Some morning routines of successful people
Few hours of the day are more important than the early morning hours.
One of the great thinkers said "the first hour is the rudder of the
day", it sets the tone for everything else that happens, these hours
when you first wake up set the tone for the rest of the day affecting
your mindset and productivity during all the hours that follow them.
The
importance of these early morning hours is the reason why some of the
world's most successful people carefully craft morning routines designed
to help them start the day off right and make the most of hours that
follow.
If you would like to start each day in the best way
possible consider implementing some of these proven morning routines
into your morning schedule:
Plan your day the night before
Planning
out your day the night before may not exactly be part of your morning
routine but it is a great way to get your day started off right. In fact
Jeff Bezos said every single morning, he starts off by reading his
goals, every morning, he never misses a single day. By planning out
would you want to accomplish the night before, you can start off each
day with a plan in mind, rather than waking up unsure what it is you
want to tackle first.
Plan out your morning routine as well, as to
what you want to do when that routine is complete, then wake up the next
morning and put that plan into action.
Set goals for the day every morning
Plan
out your day the night before but set your goals in the morning. For
example you may plan on working on a project all day, then, that morning
set a goal for how much of that project you want to accomplish. Setting
goals in the early morning is an effective strategy since most people
are ambitious when they first start their day. If you set ambitious
goals in the morning you'll feel more compelled, more motivated to
follow through with them as the day carries on.
Exercise
Studies have shown that people who exercise in the
morning are more likely to stick with an exercise routine than those who
exercise in the afternoon. The reason is that when you wake up in the
morning you are refreshed and full of energy. In the afternoon though
after a long day of work you may not have the energy or the motivation
to exercise.
Stretching and exercising in the morning also gets your
blood flowing and gives you a burst of energy and adrenaline that will
help you start the day off right.
Avoid checking your phone or other electronic distractions
One
thing that should not be a part of your morning routine is checking
your phone or email as soon as you wake up. At best it's a distraction
that can interfere with the rest of your morning routine, at worst it
may relate disappointing news that can kill your motivation at a time
when you need to be firing it up.
Wait until the rest of your morning routine is complete and the workday has started before you check your phone.
Julie
Morganstein, a time management expert wrote a book called "don't check
your email in the morning" wait until 11:00 a.m. and work for three
solid hours before you check your email and then work another three
hours before you check it again and only check it two or three times a
day and in between turn it off and leave it off.
Read
All
successful people read one hour or more every morning. In the same way
that exercising in the morning gets your body up and going, reading in
the morning gets your mind up and going. Whether you are reading the
morning paper a novel or anything else that interests you, the early
morning hours are the perfect time to get a little
reading in before you go off to work.
You can read something that's educational or motivational or inspirational that gets you a little bit pumped.
Meditate
Meditation
is an excellent way to clear your mind and relieve any stress and help
you focus on the task at hand. It's great for any time of the day but
it's especially beneficial in the early morning after you have done your
exercise and you are woken up and your blood is flowing, then just take
a few minutes to sit quietly and let your mind calm.
Before you leave for work, take the time to sit in silence, clear your thoughts and focus on your breathing.
One
of the easiest ways to meditate by the way is just to focus on your
breath, your diaphragm just below your stomach, and just think about
your breath and count in: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 count out: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. If you
do this 7 times you'll have a complete meditation session.
Not only
will morning meditation help you enjoy all of the many health benefits
associated with meditation, it will also enable you to start the day
with a clear, professed focus
Spend some time with your family
The
morning may not offer much time for you to spend with your family
before they are out the door but you should take advantage of the time
it does give you. Sit down and eat breakfast with them if that is an
option, if it's not at least take the time to talk with them a little
while before you all go your separate ways. There truly is no better
motivation for the day than spending a little bit of time with the ones
that you love the most.
Best of all it will be a great motivation for them as they start their day as well.
Your mind is like a muscle the more you use it the more powerful it becomes
