Most successful people have a winning morning routine, which really begins at night. Your mornings set up your day for success and your day is the miniature version of your future.
I love the mornings. Not everyone does. I am thankful and excited to get up in the mornings and begin my day. The reason I love the mornings is because I have a good evening routine. It's the secret to good mornings. Granted no one will have a perfect day all the time and there will be special occasions when you need to stay up late and get up late. But I strive for my ideal routine 80% of the time. I am not the only one. Most millionaires have a set of routines they do in the mornings. They say success leaves clues. Geniuses are not about genes but about routines. You have a routine too. Maybe you are already doing these things and feeling like a millionaire. Congratulations! continue the good habit and your will reap the benefits. There are some good books out there about morning routines such as "Million Dollar Habits" by Brian Tracy, "5 am Club" by Robin Sharma and "The Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod.
As I mentioned, good mornings start at bedtime. We all do a set of things before bedtime such as turning off the lights, lock the doors, brush our teeth...etc. That's your routine. I don't have time to go into all the research done but getting 8 hours of sleep is super important as God intended our bodies to rest, regenerate and recover while we sleep. That's why they call it Beauty Sleep. Sleep is not a luxury but a necessity. People tell me that I look younger than my age, it's probably because of the fact that sleep is a priority to me. Mel Robbins has this 321 Rule that is also backed by research. I follow that rule in an ideal evening. 3 hours before bed, stop eating and drinking alcohol/sugary drink. 2 hours before bed, stop working. 1 hour before bed, no screens. I think turning off the screen is the hardest part and I struggle with that. But the blue light will affect your sleep, so Mel Robbins suggested putting the phone in the bathroom or kitchen, not in the bedroom. This is really hard because we are so addicted to our phones. But you will be shocked how much you can do without your phone. I usually read and journal at night. It's part of my winding down for the day. Sleeping early is part of taking care of ourselves because you are making life easier for the future YOU tomorrow.
Also, before bed, think about what you can do to make your morning easier. If you like a clean kitchen, take time to do those dishes. Make your lunch (or kids' lunches). Put your exercise clothes and running shoes next to your bed so you don't have to look for those when you go for a run. Prepare a tall bottle of water for you to hydrate after waking up. Take the time to do the things that are important to you for tomorrow.
As to the morning routine, I will share the essential minimum that you should have. If you have more time in the morning, you can add to the minimum routine. First thing I do is I thank the Lord that I woke up. It's a privilege that I don't take for granted. I usually think of at least 3 things I am thankful for before my feet hit the floor. Then I drink a tall glass of water. I like it warm, so most days I make a large cup of decaf tea. The study shows that it's best to drink water before caffeinated coffee or tea after you wake up. In his book, Robin Sharma recommends the 20/20/20 rule. it's basically 20 min of reflection, 20 minutes of exercise and 20 minutes of learning/growing. Most mornings I only do the first two 20-minutes sessions. The last 20 minutes of reading and growing I do at night before bed.
First 20 min of reflection I spend reading the Bible, praying, making a list of priorities, going over my goals and vision statement, making gratitude list. This is the easy part for me because I enjoy it and do it so much it has become automatic. I usually spend longer than 20 min because I forget the time. During this time of reflection, ask yourself positive questions. Did you know that our brain is like a supercomputer much like Google? It will find answers to whatever you are asking it. So don't ask yourself dumb questions such like, "why are you so stupid?" because it will find answers and then you will confirm that you are stupid. Ask yourself feel-good answers and set the tone for your day with positivity. The questions I ask myself are:
What are some of the things I can be grateful for?
What am I most happy about right now in my life?
What do I look forward to doing today that I love?
How can I love and obey God more today?
Is there someone I need to encourage or be kind to? what should I say/do?
The struggle for me is the 20 min exercise daily. Studies show that we need to get outside (in the morning light) for at least 10 min to get the sunlight into our bodies and set the circadian clock. It lets our bodies know that the day is starting. I have two dogs, Bongchi and KaiKai. So, I walk my dogs in the morning. It helps me to exercise and get the sunlight. This daily sunlight factor is important because we need it to feel good. This is not something that can be replaced by sitting by the window or turning on artificial light. We have to go OUTSIDE in the mornings. Not getting enough sunlight will make us depressed. So, this is super important. I take the dogs out to walk but most days I resent it because I have so much I wanted to get done. But they are helping me get my daily dose of sunlight, for that I am grateful for my dogs. If you don't have dogs, then have your cup of coffee sitting outside for 10 min and think about the above 5 positive questions. If it is cold, wrap yourself in a blanket, but you need to get outside for the sunlight even on a cloudy day. If you absolutely cannot go outside daily in the mornings, buy a sunlight lamp for $20-$30. You may not be feeling well because of the lack of sunlight, and this maybe be that simple solution you need.
After reflection and exercise, which are the most important components of your morning routine, if your time allows, spend some time reading and learning something new or tackling the hardest thing that you have for the day. Your mind is most focused and sharp in the morning so do the hardest task you have to do in the mornings. You will save lots of time and make life easier for yourself. When I was in college, I had such a full schedule that I would do all of my studying in the mornings between 4am-8am. No one called and no distractions were present that early in the morning. As a result of that habit, I had excellent grades though my friends who stayed up all night before the exam thought I never study. The truth is that I wasn't smarter than they were. I did study, but probably only spent half of the time they did because I did it early in the morning when I was most focused.
Other things that are recommended include: Making your bed so it's ready for you at night. Cold shower. Do not check email or text until 3 hours later. If you like doing a healthy smoothie or skip breakfast, you can incorporate that into your routine. Whatever is healthy and good for you, do those in the morning so you can get it checked off your list. I see it like recharging a phone battery. Our time in the morning is recharging time so we can function at our optimal level. Give it a try for a week at a time. It takes 66 days to form a new habit. Robin Sharma said, "All new habits are hard in the beginning, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end." Morning routines are habits that will shape your future.
Add comment
Comments