Maximize Your Day: Start the Night Before

Cathie Leimbach • October 21, 2025

Want to boost your performance? According to James Hewitt, author of Regenerative Performance, a truly high-performance day doesn't begin when your alarm goes off—it starts the night before.


Hewitt shows that rest isn't a reward you earn after a busy day; it's a vital part of your work strategy. Think of sleep as a required meeting for your brain and body to repair and prepare. Without proper rest, you can't show up as your best self, and the consequences are serious.


Here’s a startling fact from research: Staying awake for 17 to 19 hours straight can impair your performance as much as having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05%. While the legal limit for driving in the U.S. is 0.08% BAC, many countries consider 0.05% to be legally impaired. After 24 hours of wakefulness, impairment is similar to having a 0.10% BAC, which is well over the legal limit. This level of fatigue slows your reaction time by up to 50%!


To avoid this dangerous drop in performance, Hewitt offers a few top tips for better sleep:

  • Create a Buffer: Spend the hour before bed winding down. Avoid work, stressful news, and intense exercise.
  • Manage Your Light: Dim the lights and stop using electronic screens about 30 minutes before sleep.
  • Be Consistent: Go to bed and wake up around the same time every day.


By making sleep a priority, you're not just resting; you're actively preparing for success with a sharp, clear, and high-performing mind.


View Maximize Your Day to see exactly how fatigue affects your performance!

Boost Your Focus with Cognitive Gears

By Cathie Leimbach • October 14, 2025
In his book, Regenerative Performance, author James Hewitt suggests thinking about your brainpower using the idea of cognitive gears. This simple idea can help you manage your energy and get more done without burning out. Just like a car, your mind has different gears: high, middle, and low. Learning to switch between them is key to working smarter. Understanding the Gears The high gear is for your toughest, most important work—the stuff that needs all your focus, like solving a hard problem or writing a detailed report. Use this gear when you have lots of energy and can block out all distractions. It's powerful, but you can’t stay in it for long; it drains your energy quickly.  The middle gear is your everyday speed. Think of it as "autopilot" for tasks that need less intense focus, such as checking emails, attending routine meetings, or working on familiar projects. You can stay in this gear for longer stretches, and it's where most of your day-to-day work happens. The low gear is for recovery and maintenance. This isn't about working at all! It's about taking breaks, moving your body, and doing activities that let your mind rest, like going for a walk or chatting with a co-worker. Using the low gear helps you recharge so you can shift back into middle or high gear when you need to. Drive Your Day Smarter The secret to regenerative performance is to be mindful of which gear you're in. Don’t try to do high-gear work all day. Schedule short, focused bursts in high gear, then shift to middle gear for less demanding tasks, and always make time for the low gear breaks. By consciously managing your cognitive gears, you'll improve your focus and keep your performance high without running out of gas. Want a quick visual reminder? Check out Cognitive Gears , summarizing these gears!

Better Leadership Starts with Belief

By Cathie Leimbach • October 7, 2025
Great leaders don’t just manage tasks—they build people up. Christine Caine’s leadership advice reminds us that believing in others is one of the most powerful things we can do. When leaders believe in people, they help unlock potential that might otherwise stay hidden. It’s not about perfection—it’s about possibility. Believing the best of others means choosing trust over suspicion. Instead of assuming someone will fail, assume they’ll rise. This mindset creates a culture of encouragement, not fear. People work harder when they know their leader sees their strengths and believes they can grow. Leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about helping others shine. That starts with listening, showing respect, and giving people room to learn. Mistakes will happen—but leaders who believe in their team use those moments to teach, not tear down. Christine Caine’s approach is simple but powerful: speak life, not doubt. Expect excellence, but lead with grace. When leaders believe in people and believe the best of them, they build teams that are confident, creative, and committed. In the end, leadership is less about control and more about trust. And trust begins with belief in people. Want a quick visual summary? Check out Better Leadership Starts with Belief , for a clear, inspiring breakdown you can share with your team.