Ever wonder what separates a highly successful person from someone who works hard but can never seem to get ahead. I did too, so I did a little digging so and one thing we ALL need is to master our morning routines. Here are the habits, morning routines, and secrets of how some of the most rich and successful people in the world run their day.
If you didn't know already...Mediocre effort gets mediocre results.
Yes, there are some people that are blessed with driveler and innate talent, however unfortunately, it is not enough to have inherent talent.
You can have all the ambition and goals in the world, but without healthy habits as your foundation, you will find yourself consistently needing more to be successful.
Based on what the experts are telling us we need to change our habits so that we can be the best version of ourselves.
For those of you that are not about to settle for mediocre, here is your new guidebook of how to set yourself up for success. So, let’s get to it.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Aristotle
Let's start from the beginning. Everyone wakes up, however some capitalize on the morning better than others.
Here are what a few of our favorite Successful People have to say about their Morning Routines:
Rachel Hollis, Motivational Speaker & NY Times Bestseller
Gives herself 2 hours more in the morning for her own self
Barack Obama, President
Works out at 6:45am, Reads the newspaper and has breakfast with his family, starts work at 9am.
Michelle Gass, President, Starbucks
Wakes up at 4:30am to Run
Steve Jobs, Late Apple CEO
Woke up every morning, looked in the mirror and asked himself, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
Tony Robbins, self-help writer and motivational speaker
“He says that the thing that changed his life was when he decided he wasn’t living up to his standard, so he changed his habits and way of thinking.
His advice is to do an “Hour of Power” every morning, which includes motivational sayings and visualization.” Morningroutines.com
Beethoven, German Composer
Began every morning by counting out precisely 60 beans of coffee for his morning cuppa, then worked at his desk until mid afternoon
Oprah, Talk Show Host & Producer of TV Channel, Mogul
Up by 5:30 / 6am gives Oprah time to focus on herself every day, allowing for 20 minutes of meditation.
She says she then goes to the gym and is in the make-up chair by 7:30. She typically films two shows by 11:30am.
Arianna Huffington, Founder of the Huffington Post
Begins her day with yoga and meditation inc.com
Jessica Alba, Actress
She has accountability workout friends to help exercise through yoga or spin classes in the am.
The actress admits that exercising is not her favorite activity, but it helps her reduce stress, and her friends always keep her motivated.
Tim Ferris, Public Figure, Speaker
His motto is, “Win the morning, win the day.” First thing he does is makes his bed as he says it gives him both pride and accomplishment at the start of his day.
He then mediates, exercises, drinks tea and writes in his journal about his accomplishments as well as his blessings per inc.com.
Ben Franklin
Woke up at 4am and would wash, eat breakfast, and think about what he wanted to accomplish that day, starting work at 8am.
What’s the common thread?
What do all of these successful individuals have in common? They have the willpower to create a routine that allows them to have energy and give time back to themselves.
Willpower is energetic determination
Whether that your willpower becomes resistance or perseverance, it requires determination to keep pursuing these healthy habits and knowing your reason to pursue these routines in the first place.
Science says that “willpower is the strongest in the morning,” so let’s talk about how we can use this to our advantage.
How to Decide on a Morning Routine
Crafting a morning routine is a personal thing and each of us have different preferences. We cannot do everything; we need to pick and choose based on preference and what our goals are.
One of the most common objections and limiting beliefs is that there is not enough time. I beg to argue that it only requires you to re-prioritize and find the time. Here are some of my favorite practices that can set you up for a day full of energy and productivity.
Highly recommended Morning Routine Activities
1) Wake up an hour earlier
This is because when you allow yourself more time in the morning, you are able to truly commit.
Most people have a hard time with this as they may already wake early for children and/or other things, however waking up one additional hour early will allow you to have more productive personal time and even less procrastination.
“Early-risers are known to procrastinate less compared with people who stay up late at night,” according to a 2008 study.
The Journal of General Psychology.
Now remember these three things:
- Set your alarm clock one hour earlier
- Do not hit snooze.
- Count back from 5 and get out of bed. Want more inspiration, check out this video!
But what if I am not a morning person? If I wanted to train myself to be a morning person, how would I do it?
Per the Harvard business Review, “sleep has nothing to do with the increased pro activity and morning alertness that we see among morning people. But while the number of hours of sleep doesn’t matter, the timing of sleep does. So, you could try shifting your daily cycle by going to bed earlier. Another thing you could do is go outside into the daylight early in the morning. The daylight resets your circadian clock and helps shift you toward morningness. If you go outside only in the evening, you tend to shift toward eveningness.”
2) Allow yourself personal time that breeds positivity
What does that mean? It means you need to do a mental check-in with yourself and focus on you before anyone else.
It means start your day with something positive that makes you feel good, this may be music, reading a book, taking time to meditate, taking time to pray or any other type of spiritual activity.
Anything that is non-screen orientated and makes you feel good is a great activity to commit even a short-period of time to.
3) Move your body
This doesn’t mean that you need to go for a 4-mile run, however it does mean you should move your body. Remember that you have just been laying in one position for 8 hours, your body has just recharged an it is up to you to give it a bit of a wake-up routine to feel ready for the day.
Even stretching will open you up to more energy and a positive mindset shift.
I practice yoga almost every morning as it is a great way to strengthen my body while focusing on my breath and creating a positive mindset in the morning.
4) Write it down
Write down your goal or intention for your day in a new journal specifically dedicated to your transformation. Studies have shown that when you write things down you tend to remember them more.
Also, according to University of Rochester Medical Center, keeping a journal can help you to better manage stress and reduce anxiety.
One of the best things you can do, especially during times of intense thinking is keep a journal on your person consistently.
"Neuropsychologists have identified the “generation effect” which basically says individuals demonstrate better memory for material they’ve generated themselves than for material they’ve merely read."
Forbes.com
Some people use their journal for setting their intentions for their day, some use it as a goal setting notebook where their to do list lives, some use it as a gratitude journal, a place to process thoughts and feelings, or a manifesting journal where you write down your goals as if they have already come to life.
Leverage this space to get your thoughts organized and a space where each day has its place, whatever that means to you.
Want a new journal or a planner? Here are some of my absolute fav’s that you can get on amazon ! I'm a sucker for two day shipping (p.s...these are affiliate links).
I love this one as it combine's Brendan's 6 habits of Highly Successful people into a planner. Check it out!
Brendan Bruchard’s High Performance Planner
Honestly you cannot go wrong with the Moleskin Leather Notebook. I love it because the paper is so pleasant to write on!
Moleskin Leather Notebook
Want an awesome journal and contribute to the planet at the same time? I love the Woodchuck Journal, not only for its sleek look, but also because anytime you purchase from them, they plant a tree.
Woodchuck Classic Journal
Helpful Productivity Tips
Whatever your decision on the elements of your new morning routine, the important piece is to have one and to work at it daily. One of the best activities that I have found to be effective is to schedule my to do list activities into my calendar.
Schedule Your To Do List in Your Calendar
By creating a to do list or a results list, you are able to plan what you need to get done and then schedule yourself out in blocks for each activity working backwards.
Quote: “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, says scheduling your to-do list helps you be more realistic about what you want to get done; otherwise, it's just a list of wishful thinking,” per inc.com.
Do the Hardest Tasks in Your Day First
Research has proven that the first few hours after waking is the time when your brain is at its sharpest and you’re more likely to stay on task.
That said, don’t waste that productive time on meetings or reading email, focus on the projects that you want to procrastinate and that require critical thinking.
According to Harvard Business Review, ”People whose performance peaks in the morning are better positioned for career success, because they’re more proactive than people who are at their best in the evening”
Touch It Once
I am a huge proponent of this and it actually frustrates me when I need to do any type of rework.
I recommend when you set out to do a task think about it in a way that you should not have to come back to it later.
Touching things only once not only saves you time but also declutters your mental space as productivity expert, Nicole Bandes
Here are three huge proponents that should always use the, “touch it once” rule.
-
Email
- Make sure that you complete your email and close out each request or activity. Do not let these things linger.
-
Meetings
- Ensure that any meetings you have that you take action items from the meeting and then either assign due dates and individuals responsible or you come out of the meeting with your personal to do list.
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Help requests
- If there are any requests for help, be sure to forward appropriately right away or provide a timeline for completion.
Unsubscribe
One of the best ways to focus on your tasks at hand is to get rid of the clutter and the junk in your way.
These additional emails can be come large distractions, so if you are able, unsubscribe to anything that is not relevant to your goals.
“I get a lot of unwanted email from folks who’ve subscribed me to lists that are irrelevant to me. I combat this clutter daily and find it’s a useful way of removing one distraction from my day.”
–Apu Gupta, CEO of Curalate
Unrollme.com
Another way to opt out of all the time wasting emails is to use unrollme.com.
Here you can select to unsubscribe multiple companies at once, while also having the option to keep specific emails and have them rolled up into one email per day so that you can focus on what is most important, however still have access with less distraction.
Pomodoro Technique
Pomodoro Technique is a great time-management technique that is good for timed activities as it will help you to waste less time and become more productive.
How it Works:
Choose a task to get done, set the timer for 25 minutes, when the timer goes off check off the box, take a short 5-minute break.
Then repeat.
Continue until the task is done, or after 4 Pomodoros take a longer break.
It allows these bursts of energy to capitalize on the task, reduce burnout, and help manage distractions more easily.
Capture The ROI
Use a sticky note and capture your greatest priority for you to see constantly throughout the day.
“Every night, I plan five critical priorities for the following day using the two following principles: Urgency: I ask myself, "what can be pushed off until tomorrow? ROI: I ask myself, " Which items will deliver the most value for the lowest time investment?"
John Hall , Co-founder -Influence & Co
Final Thoughts
If you take anything from these recommendations it should be to establish a morning a routine that is right for you.
As I said previously, some of the most successful individuals have established a willpower that allows them to commit to their routines and their determinations see them through.
Get real about your why and what is driving you to be more productivity and ambitious.
Once you are solid on why you want to become the best version of yourself, you’re likelihood of sticking with a routine and these habits are much higher.
Sending you much luck in your new endeavors with your new goals!
If you liked this article and you are looking for someone to hold you accountable, find more time in your day and create a strategic plan for growth in your business, click here to schedule a free call. I would love to chat with you and see if we are a good fit and I can help you get to your next! Schedule a free consult call today!
