’s just when I hear a certain song and I hear a certain movement, I’m in a great place. Or I talk to my brother, right. Laughing is also another thing that really gets me motivated to put me in that right mind frame. And cause my brother sometimes tells these corny, butt-ass jokes that I can’t, I just have to laugh, right. Like sometimes even as he’s telling me the joke, he’s laughing through it and I’m laughing at him telling me the joke because he’s already laughing through it. So those are the four things, I would say, that really helps me to put me in the right mind frame. Anything else you’d like to add on that?

Yeah, I think Kyle. I actually look at it a little bit differently. I kind of look at it as the pay myself first concept. And so the way that I do this is actually by taking those things that give me energy. And when and what I can, putting them at the front of my day.

Mm-hmm.

Putting them at the front of my day. So it’s like, if I get to the end of the day and everything’s spent already? The effort to sit down and, you know, read something or write something or go for a walk or whatever it is, you know, flies out the door so quickly. So for me, I pay myself first. So I don’t go through a list of questions and ask myself who needs me.

Hmm.

You know, cause I think-

Mm.

That’s where I spend probably 95% of my day.

Mm-hmm.

So for that part that isn’t, I pay myself first. I do activities that are enjoyable to me, whatever those are. And I have, you know, like I know what they are. It’s like, and they’re really simple actually. They’re creative, they’re simple. You know, they’re. They’re just things that fill me up.

Brilliant. So that’s the question we asked for you guys to be thinking about and share with us. “Are you starting your day in the right mind frame?” What is it for you? We shared some tips of how, maybe for those who are uncertain, maybe those are a great place to start. But for those who have some time, tested, true routines, let us know. And the few things we want you to know at the end of this as well, is that our podcasts have some amazing traction. So if you can share, and download, and let people know about our podcasts? That will be brilliant. We’re working on a community and once we have that stuff up and running, we’ll let you know because this is a great opportunity that where we all can meet, and greet, and help each other. So until next time, take care of yourself and we will talk to you next week. Bye.

[Narrator] It’s our goal to build a global community of inspired action takers. And we can only do that with your help. So if you love “Inspired Action,” please leave a review on your favorite podcasting app and share us on your socials. You’ve heard from us. Now we wanna hear from you. Go to inspiredactionpodcast.ca and tell us, “What is the inspired action you took this week?” Next week on “Inspired Action for Imperfect Humans.”

This is one of the number one things that I hear from my clients. I hear. It’s like well, you know, have you thought of asking for help? And then people get these grins on their face. Almost like it’s a thing of pride.

Yeah.

Like, oh I suck at asking for help. I’m not good at asking for help. Bitch this is not something to be proud of.

No.

This is something, in your development, your childhood development that was not nurtured.

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