“Marisa, what’s your secret?”, Deborah asked.

I’d just wrapped Your Offer in a Weekend, a live 2-day training the weekend right after our 3-day Message to Money Live event…

She’d been to both events…

She’d watched me give every ounce I had to a crowd of 150+ people.

Day-after-day…

Speaking…

Coaching…

Facilitating…

And she knew I was going to lead a VIP day with a client the very next day.

“Marisa. Is this… normal… for you?” she asked.

I nodded, yes.

“How do you give so much day after day without completely exhausting yourself? I get tired just watching you…”

I get this question a LOT…

Yes, it’s true — we’ve accomplished a lot.

Our tribe has watched us roll out product after product, summit after summit.

And our business has exploded… from zero to multi-million in 4 years…

It definitely didn’t happen sitting on the couch or crossing our fingers and hoping for the best.

So what IS my secret?

Here are 6 of my favorite productivity secrets for making the (seemingly) impossible happen, daily:

1. Clarity of Vision – 

When I have a clear vision of what I’m doing and why I’m doing it, I feel unstoppable. I can wake up each day and literally move mountains because I’m connected to the source of my motivation.

I know where I’m going and I’ve defined the next step to take, so all I have to do is show up and take it. There is no swirling around in doubt or inner conflict of shoulda, would, coulda.

As Yoda famously said: “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Eliminate all words like “I’m trying to…,” “I think I’m…,” “I may be…” and start declaring who you are and what you want without hesitation.You are an entrepreneur, you are a coach, you are an author, you are a speaker, you are successful.

2. Act in Congruence with Your Values – 

Nothing erodes energy more than taking action that’s out of alignment with who you are and what you value. When you follow advice or do things that feel wrong or compromise your values, you start to erode your self-trust and confidence.

You create inner conflict and lose faith in your capacity to make the right decisions and take the right actions. You get lost in regret. Your inner critic starts to scream: I never should have done that. I never should have trusted that person.

At this point, most people close themselves to new opportunities that support their vision and their growth.

The successful person gets curious. They ask themselves questions like “What can I learn from this? What systems can I put in place so this doesn’t happen again?” Or as my client Justin Livingston says, “When shit hits the fan, I ask myself how can I leverage this?”

3. Balance Long-Term Thinking with Fast Action – 

While it’s true that you can’t get where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re going… it’s also true that you can’t go where you’re going if you don’t start walking.

It’s really easy to spend years getting your ducks in a row preparing, but the moment comes where you have to take that leap of faith and just get going. Just like that famous scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, sometimes you can’t see the path before you start walking. Sometimes you just have to take that leap of faith and trust the path will appear.

There have been many “leap of faith moments” over the last 4 years where I lost my vision or I came up against a wall that I thought was insurmountable… And that voice inside of me started to scream – you can’t do that, that’s impossible…

And each time that voice appeared, I found the courage to take that next leap of faith. To keep putting one foot in front of the other until the fog lifted and the path appeared…The thing about taking action is that it’s a practice, like going to the gym and developing your muscles. Once you get into the habit of waking up each morning and taking action, you find yourself doing it even on the days when you don’t want to.

4. The Power of Scheduling –

You and I both share something in common. We both experience 24 hour days and 365 day years. I believe the greatest challenge and the greatest opportunity in life is how you choose to spend your time, energy and attention.Do you take charge of your schedule and organize your day in alignment with your goals and priorities? Or do you spend your time fighting fires and oiling squeaky wheels?

Do you notice your own body rhythms and devote your hours of peak productivity to the tasks that require your full focus and attention? Or do you squander your best hours on lower level tasks like answering emails and making phone calls?

I rarely talk to anyone before 1pm each day so I can spend my peak productivity hours of 9am-12pm moving mountains – whether that’s creating a new course or presentation, or reimagining our business. I also limit scheduled calls to Tuesday-Thursday so I can keep Mondays and Fridays free for content creation, team management, business development and new opportunities.

And I know when to eat and when to take breaks so I can stay at a consistently high level of energy and attention throughout the day.

My ideal schedule has come about through years of observation, trial and error and fine-tuning. Scheduling your time and putting in place the routines you need to consistently maintain high productivity is one of the highest-leverage things you can do in your business, since you are your most valuable asset.

5. Fuel Your Body with the Best – 

Most people fill their body with sugars and carbs that slow them down and dull their senses… The right food can provide consistent clarity and energy throughout the day… Murray and I have a bulletproof/paleo chef come in and cook us meals once a week, so all I have to do is pull each meal out of the fridge and heat it up starting with breakfast.

Before we hired a chef, I used to get really hungry, then rumble around in the fridge looking around for something to eat and maybe find something or make a meal run. I’d waste hours a day trying to figure out what to eat and I often wouldn’t have the food my body needed when it needed it. I’d wait too long to eat then crash hard once I did eat. It was exhausting.

Now it’s taken care of and I always know I have the food I need when I need it. We also keep our fridge stocked with fresh green juices, raw coconut water and kombucha to keep us hydrated and energized.You may not be at the point in your business where you can invest in a chef, but I do recommend finding a solution for getting foods that nourish and sustain you.

There is NO WAY to attain consistent high productivity without the right fuel.

6. Build Your Support Team – 

I always made fun of people who needed an entourage to support them. I thought it was frivolous until I realized how valuable my time, energy and attention really was… and how costly it is to take myself away from my zone of genius, my relationships, or the rest and rejuvenation I need to perform day after day.

If you work out the true value of your time and how much you can generate when you really focus, you’d be amazed at how much each hour of your day is really worth…And it becomes easier to make the decision to hire more people to support you.

At this point, in addition to our core business team, we hire an executive assistant, a housekeeper, a chef, a personal trainer, a business coach, and a body worker. For every dollar I spend on support, I can at least double that investment in productivity and ROI to the business.What tasks can you delegate? How can you free more of your time and attention on the high leveraged activities in your business?

Those are 6 of my secrets to maintaining high productivity day-after-day so I can wake up each morning and move mountains.

What are you productivity secrets? Let me know in the comments…

I’m always looking for new ways to increase my focus, vitality and impact on the world… thanks for sharing!