Shelby Leigh Archives - Routine Hacker

Alex Franklin

Productivity Tip:

Don’t Type It, Talk It

We all spend a lot of our lives typing. But there may be a more efficient way to answer all those emails and capture the ideas floating around in your head.

Research from Stanford found that speech recognition is about three times faster than typing on a smartphone, with a lower error rate too.

These days, AI dictation tools like Willow Voice and Wispr Flow can save you even more effort. Instead of typing out an email or Slack message, you speak it, and the tool cleans up filler words, adds punctuation, and formats it into something ready to send. They work across your inbox, docs, notes, and chat apps.

Give it a try this week: pick one message a day you’d normally type, and say it instead. Let us know how it goes for you!

Routine Breakdown

Alex Franklin, Managing Director at First Principles Consulting

The Morning Routine That Starts at the Beach

Alex Franklin is the Managing Director of a mining operations consultancy in Australia, as well as a speaker and author of Mining For Value. His morning routine isn’t complete unless it includes nature, movement, and his dog Benson.

The Routine:

Wakes naturally. “I’m fortunate to live near the beach in a tropical climate, so most mornings I wake up naturally before sunrise and head down to the beach with my golden retriever, Benson.”
Avoids screens. “I try to avoid looking at screens as much as I can in bed before going out.”
Does a beach walk and swim. “We do a 2km return walk, which always feels longer on sand, as the sun comes up. Benson runs, swims and digs along the way, trying to get as much sand in his coat as possible. At the end of the walk, I join him for a swim in the ocean (it’s a convenient way to get most of the sand out of his fur).”
Showers and has breakfast. “I follow this up with an outdoor shower and then breakfast. Breakfast is typically something high in protein and fiber. I’m not a coffee drinker but enjoy tea, so I take a cup with me as I start work.”

Why it works:

Waking naturally reduces that groggy feeling of sleep inertia, while morning light exposure helps regulate our circadian rhythms.
Avoiding screens in the morning can create a calmer start to the day and prevent news and notifications from hijacking your attention.
Morning walks have a bunch of benefits for both physical and mental health — and combining his walk with time outdoors gives Alex movement, fresh air, and morning light all in one.

Not all of us are lucky enough to live by a beautiful beach, but the formula of movement + nature is one worth borrowing — even if it’s as simple as taking a short walk or doing a few stretches on a patch of grass.

D’Wayne Edwards

Wellness Tip:

Find Moments of Awe

We’ve all experienced moments of awe: standing beneath a towering mountain, watching the sun melt into a pastel pink horizon, or listening to music that gives us goosebumps. It’s an incredible, complex emotion—and one that’s surprisingly good for us.

Research shows it can reduce depressive symptoms, improve wellbeing, and make us feel more connected to others.

“Awe experiences are self-transcendent,” say researchers at UC Berkeley. “They shift our attention away from ourselves, make us feel like we are part of something greater than ourselves, and make us more generous toward others.”

This week, take five minutes to deliberately notice something that makes you stop and say, “Wow.” Then hit reply and let us know what you found.

Routine Breakdown

D’Wayne Edwards, Legendary Sneaker Designer

The Life Philosophy of a Legendary Sneaker Designer

What if creativity wasn’t something you switched on for work, but a habit you practised all day long? That’s the philosophy behind designer D’Wayne Edwards’ simple but powerful routine.

The Routine:

Feed your mind first. Start your day with something that makes you better: a few pages of a book, an inspiring quote, quality journalism, or industry insights. “I read inspirational quotes. I read industry information. I read sports. I protect what I receive. I’m not on social media,” says Edwards. “Good in, great out. Bad in, worse out.”
Stay curious about everyday problems. Throughout the day, notice one thing that feels inefficient, frustrating, or awkward. Instead of accepting it, ask: How could this work better? Edwards looks at creativity not as an artistic pursuit, but as a way of life. “Embracing everything through a lens of creativity is a much more fun, and more open, way to experience life.”
Borrow an idea from somewhere unexpected. When you’re stuck, don’t stay inside your own bubble. Edwards once designed a shoe for Carmelo Anthony by studying jaguars at the zoo. Great ideas often come from surprising places.
End the day with one experiment. Before tomorrow begins, decide on one small thing you’ll try differently. Creativity grows through experimentation, not perfection.

Why it works:

Creativity isn’t a personality trait; it’s a practice. By intentionally choosing what you consume, staying curious, looking beyond your own field, and experimenting in small ways, you create the conditions for better thinking every day.

What’s one everyday frustration you’ll approach with curiosity today instead of accepting it just the way it is?

Advita Patel

Productivity Tip:

Stop Filling Every Spare Minute

Standing in the supermarket queue. Waiting at the lights. Waiting for your coffee. These tiny pockets of time are often the first moments we reach for our phones.

But what if you didn’t?

Research suggests that when our minds are free to wander, they’re more likely to make creative connections and solve problems in the background. Some of your best ideas might come when you stop trying to fill every spare minute.

So here’s a challenge for you: This week, try to leave your phone in your pocket now and then. Let us know how you go! You might find that a little boredom is actually a good thing.

Routine Breakdown

Advita Patel, Communications and Confidence Strategist

The 4 Non-Negotiables of a Communications & Confidence Strategist

Advita Patel helps people perform at their best without burnout, making her daily routine a practical example of how intentional habits can help us start the day feeling calm and focused.

The Routine:

Starts the day slowly. “I read somewhere that the jolt of an alarm in the morning isn’t great for our nervous system. So I wake up naturally between 7.00 and 7.15 am, and I give myself a few quiet minutes to think about the day ahead.”
Moves her body to clear her head, not to “optimize” herself. “Movement is how I reset my energy and my mindset. Whether it’s a walk or a gym session, it helps me process ideas and let go of stress. I do it more for clarity rather than productivity, because I show up better when my head is clear.”
Chooses one intentional focus for the day. “I’m not a fan of long to-do lists, so instead I focus on three key things, which include one meaningful piece of work that moves things forward. That sense of intention and control over your time builds confidence far more than being busy or reactive to everything that comes your way.”
Creates space for reflection at the end of the day. “Before I finish work, I take a few minutes to reflect on what went well and what I learned. I started doing this when I launched my business because I was really hard on myself for not progressing as quickly as I thought I should. I realised that confidence grows when you notice progress, not just outcomes. This habit helps me stay grounded and compassionate with myself.”

Why it works:

Morning alarms have been found to raise blood pressure and waking heart rate. Aligning your sleep schedule with your natural rhythms is optimal if you can do it.
Exercise really does help your mind as much as your body.
A few well-crafted intentions are much more valuable than a full to-do list, as they keep us focused on what matters most.
Reflecting on your progress at the end of the day is a powerful way to learn, grow, and stay motivated.

Panda Planner makes these habits easy to put into practice, with sections for setting your daily focus and priorities, plus an end-of-day review to celebrate your wins. Give it a try and see how intentional planning can change the way you feel.

DJ Shipley

Wellness Tip:

Stack Your “Micro Wins”

Building better habits doesn’t have to mean dramatic changes like waking up at 5 am. Former Navy SEAL DJ Shipley believes lasting change comes from stacking small “micro wins” throughout the day.

A micro win is exactly what it sounds like: a simple action that moves you in the right direction. Drinking a glass of water when you wake up, stretching for five minutes, eating a protein-rich breakfast, crossing off one important task before checking social media…

On their own, these habits don’t seem life-changing. But together, they build momentum. Each small win makes the next one a little easier, and before you know it, you’ve had a productive day without relying on motivation alone!

A simple habit Shipley recommends is walking. “The average person can walk a mile in 20 minutes,” he says. “If you commit to walking once in the morning as soon as you get up and once after dinner, and do that for a week, it will change your life.”

So a challenge for this week: Before 10 am, try to collect three micro wins. Keep them simple and achievable. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s building momentum.

Routine Breakdown

DJ Shipley, Former Navy SEAL

The Routine a Navy SEAL Has Kept for Over 20 Years

“I’ve been on the same morning routine since 2004,” says DJ Shipley, a former Navy SEAL with 17 years of military service under his belt. Here’s his routine.

The Routine:

Wake up at the same time every day.
Train at the same time each day.
Eat mostly the same meals, centred around protein.
Complete a 20-minute walk in the morning.
Add extra walks throughout the day.
Use cold plunges as part of recovery.
Build ‘micro wins’ before 10am to create momentum.
Go to bed at a consistent time.
Structure the day around repeatable habits.
Adjust the routine around work schedules when needed.

Why it works:

Shipley’s whole approach comes down to consistency, not intensity. He sticks to the same healthy habits day after day, which means he’s not stuck negotiating with himself every morning — the good choices become automatic instead of hinging on willpower. It’s the small stuff, done repeatedly, that adds up: walking, eating well, going to bed and waking up around the same time. Those early “micro wins” create momentum, making it easier to stay on track for the rest of the day.

As DJ Shipley’s routine reminds us, the best routine isn’t the most extreme one—it’s the one you can repeat.

Sloane

Productivity Tip:

Nourish Yourself With Morning Rituals

If you’ve ever wondered why you struggle with an action-packed morning routine, try replacing it with an empowering ritual. Transformation expert Sloane, who works with high-performing women, says the traditional idea of a morning routine is designed by men, for men.

She says: “This structure can work really well for men, but for a lot of women, it’s exhausting and becomes yet another thing on the to-do list. Unless she does the routine perfectly, she starts the day already feeling like she hasn’t done enough.”

Instead, Sloane believes women perform at their best when they first focus on feeling good. “There’s a whole field of research on subjective well-being, on how feeling good actually drives how well we function and succeed.

“How do we feel good? An important part is feeling nourished, filled up, taken care of, coming from a place of overflow, and letting that overflow serve the things we want to do.”

According to Sloane, the key is flexibility. Your ritual might take three minutes or an hour depending on the day, but it should be intentional and include at least one element you return to every morning.

Read on below to learn more about her own morning ritual and how she manages her energy.

Routine Breakdown

Sloane, Women’s Neuropsychophysiology Expert

The Morning Ritual of a Women’s Neuropsychophysiology Expert

Sloane’s morning ritual always involves meditation and lighting a candle, but the other things she does vary, depending on her energy levels or where she is in her cycle.

The Routine:

Lights a candle.“For me, lighting a candle is the signal to my body and mind that says, ‘I’m starting this nourishing moment with myself. This time is just for me.’”
Meditates. “Meditation is almost always part of my ritual. It might be 10 minutes or 30 minutes, depending on how I’m feeling that morning and how much time I have available.”
Adapts her ritual to her personal rhythms. “In the beginning of my cycle, when I have my lowest energy, I might skip the candle, lie in bed and meditate, and then end the morning ritual by doing some loving self-talk with my hands on my cheeks, eyes closed, just saying things like ‘You’re an amazing woman that you’re doing this for yourself.’ Or I might notice something specific, like how I’ve been showing up with my daughter lately. In the middle of my cycle, when I have the most energy, I might get up, light the candle in my little meditation room, do the meditation sitting in my chair, exercise and journal.”
Other things she might include in her ritual are dancing, visioning how she wants the day to go, or even just petting her dog in bed. “The whole idea is to take what feels good for you and to actually use it as a time for nourishment, not a time that’s about checking off boxes.”

Why it works:

It’s flexible. The ritual changes with her energy levels, schedule, and where she is in her cycle, making it easier to stay consistent.
It prioritizes well-being over productivity. Instead of trying to achieve more before the day begins, the focus is on starting from a place of feeling calm, nourished, and cared for.
It uses simple cues. Small rituals, like lighting a candle or meditating, become consistent signals that it’s time to slow down and be intentional.

While Sloane’s approach is designed for women, there’s nothing to say men can’t also benefit from a morning ritual that prioritizes nourishment over simply getting more done. What do you find most nourishing in the morning?

David Beckham

Productivity Tip:

Don’t Forget to Celebrate Your Wins 🥳

Tasks keep piling up. Your to-do list is never-ending. And with so much still left to do, you forget to acknowledge what you’ve already done. But you should!

Research suggests that celebrating small wins boosts motivation and makes you more likely to keep going – even when the going gets tough.

An easy way to do this? Write down three wins at the end of the day. They don’t have to be huge. Answering an email you’ve been putting off, getting through a workout, staying calm when your kids (or boss) tested your patience for the hundredth time… It all counts!

If you use a Panda Planner, this is exactly what the Today’s Wins section is for. Spending just a minute reflecting on what went well helps turn celebrating your progress into a habit, keeping you motivated and making it easier to tackle tomorrow’s to-do list.What’s one small win you’ve already had today?

Routine Breakdown

David Beckham, Soccer Legend

The Daily Habits That Keep David Beckham Fit at 51

Soccer fever is in the air thanks to the World Cup, so let’s take a look at the routine of one of the sport’s biggest legends. At 51, David Beckham still relies on a handful of simple daily habits to maintain his fitness and vitality.

The Routine:

Gets 8-9 hours of sleep, then starts his routine at around 6 am, no matter where he is.
Drinks coffee or matcha tea.
Takes his dogs for a walk.
Eats a simple breakfast, like oatmeal or toast, then takes his daughter to school.
Does strength training in his home gym, focusing on exercises like dumbbell bench press, lower abdominal work, and battle rope intervals.
Gets on with the rest of his work and daily commitments.

Why it works:

Beckham’s routine prioritizes sleep and a consistent wake-up time. Getting enough sleep supports recovery, while waking at roughly the same time each day helps reinforce your body’s natural circadian rhythm.
A morning walk is a gentle way to wake up the body, increase daily movement, and ease into the day.
Strength training becomes more important as you age. Beckham has shifted from the cardio-heavy training of his playing career to prioritizing resistance training, which helps preserve muscle mass and supports everyday function.

Beckham’s routine is designed to be adapted, not copied. Try taking the underlying principles of consistency, progressive challenge, and sustainability, and tailoring them to your own fitness level and lifestyle. That’s what makes a routine effective over the long term.