Your Morning Routine
“If you win the morning, you win the day”- Tim Ferriss
We’ve all heard about the 4am alarms, mandatory ten mile runs, and antioxidant-rich breakfasts that have embedded themselves firmly in hustle culture rhetoric. Many entrepreneurship “influencers” and financial “gurus” have dedicated hours upon hours of content toward convincing the general public that they need to adhere to this rigid, and for many, unattainable, standard of disciplined perfection in their morning routine in order to be successful in their industry. This simply isn’t true. While each morning sets the tone for your day, how you get started is much more important than when you get started.
Think about the night-owl who takes advantage of the higher mental clarity and creativity they experience late at night. Now, imagine this person, pressured by the sweeping generalizations of what it takes to be successful (according to self-proclaimed “hustlers” on the internet), forces themselves to wake up only a few short hours after they’ve finally settled down for the night; they are are now set up to be tired, cranky, and unfocused all day. Thus, in trying to optimize their morning routine according to someone else’s prime hours, they’ve effectively torpedoed their own chance at a productive day. With this in mind, it’s important to explore the ways in which you, personally, can “win the morning”- regardless of when it begins.
Every morning is a new opportunity to set yourself up for success mentally, physically, and spiritually. In fact, your morning routine may technically begin the night before, with a simple act such as picking out your clothes for the next day. This may seem inconsequential, but you need to consider that every decision you make, from the most minute to the most important, chips away at your daily energy reserve. Our brains have a finite amount of decision-making power, and as we drain that power throughout the day by making many small decisions, it can lead to something known as “decision fatigue”. This results in our brain taking shortcuts as we continue to make decisions later in the day, which can result in impulsivity, or conversely, the inability to make decisions at all, resulting in inaction. Either scenario could spell disaster for your business. In addition to planning the next day’s outfit, you could also consider preparing your breakfast and/or packing your lunch in advance, so that when the morning comes you’re free from the more menial mental tasks. Make your mornings easy so you’re not mentally drained and stressed out from excessive micro decision making as soon as you wake up.
The moment you wake up is a great opportunity to check in with yourself physically, after all, your body is the vessel that houses the brilliant mind that runs your business. Dedicate a few minutes each morning to checking in with your body. Do you feel healthy? Rested? Comfortable? This gives you the chance to address any concerns that could hinder your productivity as the day goes on. For instance, if you know you have nagging low back pain that makes it difficult to sit comfortably for long periods of time, you can consider how to accommodate your physical needs as you work throughout the day. Once you’re out of bed and ready to tackle the day, you may or may not have breakfast on your mind. Not big on breakfast? That’s fine- just make sure the first thing you reach for is a glass of water to hydrate your body and brain. And if you’re rarely hungry first thing in the morning, you can always take a little time to set aside some tasty snacks for later when you start to get peckish.
An often-overlooked aspect of a morning routine is the opportunity for spiritual hygiene. Hustle culture teaches us that we need to “grind” from the moment we wake up until the moment we fall asleep, but that just isn’t sustainable. You’re dedicated to checking in on your clients and your business constantly, but do you take the time to check in on yourself? Or are you neglecting your own emotional well being, spinning your wheels on the road to burnout? If you find yourself doing the latter, try taking just a few minutes in the quiet of the morning, before you tackle your to-do list, to set the tone for your day. This can take whatever form is meaningful to you. Many people like to set intentions for the day, review positive affirmations, or practice gratitude by simply writing down one thing for which they are grateful. The spiritual aspect of your morning routine does not need to be religious, and it does not need to take a great deal of time; it’s purpose is to provide you intangible soulful fulfillment that can be carried in your heart for the rest of the day.
There is no one “right way” to start your day. Whether you’re an early-riser, a night-owl that wakes up at noon, or somewhere in-between, your morning routine is for you and no one else. “Winning the day” looks different for everyone- what matters most is that your routine works for you, because it doesn’t matter when your morning starts as long as it starts on your terms, setting you up for the best day possible.
Want to have a clear picture of all of the pieces of running your business, but aren’t sure where to start? Do you have a few employees and want to make sure that you have all of the necessary things in place for your business operations? Take a look at my free Operations Audit Workbook to give you a starting point. PS - filling this out in its entirety will get you started on creating your own SOPs for your business.
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