Morning Routines of Successful People

The Morning Rituals of Successful People

The morning rituals that we engage in have a significant influence on what, how, and who we say, think and do during the day. A common thread of successful individuals (regardless of position, role or category) is their ability to identify that they begin their day with a meaningful morning. No matter how talented, disciplined, or tactical you are, does not guarantee that you are successful. The successful people I had the privilege to study, considered successful in various ways (from entrepreneurs to artists to athletes), all share a practice in the morning as well as when they make their initial first step (figure of speech or literally have a first step) in such a way that is not shallow to just go through the day, but is intentional and deliberate to take control of their day. Can we change what we are doing, and how do we create a practice(s) that allows us to create what we want?

“Maya’s Morning Experience: Fiction”

Maya was a graphic designer, who was become troubled by the expectations of people, and herself. If you would have asked Maya how she starts her day, she would have told you that even when she was laying in bed and not have gotten out of it yet, she felt overwhelmed and cluttered. Why would she set her alarm for earlier in the morning, only to be aware of ridiculously framing her way of thinking and expected to check emails, notifications and due dates for excessive amounts of disappointment the second she opened her eyes?
Eventually, Maya decided to try a different approach to her morning in the amount of 45 minutes earlier than usual. During this time she stretched, wrote her to do’s of that day, and drank her coffee without touching her phone, computer, or monitor.
In a few weeks, she started to feel sharper, and her anxiety level was less, as was her actual work. “I didn’t change my life overnight,” Maya told me. “I changed how I started my day – it changed everything else.”

1. Getting Up Early: Utilizing the “Quiet Time” Many successful achievers choose to rise early for three reasons which include: taking time for deep thinking and creating meaningful thoughts; giving the most time and focus to critical business items; all while there is little to no interruption. Why This Works:

• You are alone, thinking or reflecting/meditating.
• You are continuing a discipline and habit.
• You are starting a performance day, you are acting, rather than reacting.
  You also do not have to set your alarm at 5:00 a.m.! Just as long as your alarm is set approximately 30 minutes to a maximum of an hour early than it normally is, or any time prior, and you have put yourself in a better spot for your day.

1. Get Your Mind and Body Moving in the Morning Moving, on many a morning, is an action plan, or activity which a multitude of achievers embrace. Whether it is working out at the gym, power walked (fast walking), or simply getting in some yoga poses, moving or activity puts your mind and body in motion by doing something during the time you claimed for yourself, and is so important as part of the day. Moving Provides:

• Clarity of thought
• Increased energy, elevation of your mood
• Stamina physically/mentally
  You do not have to work-out hard, but simply just move your body and be active with whatever you see fit for yourself, or do something physical that feels good for you. —

Mindfulness or Time to Yourself: Making time during the course of the time for silence, will allow you to operate with an focused/grounded frame of mind for some extended period. To help making time to let the storm of the world pass through or pass away can be accomplished through some time of silence, which could involve meditation, some personal breathing exercises, or some journaling. You can use:

• Quiet time for 5-10 minutes doing personal breathing/meditation
• Writing as reflection writing, or gratitude writing
• Sitting in stillness for reflection to possible think about your day.
  Think of this as mental fuel; it may take one or two minutes, but can be very effective!

4. Treat Each Day as Important High performing people never leave tomorrow or their day a guess. High performing beings think about their goals and reflect on their goals or set their agenda or process for the day. The more they do this.The more they can prioritize what matters most to them in life. Some ideas: * Imagine a 1-3 things you want to achieve that day. * Imagine your goals for a set length of time, so they are still using that time and not waiting for the ”next time”, * Visualize what you want your day to feel and look like and each time you do this you will create a small amount of energy and be less reactive.

5. What you consume for breakfast What I put in my mouth to consume for breakfast does affect how I feel and how I perform for more than a few hours. All of the high-performing successful people in the world eat what they eat in the morning for energy and performance for their day.Here a few specific examples of eating to feel better: * High Protein meals (eggs, nut butter, smoothies) * are Hydrating (water or herbal tea) * Whole/refined foods or foods that help with brain functionality. If you saw something sugary disappointing you may not feel too hot. When you eat sugar or caffeine in the morning it may also come with a capital investment of performance days from later, depending upon how your blood sugar and brain powered.

6. Hold off on technology When you open your email or become distracted as the Instagram/Facebook worm hole takes your attention, you have, or you already lost the opportunity to take back your start to the day, before you even got started. This is a true thing high performers are beginning to wake up to, if they want to intentionally protect their attention, they have to carefully avoid the tempting distractions of devices right away.Here a few things – * No phone for first 30-60 minutes of every day. * Read an actual book or do some basic writing – or move. Don’t just scroll on social media the minute you wake up or when you are getting moving or earlier in the day. * Turn off notifications.

This permits you to wake up on *your* terms, not anybody else’s.

Create your morning routine

Your morning routine does not need to look like someone else’s. What is most important is that your morning puts you in a position for the day – and the life – you want.

• Start slow with a few things:

• start with ______ small habits, that you can build on later

• keep it sustainable and enjoyable* time is an important factor to consider when thinking about change-

Conclusion:

Your morning will set a foundation.

Your first hour can very well impact your next hours. Planning and creating a functioning morning routine does not guarantee success, but it does provide you with the ability to focus, clarity, and intention. You can be an ordinary human being, and have an extraordinary morning. It simply takes choosing to start your day – intentionally – on *your* terms!