Who else wants a 7-point optimization stack that induces change you can FEEL... fast?
One of my key shifts toward optimization was this epiphany:
Energy problems are rarely theological.
Focus problems are rarely motivational.
Decision fatigue is almost always mechanical.
And no, the solution is not another podcast listened to at 1.5x speed while driving to a meeting that should have been an email.
This stack works because it fixes the order of operations.
Energy first.
Attention second.
Decisions last.
No apps.
No monk-level willpower.
No personality transplant.
Just leverage.
These seven "levers" deliver bigly... and quickly (if you'll do them).
1. The 30-Minute Daily Walk (Low Drama, High ROI)
This is the keystone habit almost no one wants… and everyone needs.
A daily walk:
- Improves blood sugar regulation
- Lowers cortisol
- Increases creativity and sermon clarity
- Speeds recovery
- Requires zero equipment and zero hype
This is neurological hygiene, bro.
Ain't bad for the soul, either.
Think of it as taking your brain outside so it stops chewing on the furniture.
If you only did this one thing for the next two weeks, you’d feel noticeably different.
Not “new man” different—but “why am I calmer and thinking clearer?” different.
Bonus:
Most problems are easier to solve when you’re walking instead of sitting in a chair arguing with your own thoughts.
2. Protein-First Mornings (Before Chaos Wins)
Most pastors start their day with:
- Coffee
- Sugar
- Inbox triage
- Vibes
Then they wonder why they crash at 10:47 a.m. like someone pulled the plug.
Protein-first mornings stabilize:
- Energy
- Appetite
- Focus
- Mood
This doesn’t require a perfect diet.
It requires sequence.
Eat protein first.
Carbs later (if at all).
Let your brain boot up before your inbox hijacks the system.
Coffee-only mornings feel spiritual…
Until your soul leaves your body mid-meeting and you start Googling “healthy snacks” like it’s an emergency.
3. Phone Curfew at Night (Because Sleep Is Not Optional)
Late-night scrolling is borrowed energy with compounding interest.
A phone curfew:
- Improves sleep quality within days
- Restores morning alertness
- Reduces low-grade anxiety you thought was just “leadership pressure”
What you think is spiritual oppression might be a melatonin problem.
If your phone sleeps in your bedroom, your nervous system doesn’t.
And if your last conscious thought at night is reading church Facebook comments, your brain is entering REM sleep already stressed.
Charge the phone somewhere else.
Read something boring (preferably not "news").
Wake up less annoyed at everyone.
4. The Single Capture Inbox (Stop Running Background Apps in Your Brain)
Your brain is not a storage unit.
It’s a processor.
Every open loop steals attention.
A single capture inbox gives you:
- One place for ideas
- One place for tasks
- One place for sermon sparks
Not five apps.
Not sticky notes.
Not “I’ll remember this later” (you won’t).
If your current system relies on memory alone, congratulations...
You’re outsourcing cognitive load to a tired brain running on caffeine and good intentions.
Mental clarity improves fast when your mind stops acting like a Post-it factory.
5. The 30-Day Keto Reset (Short-Term Reset, Long-Term Insight)
This is not a lifestyle pitch.
It’s a reset.
It's a lever for healing what you're diet has been eroding.
Thirty days without processed carbs:
- Reduces inflammation
- Clears brain fog
- Stabilizes energy
- Exposes how food is actually affecting you
Most people don’t realize how bad they feel until they don’t.
The first week may include:
- Mild crankiness
- Sudden confidence in opinions
- A brief belief that everyone else is wrong
This passes.
After 30 days, you decide what stays.
You don’t drift... you choose.
6. The Nap Hack (Caffeine + 15–20 Minutes)
This one feels illegal the first time you try it.
It's a hack that punches the afternoon slump in the mouth.
And makes your afternoon regain a freshness akin to morning.
Goes like this...
Drink a little coffee.
Immediately nap for 15–20 minutes.
You wake up sharper.
Not groggy.
Not wired.
Just… online.
Why it works:
- Caffeine hasn’t kicked in yet
- The nap clears adenosine
- You wake up with a neurological tailwind
This is how you reclaim afternoons without wrecking your sleep or mainlining energy drinks like a college freshman.
This was not taught in seminary.
Neither was email, metabolism, or inbox management.
7. Optimization by Subtraction (Remove Before You Add)
This is the rule everything else hangs on.
Most optimization fails because people add habits on top of broken systems.
Instead:
- Remove one drain
- Reduce one friction point
- Eliminate one unnecessary decision
Examples:
- Simplify meals
- Standardize workouts
- Lower wardrobe choices
- Clean up your workspace
- Say no faster and explain less
Relief usually comes from less, not more.
Most breakthroughs don’t happen when you finally “get disciplined.”
They happen when you admit, “This thing is exhausting me, and I’m done pretending it’s fine.”
The Stack in One Sentence
When you fix energy, attention follows.
When attention stabilizes, decisions get easier.
When decisions get easier, consistency stops feeling heroic.
No motivation speeches required.
Start with one.
Stack the rest.
Let the system do the heavy lifting.
And you'll discover...
Optimization gets easier when your nervous system isn’t in hostage negotiations.
More Resources To Help You Optimize
💊 My (Scott's) full supplement regimen