How to Make the Best of Your Morning in 7 Simple Steps
Having a good start to your day will greatly enhance your chances of having a successful day, every day. The discipline of an early bird will manifest itself in many ways, or as Benjamin Franklin put it way back in the 1700’s, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”
The saying is just as true today as it was then and many of the most accomplished people on the planet have been shown to be early risers who put their early hours into quality use. But, it’s not just a matter of getting up early that counts; it is what you do with that extra time while the world at large is still slumbering. (Note: getting up early shouldn’t come at the expense of getting enough sleep).
Knowing how to leverage your time before breakfast will undoubtedly have a positive and productive outcome.
Here are six habits that successful early risers employ.
1. Sleep Timely and Awake Timely.
Having a great morning begins from the previous night. Before you go to bed, make sure you have taken a mental stock of your accomplishments as well as your failures for the day. Remove the clutter of yesterday both mentally and physically. Make a ‘to do’ list for the next day by coping from the day’s list, tasks that are yet to be completed. Avoid eating late in the night or close to your bed time. It is more appropriate to have your dinner three to four hours before you go to bed. This is time enough to enable your digestive system do a great job let out some energy to ensure you sleep minimally disturbed.
Most successful people wake up at least two hours before their first important task of the day. Research has shown that a full grown adult requires a minimum of eight hours-straight night sleep. This implies that if your first important task is 8:00am as is widely the case in this part of the world, you will need to wake up before 6:00am. And that also implies going to bed before 10:00pm and taking your dinner before 7:00pm.
2. Wake up Slowly.
During sleep your brain is extraordinarily active filtering and processing the events of the day before. But when you’re waking fresh in the morning and still half asleep your mind—in this relaxed state—can often deliver creative solutions. Try it and see. With a little practice who knows what you will come up with? Sometimes, our dreams are where we store our best ideas.
3. Get Some Physical Exercise.
Working out first thing in the morning will give you a burst of energy that lasts for hours. It’s a habit you should try hard to acquire and you can choose what works for you—a brisk walk or jog; hitting the gym; whatever. People who exercise regularly experience a positive boost in mood and are generally better off when dealing with tough decisions life throws at them. That’s because when you exercise your body releases “feel good” chemicals called endorphins that lead to a positive and energizing outlook on life. A by-product of regular physical activity is improved self-esteem.
4. Take Time to Think.
This might be the only quiet time of the day, your only chance to be alone and able to seriously reflect on everything that’s happening in your life. It’s your opportunity before the hurly-burly of the “work day” to let your mind wander and do some big picture thinking. You’ll be surprised how establishing quiet time like this to review where your business or career is heading can spark all kinds of breakthroughs.
5. Take Fruits for Breakfast.
No matter how strange this may sound, fruits make a wonderful meal for breakfast. They are fast sources of energy which your brain requires to be alert and enable you kick up with the days tasks. They are cheap to get and has the additional advantage of saving you time since they are easy to prepare, requiring no cooking.
6. Focus on Today.
Plan your day ahead. Visualize the success you are going to enjoy. But first shake off any hangover from the day before. Don’t carry forward any stresses or aggravations. Wipe the slate clean and make a new beginning. If you need to take corrective action of any kind, or to continue an unaccomplished task of the previous day, make sure that you do so with the right attitude for a new day. That might mean making a tough decision, setting the record straight with someone or maybe apologizing to someone. Whatever it is, get it out of the way.
7. Earlier is better.
Whatever your current schedule, try to get up even earlier. Even if it’s just 15 minutes. And spend that time wisely. Put into effect any of the tips provided above. If you can make it 30 minutes earlier, so much the better, an hour earlier, the best. It gives you so much time to reflect and be much more prepared. You can’t buy time but you can give yourself a gift of time. Time is precious, so make the most of it. Waking up, jumping in and out of the shower, struggling between dressing up and taking breakfast, and rushing out the door. These sets the wrong tone for the day and instigate a feeling of incompetence and self-criticism .
Energy is everything. Start with positivity, and that will set the stage for the rest of your day – no matter what problems are thrown at you.
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