Masterful Mindsets ~ A Good Morning Leads to A Good Day
“There’s a reason people say “good morning” – it’s because a good morning always leads to a good day.” ~Anonymous
Question:
How do you begin your day? Are you starting your morning ready for success? Or is your morning routine setting you up for stress and overwhelm?
Action Challenge:
Last week I challenged you to think about what may be causing you to be so busy. I hope you took the time to do that and perhaps, started to have awareness around when you do it and if multitasking is a part of your chaos. This week, I want to begin to give you some strategies to help you get out of that viscous cycle of busyness.
The good news is, this one new strategy I’m going to introduce to you today is something that you can begin over and over every day until you get the hang of it because honestly, how you begin every day matters.
This Success Strategy… Create a Morning Routine That Will Set You Up for Greater Success All Day
When my husband was growing up, his step dad used to wake him early in the morning to go out and work on the family farm with the sentiment, “Time to get up, you’re missing the best part of the golden spread day.” Of course, as a teenage boy on a summer morning, he was less than impressed with this notion. But as an adult, I’ve actually heard him tell our girls the same exact thing with a smile on his face and a pep in his step. He loves mornings and he believes strongly that how you start your morning makes all the difference in your day.
Myself, being a self-proclaimed night owl and not a morning person, I wasn’t always so fond of or good at a morning routine. But over the years I’ve learned how important it is to have a powerful morning routine. And if you let your morning routine happen by default, you will likely set yourself up for disappointment when it comes to staying on track and achieving your goals. Remember, life happens. And not having a powerful morning routine sets you up to let life dictate you rather than you dictating your life.
There’s no hard, fast rule on exactly how you have to conduct your morning, however research does show that if you include the following, you have a better chance of having a successful and productive day:
Make Your Bed and Other Simple Tasks – I saw a video recently that had gone viral about how changing the world starts with making your bed. It can be a mental cue to start your day. It can be a simple discipline that helps you put yourself in check and it can give you a feeling of order and structure, all important in the view of high achievers.
Get Active – Exercise first thing in the morning if you can. This gives you energy and puts your body in motion. Even if it’s just a few minutes of stretching. I exercise 5 days a week and I find that it’s not only good for my body, but it gets my endorphins going and is good for my mental well-being too.
Fuel Your Body – Proper nutrition is required to provide fuel so you won’t be tired or sluggish. Stick with a balance of protein, whole grains, fruits and veggies. (The less processed your food is, the better it will be for you.) Most importantly – don’t skip meals, especially breakfast. It’s what gets your metabolism going for the day! In addition, your body and your brain need water (at least 64 oz.) to function properly. So to stay hydrated, it’s best to start early when you first get up, with a big glass of water. (After all, you’ve been without all night so you definitely need to re-hydrate.) I promise, you can have your coffee too. But begin with a big glass of water first. Your body and brain will thank you.
Fuel Your Mind – Begin your morning with things that will get you into the right mental mindset. Journal, Meditate or Pray. Reading works too. Anything that fuels your brain and your mental well-being with positive thoughts and energy so you can bring that positive energy into your day. No negativity in the morning please! It just sets your day off in the wrong way. (Note: this might mean forgoing the news for some uplifting music while you get ready for your day.)
Prioritize, Plan and Prep – Get very clear on what MUST be done for the day. Know what’s most important. Have a plan and a schedule to complete it. A good rule of thumb is to only have three main goals for your day based on the priorities. Block your time for what MUST get done. (Time blocking is a very effective way to plan out a day.) Prep for what you’ll need for the day. Who will you need to contact? What actions must be taken? What materials do you need? Have snacks, have lunch, have water. Get Focused, Get Organized and Get Going!
Start the Night Before – A good morning routine actually starts the night before. Before you leave the office, straighten your desk, look over your calendar, schedule what you can for the next day, get prep ready (both for work items, files, etc. and personally, like food and water for the next day). Get plenty of sleep (7-8 hours minimum) by going to bed at a decent time. And if you have a hard time falling asleep, try replacing your late-night screen time with journaling. (Gratitude journals are an awesome way to end the day on a positive note.)
My challenge to you is to begin a morning routine that will set you up for success all day. But don’t get overwhelmed trying to do all of the above if you currently don’t do any very well. Set your sights on improving one or two things first and begin to build the habit. Then after you are going strong, continue to add more to your routine a little at a time. The more consistent you can be, the better. But remember, even if you get off track, this is one success strategy that you can start over every day!
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