Start With Centered: The Habit That Grounds Me Before Big Moments

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Some mornings hit different. You wake up already in motion—mind racing, inbox calling, day stacked wall to wall. That was me a few weeks ago. I was speaking at a conference later that morning.

New city. Full schedule. Brain already halfway into the talk. The temptation was real:

• Skip the routine.
• Open the laptop.
• Grind.

But I’ve learned this the hard way: If you start your day reactive, it stays reactive.

And you burn out faster than you think. So I stuck to what works. Breakfast with Angie (a simple game of cards offers a non-negotiable moment of connection and mental break).

• A workout.
• Time to read, learn, reset.
• And a long walk through the city to clear my head.

That walk reset me.

Way more than revisiting the deck one more time. That sunrise?

I’d have missed it if I’d jumped straight into “doing.” Instead, I stepped into the day centered, focused, and ready to lead—not just present.

This applies not just to big speaking engagements, but to any demanding day or significant moment. It’s easy to drop your habits when you’re on the road, presenting, or juggling everything.

But that’s when you need them the most.

The routine is what keeps you sharp.

Grounded.

Clear.

Work can wait.

Your mindset can’t.

If you're looking for practical strategies to carve out more of this essential "reset" time in your busy schedule, you might find some helpful insights in my post  Take Back Your Time: How One Whiteboard Changed My Business .

By Travis Janko, CEO of GSD Coach & Recruiting, helping SaaS founders build the top 5% of talent, FAST!