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Welcome to The HayZ Minute — your weekly reset for habits, mindset, and motivation. Today, I’m taking you back to my Navy days to share how I learned to win the day before 8 a.m.

In the Navy, mornings weren’t casual. They were structured, sharp, and non-negotiable. Reveille hit, and within minutes, the pace of the day was already set. By 8 a.m., inspections were done, tasks were moving, and momentum was established. If you weren’t locked in by then, the rest of the day turned into a scramble to catch up —and you rarely did.

That environment burned a lesson into me that I’ve carried long after hanging up the dress whites. Momentum in the morning creates momentum for the entire day.  

When you stack a few intentional wins early, you build confidence, energy, and clarity that carry through challenges.

Of course, most of us aren’t in barracks anymore or sleeping in ship’s berth.  We’re juggling kids, meetings, emails, or a crowded commute—but the principle still works. You don’t need a bugle or a drill instructor —you just need a few small wins you control.

That’s where the 3-Before-8 Rule comes into focus.  It’s simple, but it shifts everything:

Framework: The 3-Before-10 Rule
1) Make your bed. It’s not about neatness. It’s about starting with completion. One small task finished snowballs into the next.

2) Hydrate & move. Your body is an engine. A glass of water and a stretch or short walk wakes you up better than another scroll through your phone. 

3) Write down one priority. Out of everything waiting for you, choose the single task that matters most. Put it on paper. Lock it in.

That’s it. Three wins before 8 a.m. Small enough to do every day, strong enough to change the trajectory of your day. I’ve used this framework as a Navy man, as a pharmaceutical sales territory manager, a DJ prepping for events, and as a healthcare leader managing staff in multiple facilities. The settings are different, but the principle hasn’t failed me yet.

Weekly quote- “Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it.” — Richard Whately

Win the morning, win the day — HayZ

You’ll receive a new HayZ Minute every week — a simple, meaningful insightto help you reset, refocus, and move forward.Miss a week? Catch up anytime at HayZMinute.com.

👉 Call to Action: Reply and tell me — what’s the first win you lock in each morning? 

 If today’s message lifted you up, forward it to someone who might need a little encouragement too.