5 Tips to Boost Productivity!

Make no mistake, I'm not an expert in productivity, at least in the direct sense.  How I consider myself to be pretty good at productivity considering what I do in my day-to-day routine.  I've chronicled in a previous post how I go about my day, and here are some tips that may help lead you to be more productive during your day. 

• Wake up early
• This doesn't have to be super early, but 15 min can be a game-changer
• Plan ahead
• I have certain things that change day to day and I go ahead and plan/schedule them a few days in advance
• Meal Prep
• Social Media Posts
• Be on time
• The Marine Corps taught us that "Fifteen minutes early is on time.  On time is late.  And late is you're dead."  I live by this and it helps. 
• Don't sweat the small stuff
• I tend to remain fairly low-stress.  Sometimes a large thing catches me off-guard, but nothing I can't handle.  Learn how to deal with daily stress though exercise, meditation, or even just talking through it and you'll see a change.  
• Pray
• Pray often.  When you ask the Lord to help you with your problems, stress, and life...He Will!!!!  Pray in the car, pray in the shower, pray everywhere!  When you can do this, I promise your life will change.  

I'm often in awe of people who look at me and what I do in awe.  This is because how I do my life is normal for me, and I find it to be nothing special.  What I outlined in the 5 tips is what I do regularly and seem to be able to maintain my lifestyle (and my family's) long-term.  

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

How to eat for fat loss?

You wouldn't think that when you want to lose weight, specifically fat, that you'd be eating all of the time.  However this is exactly what you end up doing.  It's actually fairly simple, but nevertheless it's something that we tend to mess up when we try for it. 

The numbers add up differently for different people.  Men vs. Women.  Large frame vs. small frame.  Active vs. sedentary.  This can go on and on.  

Overlooking some of the numbers (like calories), some basics are that you should have vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, etc., at every meal.  You should be eating protein, not avoiding it.  Protein helps you feel fuller longer, plus it aids in fat loss.  Carbs, usually a villain, is also important as it provides you with energy. 

Regular measured out portions help for you to feel full, to burn fat, and to stay in top performance.  An example break-down follows: 

1.  Breakfast: Eggs w/ spinach & mushrooms

2.  Mid-morning Snack:  Protein Shake

3.  Lunch:  Sweet Potato, Chicken Breast, Broccoli

4.  Mid-afternoon Snack:  Tuna, Cauliflower florets, oats

5.  Dinner: Rice, Fish or Chicken Breast, Kale, Spinach, Cabbage

6.  Post Dinner-  Protein Shake

This is just an example, as you may not like some of the foods (as in my case with the rice & kale).  It's always good to begin with an inventory of what you like and dislike, maybe a trip to the grocery store and surveying the foods in the produce section.  

Also notice that there's not much fruit on the menu.  Fruit is good for you but naturally high in sugar, so it's best to be around a workout rather than any other time.  

I hope that this give's you an idea of how to eat and when.  

You can get more information, challenges, and accountability through Biblical Wellness

"Like" & "Share" this post if you want to help others.  

How to manage your time and do everything!

If you've been following me for awhile, you know that I do a lot on an average day.  While some seem to think that I'm partially superhuman, it's just that I feel like I manage my time pretty well.  So, in light of all this, I wanted to go ahead and break down my day and my suggestions to you to manage your time well so that you can do everything.
My day:

• 5:00-5:30 wake up + magical liquid (coffee)
• Usually checking emails (10-15 min)
• Livestream devotional or prepare content for my Facebook Page  (20-30min)
• Finish or work on any school work that needs to be done (20-30 min)
• Prepare mine & kids' lunches (10-15 min)
• 6:15-6:45; depends on the day, shower and get ready to leave
• 7:00-7:30; Get to work and begin training
• Anywhere from 10-2....workout
• Depends on cancellations, open time periods, etc. 
• Duration sometimes dictates what I'll do
• Short workouts are usually lifting/sprint based
• Long workouts are usually a run (weather permitting)
• 5:00-6:00; Leave work
• 6:00-8:00; Dinner, Kids' bath, Kids' sleep
• Yes, in that order
• 8:00-10/11:00
• Wife time
• School work time
• Live-stream event
• Bed

This is an average day, not including the weekends.  To me this is just the norm, and I couldn't honestly figure out my life if it wasn't this way.  I don't write in a planner or anything, though I do sometimes use a Google Calendar to keep me where I'm supposed to be, like logging in my food or what I'm supposed to be teaching on that particular day.  

My best suggestion is to start off by getting to bed and waking up consistently every single day.  This is one of the most difficult habits to get into and can be the make-it or break-it part of your day.  Next, keep the social media to a low; most of my social time is in the morning because I'm posting or doing whatever for my Biblical Wellness page at that time.  

Since I'm a student (MBA, Liberty University '19) I do my school-work at night when I can have a block of time to knock it out.  Depending on the class, that's 1000-3000 words per week which I can get through fairly quickly, having a MS already helps since I'm fairly familiar with the research process.  Sometimes, I'll be watching whatever we have DVR'd at the same time (kind of like I'm doing as I write this).  So, the take home to this section is to do your tedious/large work at the time that you have the longest period available.  

• Sleep/Wake at consistent times each and every day
• Workout when you can, it's best to do a hard 5 minute workout than none at all
• Keep Social Media at a low, unless you absolutely need to get onto it
• Stretch or do some light workout while watching TV
• Use your longest time-blocks to do your most relaxed work

These are just some suggestions in getting stuff done.  They seem to work for me and I just wanted to pass it along to you.  Now, if you need to write it out and put it into a day-planner, then go ahead; better to do that and be successful than not do it at all.  

If you have questions or need help in your time management, head over to Biblical Wellness on Facebook and shoot me a message.  God Bless!

What I take & What's my plan.

Each and every day are different.  Some are easy and some are hard.  Nutritionally, I modify each day according to a few different things, which I'll tell you below:

• Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, & Fridays= Atkins level low carb (not full keto, but closer to 50g of carbohydrates on these days.  
• Saturdays & Tuesdays = 24 hour fasts (not eating until dinner)
• Saturdays have the cheat meal to close it all out
• Tuesdays have a normal meal, meaning whatever my wife prepares.  
• Wednesdays have been, at least lately, my normal to high carb day.  

Now, this was after a 2 week ketosis primer (<25g carbs).  It was challenging, but easy to maintain for that short amount of time.  Currently I'm still in weight management mode, but it's much easier with the addition of some carbs.  

My foods generally look like:

• Green vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, bell peppers, celery
• Lean proteins such as chicken, tuna, or eggs.....sometimes red meat (if we have steak leftover)
• When I do have carbs, it's usually sweet potatoes or butternut squash.  

I usually don't eat until 1030 in the morning or later, most days.  On fast days, that's dinner.  

Supplementally, I keep it simple.  There are some daily but some are specific to a day or two.  

• Protein supplements.  My goal is 1g/lbs of body weight, so around 200g per day.  
• Greens supplement.  My fast days need something to preserve muscle mass, so this helps provide vitamins and minerals. 
• BCAAs.  Same thing with the fast days, but it's entire purpose is preservation of muscle. 
• Digestion pre/pro-biotic.  Digestive health, feel better, live better. DAILY

I keep it simple and purposeful for myself.  I've lost about 5 inches or so in the last month and continue to feel and move better every single day.  This took some trial & error and some strategic
planning to fine tune.  I have some other strategies that I employ to keep me on track (my clients too!).  But I wanted to let you all know what I've been doing to get it done.  

Tied Together

Today, I wanted to let you know that I'd be tying many of my social media outlets together.  I've changed the name of my business side from Southern Guardians, LLC whose intention was to sell and transfer firearms, to Biblical Wellness, of which I will leverage my expertise and network to provide sound Biblical fitness, nutrition, and life advice and coaching to those who may benefit as such.  

Additionally, if you're reading this via my public group Martin Hubner MS, CSCS, Pn1 Fitness & Nutrition Coaching, then I want to tell you that this group is going to be linked with Biblical Wellness.  I'd like for this to be the community side, where you all can interact with each other and such, and the other to be more of the information/legitimate business side (sound like a mobster).  

My Twitter Handle, @BibWellCtr, will also be linked to these two groups.  This way I can post via twitter (like some of these blog posts are able to do).  

The only thing that will not be dedicated will by my Instagram account.  This will still showcase some of my private or group training as well as Biblical Wellness stuff.  So it will cross both worlds for me.

Thanks for reading and for following!  

Sabotage!

Goal setting at the new year is common.  And if you looked at my posts last week I referenced new years resolutions and how to either succeed or fail at them.  Today is more of a reference to how to fail, but mostly how to sabotage your goals.

Your goals are easy to sabotage.  If they weren't, would the goals you made last year be successful? 
Wouldn't the goals you made this year be different than last? 

It's not because you lack the motivation, but the accountability to achieve your goals.  Everyone's motivated to lose weight, to save money, and whatever else may be their goal.  Who holds you accountable
for these goals?  Do you have a coach, a training partner, a stockbroker, a spouse, even your dog to tell and keep you accountable for these goals?

Motivation is easy, accountability is hard.  You can be motivated to lose weight, but without being held accountable for your actions, it's a sabotage of your goal.  Accountability is the opposite of self-sabotage. 

Who do you trust with your goal? 
Why do you trust them?

My accountability is being held by my wife and my friends who undergo the same torture that I go through (lifting & fat loss).  We use the "team" approach, which allows for more than 1 person to hold accountable. 

Finally, to achieve the strength and determination to accomplish my goals, I pray.  Laugh if you will, but prayer is powerful and necessary to live a wonderful life.  So, not only are my wife and my friends my accountability partners, but Jesus is too.  I pray for success, for accomplishment, and to be granted with the ability to carry out God's will, not my own.  This is the ultimate way to block sabotage, as no one can sabotage the Lord. 

So who do you trust? I trust the Lord.  Why do you trust?  I trust Him because he can do all things. 

My success is His, and my failures are mine.  Trust in the Lord, as your friend, accountability partner, and guardian and all things will be done.

How to fail at your New Years Resolution.

In my previous post, I talked about how to succeed in keeping your New Years Resolutions.  This time, however, I want to talk about how to fail at your resolutions.  I find this to be important because more often than not we do fail, but don't understand why we fail.  This is actually simpler than succeeding at them. 

To fail at your New Years Resolutions:

1.  Make them last second, like December 26th-31st.
2.  Don't have someone hold you accountable.
3.  Don't actually make a note of what you want to accomplish, just talking about it doesn't work.
4.  Don't keep records of what you're doing. 
5.  Make them overly complicated and unattainable.
6.  Be impatient.

Most of the time, if you can stick to the basics such as simplicity, record keeping, and accountability you'll succeed.  You may not succeed quickly, but you'll succeed.  Failure is much simpler and we often get wrapped up in the complexity of what we'd like to do rather than being patient and riding out the storm.

An example would be weight loss.  Go into any gym in the United States in January and you'll see what we call New Years Resolutioners.  These individuals pay for a gym membership (great for cash flow!) and use it for about a week or two and then quit.  If you think about how long it took to gain that weight, think of at least 50% of that time to lose it.  Same with smoking or some other type of addiction, it takes time and patience to break these habits and they cannot be done overnight.  This is where accountability comes in. 

To fail at your resolutions, keep them complicated and be impatient.  Rome wasn't built in a day and neither are your goals.  Think of reaching these goals like sailing through the ocean, sometimes it's rough, sometimes it's calm, but you'll eventually get to your destination.  

How to keep your New Years Resolution.

You want to lose weight.
You want to quit smoking.
You want to start a new degree (or finish an old one). 


Whatever it is, your New Years Resolution, is yours.  We all make them, whether we realiz
e it or not.  We strive to begin each and every new year with the intent to accomplish something that we either were unable to accomplish in the previous, or something that we've never tried before.  Many of our resolutions are health related, but they don't have to be.  Mine are fairly simple and straightforward:

1.  Take each kid (and wife) on their own "date."
2.  Begin membership site. 
3.  Expand my neuro-rehab program to another cohort. 
4.  Ditch the dad-bod. 

There are a few ways that you can stick with your resolution.  The first is one that I just demonstrated to you.  I proclaimed it to the world.  This holds me accountable to you, who read this blog.  You don't have to start a blog to hold it accountable.  Maybe updating a Facebook Status each day that you want to proclaim your resolution.  An even more effective way (backed by science!) is to physically write it down.  You're in the 60+% range of being more likely in keeping your goal if you write it down and refer to it regularly. 

Another method in keeping your resolution would be to find/hire a coach.  This can be an accountability coach (i.e. someone who contacts you on a regular basis to see if you're meeting your goals and expectations), a therapist, a physical fitness coach (I'm reluctant to say "personal trainer" here), even your barber/stylist!  In paying $$$ to someone, you are more than likely going to stick with your path to the goal that you've set for yourself.  This doesn't have to be an exorbitant amount of $, but there is research to suggest that you're more than likely going to achieve success than if you don't. 

Finally, keep it simple.  I showed you 4 of my goals, and they expand upon different aspects of my life.  The first is family,  the second is personal development/entrepreneurship, the third is career-minded, and the fourth is physical.  Most of these are in for the long-haul and won't show their progress in a few short months, and I'm completely at ease with this.  Many of these will take the better part of 2018 and probably even into 2019 before I see a return on my time investment.  Don't over-elaborate your goals and you'll have an easier time seeing the success you crave.

To keep your New Years Resolution proclaim it, get mentored, and keep it simple.  If you accomplish these, success will be in your hands.