"The Ultimate Morning Routine"... The answer to becoming ultra-productive and crushing your day (and week).
Right?
Maybe.
It was a hot topic for a while; books, videos, podcasts, tons of articles on the subject... seemed like everyone said that THIS was the key to success.
I agree and disagree, at the same time.
I disagree because without a purpose, a natural drive, and a willingness to just take action... nothing will spoon feed you success.
Not a book, not a motivational video, and not a routine of any kind.
You have to WANT to create change and then be willing to take action on whatever steps that change requires, in order to win.
Same reason why the perfect macro-based nutrition plan will NOT get you any results at all, if you're not willing to simply do the work in order to stay consistent. (There's tricks and strategies to getting consistent, though, too)
Make sense?
Now, that being said...
I'm a huge fan of morning routines.
I think it sets your mind up for success, positivity, and the habits you want to create.
A great morning leads to a great day, which leads to a great week, etc.
And when I help clients create their morning routine, there's usually 5 things we make sure to include no matter what.
Now, these things can be adjusted to suit them, of course. But in general, we're trying to hit on these main points in order to get their body, mind, and relations right - right away.
When we focus on THESE things in the AM, we're focusing on the things that bleed positivity into all other areas of our lives. With that positivity, comes energy, enthusiasm, motivation, and fast, SHARP, thinking (productivity).
Here's the checklist:
1. GREENS DRINK
This is not because a greens drink will cure disease or replace veggies (you still need to eat your produce). It's because it sets the tone for a healthy day.
PERIOD.
It's a placebo effect to get you thinking healthy, clean, and physically conscious.
The added benefit is the massive amounts of micronutrients you're pumping into your body right away when waking AND the fact that you need to chug down 12-20 oz water with it. The combo of the nutrients, water, and IDEA of taking in health right away...
That leads to more positive choices for your health, diet, and fitness throughout the rest of the day.
2. STUDY
Whatever your craft is, STUDY IT. This could be training, nutrition, finance, technology, marketing... WHATEVER it is you do for a living, spend 20-30 minutes getting really good at it.
This could also be a time to read a book on something that you need in order to become your best self. The bible, leadership, communication, biographies...
You get the point.
Reading is a key to vital health and intelligence, it's also one of the best ways to develop our minds.
I always say... education is the only thing that is truly infinite, because we can always learn more. Yet too many people completely neglect reading in their day to day life. Which is neglecting GROWTH as a human being.
3. JOURNAL
Many people I talk to say they just don't know what to journal...
Well, I'll tell you what:
What are you grateful? Write 2-5 things.
What would make today great? Write 2-5 things.
"I AM ______________" (self affirmation, all caps)
DONE.
Took you 2-3 minutes at most.
And it's POWERFUL.
There's much more we could do here, deeper places we could go - but this is a great place to start and has outstanding positive effects.
4. APPRECIATION
Give a loved-one a note.
Written, texted, emailed, voice memo'd, snap chatted... whatever you want to do.
If you have a spouse, they take the priority and should be sent this daily.
If you do not, pick someone else you love or appreciate - parents, siblings, friends, co-workers etc.
And... tell them you appreciate them!
Simple.
And it's not to get praise back, it's to remind YOU.
5. MOVE
The last one on the list, but one of the most important ones.
BE ACTIVE.
Train. Go for a walk. Do some mobility or yoga.
DO SOMETHING to get your body moving, because studies show that this helps the brain work at more impressive rates during the day when done a.k.a. productivity.
I personally don't do my training in the AM, which is why I always go on a power walk in the morning with my pup Spike (he loves it too).
The point is, be active and get some form of exercise in.
And my last suggestion...
Wake up earlier than you think you should.
Wake up at 7 normally? Add 30 min (wake up at 6:30 am).
Wake up at 6:30 am already? Add 30 min (join the 6:00 am club).
YOU NEED TIME, FOR YOU.
And the best time for you, to work on you... is before anyone else is awake to bug you.
Trust me.
This WORKS.
If you need help in this area, or are looking for guidance along the way, we can help! Just fill out the application form for a Strategy Session and we'll explore a game plan for helping you get from where you are to where you want to be.
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