February 19, 2026 @ 11:29 AM
From the desk of Carmen Ohling —
February is almost over.
Your vision is clear.
Your goals are set.
Your plans are in motion.
But here’s the question most leaders don’t stop long enough to ask:
Where are your energy, enthusiasm, and focus day after day?
Because February is when real leadership shows up.
Not in your strategic plan.
Not in your annual offsite.
Real leadership is formed in your daily rhythms.
Steal My Homework (Seriously)
Today, I’m inviting you to steal my homework from the last decade.
This is the difference between being busy like everyone else and being a high performer who actually enjoys their life while leading at a high level.
The methodology I use is called “Done by 1.”
It ensures my top priorities, the work that actually moves the needle, are completed by 1:00 PM each day on a normal office workday in Miami Beach.
Not hustled through.
Not squeezed in between meetings.
Done with clarity, presence, and energy.
So let me ask you this:
How will you maintain and model energy and enthusiasm going forward for yourself, your team, your family, and your community?
Whether you realize it or not, people are watching how you live.
START HERE: Non-Negotiable Daily Rhythms
This is the foundation of everything.
If you don’t have consistent daily rhythms, you aren’t leading your life, you’re reacting to it.
You’re reacting to:
- Other people’s priorities
- Other people’s urgency
- Other people’s expectations
And over time, that erodes clarity, energy, and confidence.
Let me make this very clear:
High performers don’t wait for motivation. They build a daily structure that creates momentum.
My Calendar Tells the Truth
Let’s look at my daily rhythms, outlined directly on my calendar.
Yes, I schedule everything.
Yes, it’s color-coded.
- Yellow = Personal rhythms
- Blue = Peak performance rhythms
- Green = 20% priority work rhythms
This isn’t rigidity.
This is freedom by design.
And what follows is where you get to steal a decade of homework on what actually works to build a life and career you wake up excited to experience with energy and enthusiasm.
5:30 AM — Wake Up (Because of the Night Before)
Waking up early is not willpower.
It’s preparation.
My mornings only work because of what I do the night before, using the 3–2–1 Method:
3 hours before bed
➡ Stop eating large meals & alcohol
This allows digestion to settle so the body can focus on recovery.
2 hours before bed
➡ Stop working (emails, intense conversations, problem-solving)
This signals the nervous system to shift out of performance mode.
1 hour before bed
➡ No screens (phone, TV, laptop)
This reduces blue light and mental stimulation so melatonin can do its job.
Protect the night, and the morning takes care of itself.
Morning Rituals (No Negotiation)
Every morning, I do this — religiously:
- Drink 20 oz of water with sea salt, lemon juice, 5g creatine, and liquid chlorophyll
- Brush and floss my teeth
- Splash cold water on my face and apply coconut oil to my body
- Gua sha legs, stomach, neck, and face (lymph drainage focus)
- Refill my bottle with water + lemon electrolytes from Ultima Replenisher
- Make organic coffee from Purity in our French press with raw milk from Hubbard’s Cupboard
- Sit on the balcony with my husband to read scripture, journal, pray, meditate, talk, and reflect while having coffee
This is the highlight of my day.
It sets the theme.
It sets the tone.
It sets the intention.
7:00 AM — God Walk
I walk for 20–30 minutes wherever I feel most called.
I listen.
I observe.
I experience the beauty of being outside.
Some of my most strategic business ideas and most important life clarity come during this time. Stillness in my mind creates insight.
7:30 AM — Training the Body I Lead From
My training has three priorities:
- Build strength
- Build athleticism
- Rehab imbalance with physical therapy (left glute/hamstring/hip)
Weekly split:
- Monday: Lower body, PT, 1-mile run
- Tuesday: Upper body, PT, Stairmaster 20 min
- Wednesday: Lower body, PT, 10-min HIIT/sprints
- Thursday: Upper body, PT, 1-mile run
- Friday: Lower body, PT, 1-mile run
- Saturday: Active rest, yoga/stretching, sauna, red-light therapy
- Sunday: Active rest, long adventure walks with Joal
A few honest notes:
- I greatly dislike running, but I do it because it builds athleticism.
- This has been a huge increase for me over the last 1.5 months. For over a year, I trained only 3x/week. Prayers for my 45-year-old body are welcome.
- Recovery matters as much as training: nightly mobility, sauna 3–5x/week, hot tub once or twice weekly.
- Most days, my brain tries to talk me out of one piece of this. I don’t listen. I overcome it.
Leadership requires overcoming yourself first.
9:00 AM — Breakfast (Fueling Performance)
This is my biggest meal of the day.
I train with only a small amount of protein and raw milk in my coffee, so breakfast must include both carbs and protein.
Example meal:
- 50g oatmeal cooked with 2 egg whites, topped with diced strawberries and 1 TB peanut butter
- Protein shake: beef protein isolate, avocado, cucumber, chia seeds, water, ice, cinnamon, raw organic honey
Approximate nutrition (including coffee protein):
50g protein | 50g carbs | 20g fat
9:30 AM — Get Ready (Even If No One’s Watching)
I put myself together even when I have no external meetings.
Why?
Because I stay aligned with the energy and enthusiasm of our goals at The Amplified Life Company. And because leadership is presence. You never know who you’ll meet or what opportunity will appear.
Stay ready.
10:30 AM — My 20% (The Work Only I Can Do)
This is reverse-engineered from our BHAG.
We track KPIs and monthly OKRs, which guide my 20% tasks. The work that only I can do, within my zone of genius, that significantly moves the needle.
Every Sunday, I review my calendar and plan this work. No more than 3 20% tasks each day, no less than 1.
It’s completed by 1:00 PM each day.
That’s the “Done by 1” methodology.
Today’s Homework Notes
I simplify my days by focusing only on what’s in front of me.
I accomplish more than most, not because I’m superhuman, but because I don’t allow distractions, and I don’t touch email or busywork until my 20% is complete.
(And let me be honest, it takes constant reframing. Our own brains are often the biggest distraction. Including mine.)
Most leadership breakdowns don’t happen in big moments. They happen when leaders lack standards and the daily rhythms to support them.
When personal and professional habits are easy to practice, performance follows.
The Question That Matters Most
What are you personally modeling every day that others are copying, whether you intend it or not?
Because the fastest way to elevate leadership for yourself and others
is to raise the standard, become the standard, and lift others to new standards.
Goals < Standards < Daily Rhythms = Success and Fulfillment
Ready to Build This for Yourself?
I received an email recently from one of my favorite CEO clients we worked with last year. We focused heavily on his daily rhythms. Here’s what he said:
“The work we did last year prepared me to build exactly the year I want in 2026. I have a level of clarity about my work and life I’ve never had before.”
If you want to experience that level of clarity, energy, and focus, you can book time with me directly HERE.