I don’t know if you noticed it, but there is a typical question done in all the interviews made to CEOs, people who have launched their brand and who in general have achieved success in life and work. How do you start your day?
The mornings of all successful people start early and with a precise routine.
Anna Wintour wakes up at 5 am to play tennis before work, and Maria Hatzistefanis, founder of the beauty brands Rodial and Nip + Fab, wakes up every morning at 6 and has her workout at 7.
Many people trust in a morning routine and all admit that as difficult as it gets used to, it is actually a positive turning point in their lives.
Thinking of waking up 1-2 hours earlier seems a torture rather than a benefit, yet everyone confirms the opposite. Anticipating your alarm does not mean starting the day the same way only before, but dedicating that time to other activities that you can not do during the day due to lack of time. All these activities serve to improve ourselves. So becoming a morning person doesn’t mean waking up an hour earlier to get to the office before everyone else, but introducing a new routine that will improve our lives in every respect: personal and professional.
Here are the activities to be introduced in your morning routine:
- Working out: imagine having your pilates class at 7 in the morning and not having the thought of this activity for the whole day. The post-workout feeling will make you happy, proud of yourself and satisfied and this will have an impact on your productivity at work and your mood throughout the day.
- Reading: yes, according to some studies, reading 20 minutes every morning seems to be revolutionary. Get a business or personal growth book and read a few pages every day. They do not have to be 20 minutes, even 10 each day are enough. You can set your own time for each of these activities. Find the balance that works best for you.
- Meditation: the benefits of meditation have been already confirmed by everyone, and all successful people trust in this short but deep ritual. Meditation practiced consistently helps fight and reduce stress and anxiety and increase concentration and productivity. Just 5 minutes each morning are enough and is really easy to do it, you only need a quiet place to sit, relax and breath. You can use some apps that will guide you through this process.
- Writing down your to-do list: make a list of all the activities you need to complete during the day. You can make a list of your top 7 that have priority and continue with the others. Having a clear idea of how your day will take place will make everything more organized and productive and you will be surprised how satisfied you’ll feel at the end of the day when everything is marked as completed.
But how do you become a morning person?
It is not easy to wake up an hour earlier and even if there are all these benefits, sometimes getting out of bed seems like a huge undertaking.
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Start by going earlier to bed in the evening. It is difficult getting up at least for the first days because the body and mind may feel the lack of sleep, so try to sleep earlier.
Book your favorite gym course, buy a new outfit and make your breakfast pleasant by allowing yourself some of your favorite foods so you cannot wait to get out of bed to eat the new cereals or wear the new gym look. Think about the things that make you happy and use them as motivation.
Getting up earlier is hard only for the first 5 minutes, but as soon as you set foot in the gym, you will be a happy and satisfied person, while if you postpone everything, the guilt will haunt you and you will not feel satisfied throughout the day.
Better to sleep less than not feeling 100% during the day, right?
Think of a person you admire and imagine that she and all the others, make this “sacrifice” – then turned a precious routine – every morning that helps make it successful. Why can’t you? Do not deprive yourself of these things. Go to be earlier if you need to sleep more.
Not everyone needs the same sleeping hours: there are those who need 5/6 and who need 9. Do not stress yourself on having to sleep for 9 hours if your body requires 6 and if you need it, go to bed earlier but do not give up your morning routine.
