Living a well-balanced life can be challenging, especially when you have lots of passions, side projects, and responsibilities demanding your energy. As part of NoDoz’s After Hours series, we sat down with Joe DeFranco — a world-renowned strength and conditioning coach — to talk about productivity and motivation.

Tell us about a normal day for you — what do you put your time into?

I love my current schedule because there are no “normal” days, so I never get bored. That being said, there are usually a few key routines I rely on. One of those is doing everything in my power to get home and spend a few hours of quality time with my kids before putting them to bed. Another is dedicating at least an hour a day to addressing my current and past medical issues. I do a variety of exercises to stay healthy and provide my clients with the high level of service expected of me.

Most of my days are spent either training clients or creating content for my followers. Yesterday, I commuted two hours to Connecticut to train WWE clients, Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Stephanie McMahon, at their home gym. I also train clients at my private gym in East Rutherford, NJ (I’m currently preparing UFC fighter Mickey Gall for his next fight). Once my family is asleep, I usually log back online to do everything from recording a podcast to writing client programs to a Facebook Live “Power Hour” Q&A.

How do you find the energy and focus to stay motivated when you’ve got a lot on your plate?

I truly love my work. My career and my favorite hobby are one and the same. When you live your passion, work rarely feels like actual work.  

Has your definition of getting the most out of your day changed as you’ve gained more experience? If yes, how so?

I used to confuse being busy with being productive. Now that I’m older and wiser, I realize that working 16 hours a day isn’t a badge of honor - especially if I’m not making progress toward my goals. While I still work long days, I’m more focused on working smarter. Now, “getting the most out my day” doesn’t only entail being productive at work, but it also means taking care of myself and making it home in time to be with my kids before putting them to bed.

What advice do you have for someone looking to start something big — whether it’s a new workout regimen or a new side hustle?

First of all, your goal must be specific and measurable! The more specific the goal, the better chance you have to accomplish it. For example, if someone told me that their goal was to “lose weight,” I would not accept that as an answer. Instead, I would ask them to give me a specific amount of weight they want to lose, the specific time period they want to lose it, and a specific reason why they want to accomplish this goal.

My second piece of advice is to break down your goal into smaller, more manageable goals. This enables you to focus on one day at a time, as opposed to getting overwhelmed looking too far ahead. Focusing on smaller daily tasks allows you to experience some success each day, all while creating habits that will eventually lead to your ultimate goal!

What would you miss out on if you didn’t have NoDoz to power through your day?

I mentioned earlier how living my passion enables me to work harder and longer than most, but that certainly does not mean that I never get tired or lack motivation, even though I try to convince myself otherwise! For me, NoDoz gives me that extra edge, that extra 1% that separates the “best” from the rest!

On those days when I’m going on only 3 hours of sleep, yet I need to power through a 16-hour day, or I have to write one more program, or record one final podcast - that’s where NoDoz comes in and saves the day for me! And that’s why NoDoz is such a big part of my life, happiness, and success. I never miss an opportunity to live life on my terms.

Got a side hustle? Share it with us on social media (@nodoz_200mg). Wanna see how NoDoz stacks up to other forms of caffeine? Check out our caffeine comparison tool!

See an additional NoDoz After Hours Story from Nick.