02/29/2020
I've found that owning my mornings exponentially improves my day. Taking ownership of your morning can mean different things to different people; however, common characteristics of this ownership are: intention, habit, and consistency. What you may find is that incorporating more intention, habit, and routine into your day...you will unlock some previously untapped potential.
Here are a few simple ways to own the morning...
Set a standard wake-up time and stick to it! This is the basis of the routine. Having a set schedule that you wake (and ideally go to sleep as well). Once you have your baseline, you can start forming more intention and ritual around this time.
Make your bed! The first thing after waking you should do it make your bed. This is a simple step toward controlling the fate of your day. No matter what happens next, you've got a neatly made bed. Your day can go a million different directions but when you come home you will be welcomed by a representation of your discipline and routine.
Prep what you can the night before! Lay out your clothes, set-up your first meetings, prepare your food for the day. Anything that you can do BEFORE waking will directly transfer over into more productive and better preparedness.
Start the day with a reflection or reminder of your intention. This can and should be unique to you. Give yourself some 'me' time before getting going with your day. Common practices include mindful breathing, journaling, thought & reflection, or reading. Whatever it is...make sure you add it into your routine within the first few moments of your day. This should come before checking your email, scrolling the gram, or getting into your work mode.
Move ya body! Doesn't have to be a hardcore workout but getting your body going will help get your mind going. This can be as simple as some light stretching, a few set of push-ups, or a quick jog moving at an EZ pace. If you want to get after with some intensity, that's awesome, I would just recommend that you allow yourself a little time for some of the above steps before blasting "get down with the sickness" and doing Fran ;)
No matter if you're a morning person or not...it's tough to argue that the beginning of your day sets the tone for the rest of your day. By implementing one or two of these routines, hopefully you will realize some of the benefits of owning your day. Get after it, folks!