In this episode of the Nico Misleh Podcast, Nico lays out a candid, practical look at how he organizes his days, balances clinical work with education, and protects time for family and rest. He is honest about imperfections, but he shares the systems he uses to win small battles every day. Below is a clear breakdown of Nico’s typical day, plus the mindset and habit strategies he leans on to keep energy and focus high.
Overview: Two Kinds of Days
Nico distinguishes between clinic days and HRT University days. Both start the same way and follow a similar rhythm, but each has different demands. Clinic days focus on patient care and telehealth visits. HRT University days focus on content creation, meetings, and building educational programs. Family time, meals, and evening routines remain central across both.
Morning Routine
Nico wakes naturally between 4 and 5 a.m. He explains that early rising is not about virtue but about aligning work with his most productive hours. He does not rely on alarms. The first things he avoids are email and social media. Instead, he sits with his thoughts, prays briefly, and writes his daily email. Those emails are fresh, unplanned, and written in the moment. He aims to finish the daily message in about 30 minutes.
Breakfast follows. He eats before drinking coffee to blunt the cortisol and adrenaline response that caffeine can cause when consumed on an empty stomach. Coffee is a ritual and not just a stimulant. He prefers espresso and steamed milk now, but emphasizes that how coffee is consumed matters physiologically and practically.
Clinic Days
On clinic days, Nico typically sees patients one or two days a week. Visits are mostly virtual, which freed him from long commutes and created time to focus on education. He usually starts patient visits at 9 a.m. and schedules only a handful of patients so he can spend meaningful time with each person. Between visits, he answers urgent emails, refills, and checks messages. He tries to complete the most critical work before noon and blocks out a full hour for lunch every day to recharge.
Another priority on clinic days is connection. Nico calls teammates, his receptionist, and contractors to check in, not only about work but about how people are doing. Those conversations refill his cup and reinforce the team culture he values.
HRT University Days
When focused on HRT University content, Nico keeps the same early start and the same morning email habit. Heavy cognitive tasks like recording podcasts, making videos, and creating courses are scheduled early when his brain is sharp. Meetings and networking calls are often placed later in the day. He prefers a predictable split: do the heavy solo creative work early and the collaborative conversations later.
Afternoon and Evening Routine
Lunch is non-negotiable. Nico blocks noon to 1 p.m. every day. He often cooks dinner and prioritizes healthy meals at home. He and his wife prioritize family time and the children’s routines closely.
The household follows an early evening schedule. Dinner is typically at 5 p.m. The family spends time outdoors, reading, or doing simple activities. Bedtime is structured. The children sleep with audio story players rather than screens. That quiet hour after the kids are down is reserved for deliberate connection between Nico and his wife. They use that time to read, to watch shows together, or to simply talk.
Lights out is targeted between 9 30 and 10 p.m. The bedroom is optimized for sleep with blackout curtains, red nightlights where needed, and a white noise machine. The goal is a dark, quiet environment that supports consistent rest.
Key Habits and Tools
- Reminders: Nico uses phone reminders for supplements, medications, and important daily tasks. The reminders show up until he completes them, reducing mental load.
- Asana: Task management helps him triage and visualize daily priorities across multiple businesses.
- Meal and snack control: No junk food at home. Nico removes temptations so willpower is not the only defense.
- Simplified wardrobe: Neutral, interchangeable clothing choices cut decision fatigue in the morning.
- Limited social media: Nico avoids frequent social media use because it is a proven time and mental energy sink for him.
Mindset: Thoughts Create Reality
Nico stresses the power of internal dialogue. Instead of self-criticism, he recommends framing failures as temporary and solvable. He ties the idea of emotional reinforcement to habit formation. If waking up early is associated with pride and a small win, the brain will favor repeating the behavior. If waking early is met with negative self-talk, the brain builds a narrative of failure.
He also recommends limiting daily decisions, creating wins through environment design, and front-loading hard work early in the day. He suggests reading Beyond Positive Thinking for a deeper dive on connecting emotion and behavior with performance.
Practical Tips To Try This Week
- Block a non-negotiable lunch hour for the whole week.
- Set one phone reminder per day for an important habit like vitamins or exercise.
- Remove one temptation from the home environment.
- Schedule one heavy cognitive task for the first 90 minutes after your best wake time.
- Create a short family evening ritual that reserves at least 20 minutes of uninterrupted time for your partner each night.
FAQ
Q: How early does Nico wake up and why?
A: He wakes naturally between 4 and 5 a.m. because that is his most productive time. He uses it for a short prayer, writing his daily email, and getting heavy work done before the household wakes.
Q: Does he recommend everyone wake up at 4 a.m?
A: No. He recommends aligning work with your natural rhythm. If you are a night owl, schedule deep work in the evening. The point is to create easy wins by designing your environment to match your natural strengths.
Q: How does he handle social media?
A: He limits social media because it pulls mental energy and time. He engages when necessary for community or business but avoids doom scrolling and homepage traps.
Q: What tools help with his daily routine?
A: Phone reminders, Asana for tasks, a disciplined lunch block, a simple wardrobe, and a sleep-optimized bedroom are the main tools he uses to reduce decision fatigue and maintain energy.
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