The Productivity Hack that Unlocks 10x Focus (Without Waking Up at 5AM)

⏳ Read Time: Less than 4 min.

I’m super excited to welcome you back to another edition of The Winning Edge. Together, we’re building sharper minds, stronger voices, and a serious edge in the moments that matter most.

Let’s talk productivity. Not the boring “time-block your calendar” stuff. This week, we’re diving into a weird but powerful method that high performers use to unlock deep focus and actually want to work. Plus, quick wins to boost your output, sharpen your edge, and reclaim your attention from digital chaos.
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This Week’s Insights

✅ The "Productivity Trigger" That Hacks You Into Flow State
✅ The Energy Audit That Beats To-Do Lists
✅ The Myth of Motivation (and What Works Instead)
✅ AI Tool of the Week – The assistant that thinks with you
✅ Productivity + Presence – Why you can’t fake focus in a leadership role

THE MAIN EVENT
🎤 The Productivity Trigger That Hacks You Into Flow State

Forget morning routines. What matters more? Activation energy. It’s the tiny, repeatable action that flips your brain into go-mode.

🎯 The Hack: Create a “Focus Trigger Ritual”
High performers often pair a neutral stimulus (like music, scent, or a physical movement) with deep work. Over time, it conditions the brain to drop straight into flow.

🔁 Example:

• Same playlist.

• Same location.

• Same 10-minute ritual: Tea → Deep breath → Open blank doc. Do it consistently and your brain starts to associate this sequence with high-focus productivity. No motivation required.

Bonus: It works even if you don’t feel like working. That’s the point.

QUICK HITTERS: Fast Wins for the Week

💡 Tip of the Week: Skip the to-do list. Use a done list instead. It builds momentum and shows you what’s actually moving the needle.

📊 Stat of the Week: People who use focus triggers and time-bound sprints are 37% more likely to report completing high-impact work daily. (Source: Harvard Business Review)

🎭 Power Move: In meetings, speak last when leading. It makes your words more intentional, and your team will listen harder. Silence earns weight.

📖 Recommended Read: “Deep Work” by Cal Newport. Practical science behind focus in a noisy world. Pair it with this week’s ritual technique for serious results.

WEEKLY DEEP DIVE
Energy is the New Time Management

Everyone talks about managing time. But what separates top performers?
They manage energy.

Here’s how to do it in 3 steps:

1️⃣ Audit Your Day by Energy, Not Time
Look at your calendar and ask: What drains me? What charges me? Color-code accordingly.

2️⃣ Protect Your Peak Zones
Guard your highest-energy time slot like a VIP guest. Do the most important work then. No meetings. No calls.

3️⃣ Decide Once
Decision fatigue is real. Pre-decide everything possible—clothes, lunch, workout, app stack. Less mental clutter = more output.

💡 Power Rule: What’s scheduled gets done. But what’s protected gets mastered.

AI TIP OF THE WEEK

📌 Tool: Use Motion (www.usemotion.com) – This AI calendar tool auto-builds your day around your tasks, deadlines, and priorities. It re-organizes your day in real time and thinks like a chief of staff. Perfect for creators, founders, or execs with shifting priorities.

WINNING WITH AI: The Future of Sales Proposals and Presentations

AI isn’t just for tech geeks or big corporations—it’s transforming how we sell, present, and communicate. The best sales teams are already using AI to:
✅ Generate compelling, tailored proposals in minutes (not hours).
✅ Turn data into engaging, visual stories that capture attention.
✅ Automate tedious tasks so they can focus on closing deals instead.

This isn’t the future—it’s happening right now.

Get your copy of my ebook here!

ACTION STEPS & COMMUNITY QUESTION

This week, try building your own Focus Trigger Ritual. Simple. Repeatable. No friction.

Then ask yourself:

What tiny thing could I do daily to condition my brain for game time?

Have a ritual that works for you already? Hit reply—I’d love to share it in a future edition.

P.S.
Next week’s edition breaks down Executive Presence—what it actually is (beyond a firm handshake) and how to radiate authority in high-stakes moments.

Your presence doesn’t lie—and next week, we’ll help you master it.

Keep building your edge—one conversation at a time.

YOUR OPINION MATTERS!

If you have more feedback or just want to get in touch, respond to this email, and we’ll get back to you!

Thanks for reading!

Until next week!

Mary Beth