I would never consider myself a morning person; perhaps you don’t either. But I’ve come to learn that the most productive and successful days, almost always start with a good morning routine.
As a teenager my bedroom was next to the laundry room. Which meant listening to the spinner of the old Hoover machine on Monday and Thursday mornings. I could sleep through almost anything back then and I usually did. Getting up at the crack of noon wasn’t uncommon for me.
But looking back I realize that I squandered a lot of time.
And now at age 50 I have a better appreciation for the value of time…
- how quickly it goes by
- how many things compete for it
- how easy it still is to squander it
The other lesson I didn’t appreciate at the time, was that our days will be dramatically impacted go by how we begin them. So if you would like to accomplish more, be less stressed and enjoy a more productive day, here are 8 tips you can put int0 practice right away.
8 Things You Should Do Before You Leave the House Every Morning
Get enough sleep. A report suggests that 60% of Canadians feel tired most of the time. So actually having a good day starts the night before. If you want to sleep in, do it on the front end of sleep. Go to bed earlier and get up earlier. You may have to forego the late show or dare I say, the third period of a hockey game. But you’re worth it aren’t you?
Don’t push the snooze button. If you want to avoid a rushed morning, get up when your alarm goes off. Nodding off confuses your mind and body. (Are we getting up or not?) Have you ever noticed that you feel worse after every 9 minute extension in bed? Your morning alarm is not a false alarm!
Avoid checking emails. When you immediately go for your phone as soon as you wake up, you go into reactive mode and this is counter-productive to a meaningful start to your day. As soon as you look at work emails or even friends FaceBook posts, you’ve given up control of your morning routine and your day.
Drink water. We wake up dehydrated so at least 8oz of water is a good way to begin. Dehydration is often why we are tired throughout the day as well…keep drinking water. 2 litres a day is a good rule of thumb.
Get moving. Even 4-5 minutes of intense activity can give you lasting results.
Here’s the routine I followed this morning…I did each exercise for 30 seconds.
1) Bodyweight Squat
2) Rocking Plank
3) Reverse Lunge (alternating sides)
4) Cross-Body Mountain Climber
5) Jumping Jacks
6) Close-Grip Pushups (with feet elevated 4-6 inches) or Kneeling Pushups
7) Total Body Extension
8) Burpees or Bodyweight Squat
Simple right? If you have more time you can go through the routine 1-2 more times and I promise you it’s more effective than 30-40 minutes of running on a treadmill and you’ll burn calories all day too.
Consume 20-30 grams of protein. After a workout making a quick, healthy protein shake is a great way to give your body the nutrients it needs. Mix some frozen berries, yogurt, almond milk & protein powder in a Magic Bullett & you’ll be full for hours.
Make your bed. Yes. You know the chore your parents hounded you about as a child? Well, performing this seemingly mundane task has its advantages. US Navy Admiral, William H McRaven, highlights the benefits of making your bed. “By making your bed, you’ve already accomplished something.”… “If you can’t do small things right, you won’t do big things right.”
Find solitude. I wonder if this is becoming a lost discipline, but quiet time is crucial to a good start to the day. As a Christian I look forward to reading the Bible and prayer. But I also value sitting quietly, listening to God and listening to what’s going on inside of me. If you begin the day rushed, you’ll have a rushed day. Quiet solitude can be the start you need to a day full of demands.
Your first hour of the day can have a dramatic impact on the next eight
So there you are. 8 things that you can do tomorrow morning, before you leave the house, that can have a dramatic impact on the rest of your day. And all of these can be completed in less than an hour.
Q. Which of the 8 habits are you already doing?
Q. Which habit will you implement right away? Tomorrow?
Q. What hurdles stand in the way of your success?
Are you looking to make some changes? Life coaching can help. Contact me to arrange an initial free 30 minute Discovery Call. Let’s talk.
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