Are you waking up, getting dressed and rushing out the door every morning? Are you feel unfocused and unclear about what you plan to achieve? Do you feel unprepared for the challenges that come up during the day? Do you feel like you have no work-life balance? Chances are that you are missing a vital element in your daily activities. I am talking about a morning routine.
Most successful people have one thing in common. They have morning routines. Generally, they have some system for getting themselves ready for facing each day. These routines can vary from one person to the next. Whether they are long and complicated or short and intense, whether it starts at 3:00 am or two hours before the first meeting, many of the most successful people in the world have morning rituals that help them to maximize their energy, productivity and creativity throughout the day.
Most successful routines include:
- Being consistent with the time you wake up each morning. Most successful people know what time works best for them and they stick to it each day.
- Engaging in some form of spirituality or connection with the power larger than yourself. For some that might include prayer, meditation, communing with nature, reading a devotion or listening to spiritual music.
- Some form of mindful practice or something that engages their brain and puts them into a mood to receiving knowledge or practice awareness throughout the day. Some people may listen to something that helps them to get or stay motivated. Some choose to learn something. Some choose to practice deep breathing because it helps them to feel more connected or grounded and that in turn helps them to feel like they have more to give.
- Some people check their calendars or plan their day if they have not done that the night before. This allows them to begin thinking about what is important and where their priority needs to be focused for the day ahead. It is important to note, that for most people this is not simply a to do list but a specific schedule with time allocated throughout the day for when they are going to complete each task. It is also important to note that this is not just for work goals but for your entire day, before, during and after work.
- Many people engage in setting some form of intention for the day. This usually represents at least one priority item that they must achieve during the course of the day regardless of whatever else might come up.
- Some people also include their exercise or movement activities as part of their morning routine, while some people prefer to engage in their activities at the end of the day. You must decide what works best for you.
- Many also choose to take in some form of nourishment and this can vary from eating a full breakfast or drinking a coffee, taking tea or water with lemon or even choosing to start your day with a green smoothie. The decision about whether or not to include this in your morning routine will depend on your own awareness of your digestive system, how your energy flows throughout the day and maybe even your dietary preferences.
Just like everyone else who has gone down this path, you have the power to decide what you will include in your morning routine. However, the one piece of advice I will offer is simply that you have to have one. This is your best chance to start your day off right and to get yourself ready at a physical and mental level so that you can deal with the various issues and challenges that will arise throughout your day.
So go ahead. Do it now. Start where you are, with what feels right for you and do it daily. You don’t have to get it right the first time and it doesn’t have to be elaborate. It just needs to serve you and to set you up for success every day.
Marjorie Wharton is a trainer, facilitator and coach who works with individuals and organizations to help them improve their performance. She is based at the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business in Barbados. For more of her writing visit https://marjoriewharton.live