A Day in the [Herg] Life

I get a lot of questions about what my schedule looks like, so this week I’m going to break it all down for you.

I have developed a very specific rhythm to my days and it’s going to seem like I’ve got this whole scheduling stuff down. And for the most part I do. But it does not come naturally and it hasn’t always been this way. Not too many years ago I cursed mornings, stayed up late, and got pissed when I had something scheduled in my calendar. I felt like my time was being robbed and someone else was controlling my life. Sound familiar?

It took many many months of discipline to realize that my time was not being stolen. If I was strategic and purposeful about what I was doing, I was actually investing my time. I was not spending my time in meetings, I was investing minutes with my leadership team in order to provide big returns for my organization. That was one big mindset shift for me! I still struggle a bit when I look at my calendar and see most of my time blocked off, but I know it is what I must do in order to lead the life I desire.

Leave a comment if you have more specific questions, I’m always happy to share!

DAILY

4:18am – Wake up and immediately drink a glass of water with wheatgrass and go outside for a few deep breaths of fresh air (yes, even when it’s -10 and snowing or when it’s humid and 95. The point is to shock the system and move quickly into a different state.)

5:00am – Meditate for 20 minutes (I practice Transcendental Meditation)

5:30am – Journal I have several different journals I write in each day while drinking a cup of black coffee. I use Evernote to journal. I’ll do a separate post just on journaling at some point, but here are the basics:

Life Journal – This is a stream of consciousness where I write about my life, my thoughts, my challenges, my successes, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Gratitude Journal – I write everything I am grateful for, usually 70-100 things that come to mind. I just keep it flowing.
Gratitude Journal for my Wife – Every day I write something different about her that I am grateful for.
Journal for my Kids – Each child (I have a girl, a boy, and another on the way!) has a separate journal and I write something about each of them – something new they learned, a milestone, a moment we shared, etc.

6:00am – Emails I quickly check emails and set the course for the day for my company. I usually shoot off a few emails touching base with my leadership team and share any ideas or items that need action.

6:15am – Affirmations & Goal Setting I review my future self (email hallie@adamhergenrother.com for a blank copy and instructions so you can create your own), 411, personal financial statement, and say my affirmations.

6:30am – Family Time This includes making breakfast for myself and the kids every morning. Here’s a typical breakfast for me (and the kids just have a smaller portion):

6 scrambled eggs (2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites)
1 cup of steel cut oatmeal with fresh fruit and a drizzle of 100% pure Vermont maple syrup

8:00am – 11:30am – Focused Work and Meetings (see Weekly Schedule below for more details)

11:30am – 2:00pm – Gym, lunch, meditate for 20 minutes

2:00pm – 4:30pm – Focused Work and Meetings

5:00pm – 8:00pm – Outdoor Activities and/or Family Time

8:00pm – Emails

8:15pm – Read I always have a book going on Audible for drive time, usually another book at home, as well as several magazines including Men’s Health, Outside, Inc., Forbes, and Fast Company. Check out www.goodreads.com/adamhergenrother to see what’s on my bookshelf now.

9:00pm/9:30pm – Bed

WEEKLY

Mondays – Goal setting and accountability meetings with key team members, coaching calls

Tuesdays – Goal setting and accountability meetings with key team members, coaching calls, Hergenrother Realty Group company meeting

Wednesdays – Coaching call, BlackRock company meeting, meetings with business & educational leaders, exploring new business opportunities, interviews, writing time

Thursdays – Coaching, meetings with business & educational leaders, exploring new business opportunities, interviews

Fridays – NO SET SCHEDULE. I often use this day for misc. meetings that MUST happen that week (particularly if I’m traveling the following week), time with my wife, hiking, snowboarding, mountain biking, yoga, etc. I usually check the forecast a few days ahead and if it’s going to be nice out, I may work in-office a few hours, then take the rest of the afternoon “off.” A big misconception though is that when business leaders or entrepreneurs are “off” then they are not working. Completely not the case. That’s when I do some of my best work! What I’m doing is disconnecting from the daily minutia in order to come at challenges from a different angle, come up with new ideas, and gain clarity in order to be a better leader and to better serve my company and staff.

Saturdays/Sundays – Same morning personal development time, meditation, family time, outdoor activities, reading

MONTHLY/YEARLY

Throughout the month I have several other commitments – usually involving teaching or learning. I teach a class at my real estate office once a month and every few months I’m asked to be a guest speaker at a local college or organization. Several times throughout the year I also travel (yup – same personal development morning schedule) around the country to teach classes on how to recruit, hire, train, lead and motivate talent or to teach inspirational mindset and business classes. Almost once a month I’m at a training event or masterminding with top business leaders somewhere in the country.

I am also very purposeful about scheduling my vacations which can range from a long weekend at a resort with my wife or whale watching with the kids, to week-long hunting trips, to tropical family vacations, to a yearly adventure trip with the guys.

My days, weeks, and months are so purposeful because I want to experience as much as possible, I want my businesses to thrive, and I want to grow spiritually every day and every year.