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!

Accountability Without Drama

By Cathie Leimbach • March 3, 2026
Accountability doesn’t have to feel tense or awkward. When done well, it’s calm, clear, and supportive. Most leaders avoid it because they don’t want conflict. But avoiding it creates something worse — inconsistency, frustration, and missed results. Strong accountability is simple: What was expected? What actually happened? What needs to happen next? When leaders address issues early and clearly, drama fades. People know where they stand. Follow through improves. Common mistakes: Waiting too long Being inconsistent Attacking the person’s character These patterns can change. With the right habits, accountability becomes predictable instead of stressful — and work gets better fast. 👉Download our Accountability Without Drama Checklist to practice these conversations with confidence.

Communication Gaps

By Cathie Leimbach • February 24, 2026
Most communication problems don’t happen because people aren’t listening. They happen because leaders assume clarity instead of checking for it. “I think they get it” isn’t the same as “they really do.” When people don’t clearly understand what’s expected of them, they make their own assumptions to fill in the gaps. That’s when rework, missed deadlines, and frustration show up. Strong leaders ask better questions: What do you see as the top priority? What does success look like to you? What could get in the way? These don’t slow work down — they prevent costly resets later. Try a simple weekly habit: Think about one key conversation. What did I mean? What did they hear? Where was the gap? Small awareness leads to big gains. 👉 You’re invited to a Leadership Conversation with other leaders to discuss common leadership gaps and how they quietly influence results.