A while back, I heard a TED Talk about procrastination, something many leaders wrestle with at some point in their career. The speaker suggested that when you hit the “Snooze” button on your alarm in the morning, you are actually starting your day by procrastinating! It completely reframed the way I thought about those extra cozy minutes in my bed in the morning. So, I put my phone (which I use for my alarm) in another room entirely, so that I’d have to get out of bed to turn off the alarm. Once up, I committed to beginning my morning routine with gusto!
Another TED Speaker (whose name I remember!) is Mel Robbins. Mel speaks about her Millionaire Morning routine. Her suggestions include:
Don’t touch your phone first thing in the morning.
Spend 30 minutes on your most important priority before 7:30 a.m.
Allow your mind to wander a bit at the start of the day.
I add:
- Take time to connect with your creator in whatever way works best for you. I do 20 minutes of meditation and prayer.
- Write a gratitude list for the day before. What wonderful things happened in your day that you can express your thanks for? Some do this at the end of the day and that’s fine too.
- Read something that requires effort to learn.
Yes, I had to get up a little earlier. AND, the quality of mhttps://unsplash.com/y day has dramatically improved as I’ve made my morning routine a priority before I start my work.
Coaching Question: What would you like to do to make your morning more effective?
photo credit: Pepi Stojanovski via unsplash