I believe the morning is the foundation upon which I build my entire day – mentally, physically, and spiritually. I find that if I start the day by doing the habits listed in this article, I am usually happier, healthier, and more productive throughout the day. On the other hand, if my morning is chaotic and rushed I find that my energy runs out later in the day and I generally get a lot less done. Here are ten morning habits I believe will provide you with a solid foundation upon which to go about your entire day:
1. Wake Earlier
It seems there are endless articles online espousing the benefits of waking earlier. But when you think about it, this really is the key to overhauling your morning routine. With more time, you are free to develop the habits listed in this article and actually enjoy the morning free from the pressure of having to rush out the door.
2. Have a ‘”Holy Hour”
One of my favorite personal development coaches advocates taking a “Holy Hour” each morning. Basically this is an hour you devote to working on yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually. If you do this, instead of turning on the computer soon after you wake up (as I know many people do in this modern age), you will set yourself up for a great day. – I need to improve on this one making turning on my computer step 11.
3. Meditate
Meditation is the practice of silencing the mind, and the morning is a particularly good time to do it. Just a few of its many benefits include improved concentration, better health, and increased knowledge of self.
4. Visualize the Day Ahead
A simple, yet extremely powerful, exercise to practice in the morning is to shut your eyes and visualize how you want the day to unfold. This will give you direction as you go about your day and help you to avoid getting distracted with “urgent” but unimportant tasks.
5. Read and/ or Listen to Motivational Material
This may sound cheesy, but one of the reasons I love the morning is that an entire day of endless possibilities lies ahead. One of the best ways to ignite this spirit of endless possibilities is to devour some motivational material, whether it is in the form of a book, audio book or podcast.
6. Think the Impossible
Since we are on the subject of endless possibilities, why not try an exercise that is inspired by the White Queen in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland:
“Alice laughed: “There’s no use trying,” she said; “one can’t believe impossible things.”
“I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
Allowing your mind to let go of the rational and, instead, to explore the world of the “impossible” is a great way to get your creative juices flowing. And Aristotle did once say that the mark of an educated or mature mind is that it’s able to “entertain a thought without accepting it.”
7. Eat a Nutritious Breakfast
A nutritious and balanced breakfast is essential if you want to fire up your metabolism and keep yourself powered up throughout your day.
“Simple carbs release sugar in the body at a faster rate than complex carbs, fats, and protein, and give the body an immediate “up” feeling. But it is short-lived, and if you are in the habit of a high carb breakfast you are constantly fighting a battle for energy during the day.”
So forget the carbs and instead eat whole-grain cereal, eggs, fresh fruit or a even a health shake for breakfast.
8. Exercise
There are immense benefits to exercising in the morning. First, it raises your metabolism which helps to burn calories all day. Second, it starts the day with a positive accomplishment. I always feel ready to take on anything after exercising, and it is great to carry this momentum into the day.
9. Sharpen Your Brain
Exercising your brain is as important (if not more!) than exercising your muscles. Some fun activities to keep your mind sharp include Sudoku, Kakuro (my personal favorite), crosswords, quizzes, and brain teasers. – Does posting a well written blog count?
10. Take Time to Look Good
It’s a fact of life that people judge us by our appearance. For this reason, it’s a good idea to spend a few extra minutes in the morning to ensure you go out into the world looking the best you can. In fact, a recent study by two economists found “extra time spent grooming has a positive and significant effect on both men’s and women’s earnings”. This was found to be especially true for men, where “10 minutes daily grooming increases their weekly wages by 6 percent”.
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