What you do in your first hour of being awake sets the tone for the rest of the day. By tweaking your morning routine you can get your day off to a flying start. It is no secret that we are creatures of habit. If you do something for just a few consecutive days it becomes a habit. Without even realizing it you probably wake up at the same time every day, stop at the same coffee shop and get stuck behind the same cars every morning. Breaking your morning habits is often a difficult task. Instead of hitting the snooze button multiple times you can make some adjustments to hit the ground running. Even if you are not a morning person you can change your schedule to maximize your daily efficiency. Here are four things you can do to improve your morning routine.
- Don’t Burn The Candle At Both Ends. There is a fine line in any business between working hard and working smart. Staying up late breaking down deals may seem like a good idea but you need to consider what you are giving up. Is staying up late ruining your productivity for the next day? Are you missing out on important morning activities because you are sleeping in? This doesn’t mean you can’t work hard or work late but you need to be able to function at a high level the next day. Sometimes it is better to be fresher in the morning rather than fighting to keep your eyes open at night. The best way to start your morning is with a good night’s sleep. You know your body better than anybody. Find a balance of sleep and work but remember that if you are not functioning at a high level in the morning any work you do at night may be for naught.
- Exercise For Twenty Minutes. A little exercise is one of the best things you can do to start your day. This doesn’t mean you need to run ten miles or work out for an extended period of time. In fact shorter periods of exercise may just as effective. Whatever type of exercise you enjoy doing is the way to go for you. This could mean walking for twenty minutes, meditating or going to the gym for a quick workout. Not only is it important to keep your body healthy but morning exercise also has another benefit. By getting your body moving in the morning you also get your brain working. The flow of blow throughout your body wakes you up, makes you more alert and gets you mentally motivated for action. You don’t need a fancy gym or a personal trainer to get your body moving in the morning. You probably have everything you need in your home to get your heart pumping without even realizing it. Just a little exercise in the morning is enough to give you the boost you need.
- Wake Up Earlier. Everyone knows about the early bird and the worm. While this may be an overused expression it is still applicable. If you want to maximize your day you need to start it a little earlier. Some of the most successful people in business are notorious morning people. They often get more done by 10:00 than their competition does the entire day. They are organized and efficient but they also give themselves a few hour head start. This doesn’t mean you need to see the sunrise every morning but you also can’t sleep until the price is right is on either. There is a certain bond and kinship that morning people have for each other. By sending out an early morning email you tell that person that you will not be outworked by the people around you. Making this adjustment to wake up earlier can be tough on some people. Start by waking up just ten minutes earlier for a week and go from there. Before you know it you will give yourself an extra hour every day. That extra hour can make all the difference.
- 10 Minute To-Do List. There are plenty of things you can do with an extra hour or two every day. One of the first should do be writing out a daily to do list. Actually you should consider doing this before you go to bed but if you can’t as soon as you wake up is the next best alternative. Write down not only what you want to get done but how you plan on doing it. By making your list in the morning as you sip on your coffee you do so with a clear head. You don’t have five other things going on and you are without many of the other daily distractions. Prioritize your list as to what is most important to you and when you are going to handle everything. Your list should act as a blueprint for how you want your day to go. There will always be unexpected items thrown in the mix but a good list will help you quickly get right back on track. Taking a few minutes to write out a to do list in the morning helps give you a vision for the rest of your day.
A good morning routine can immediately change the way you do business. Changing your morning habits will not happen overnight but the quicker you start the faster you will see results.
