One of the best ways to win the day is to control what you do in the morning. Studies show that those who start their morning early (waking up with intention), are more proactive, more optimistic and better planners.
Photo Credit: Joshua Earle
I have put together a list of five components to help you WIN your morning.
1. Make A Commitment
Especially if you’re not a morning person, you must get committed. Write it down, post it on your bathroom mirror, set three alarms, do whatever it takes in order for you to be committed to controlling your morning routine. Otherwise it won’t stick. Sure, you might make it through a week or two, but in the long run without a commitment in place, it will fade into the dust of busyness and lack of time.
2. Start The Night Before
Get in bed earlier if you want to commit to a morning routine. I have found that if I plan the night before (SPOILER ALERT: That’s my next post, “End Your Day Just As Strong”) it’s easier to get out of bed when the first alarm goes off. Too many times I have tried and failed by cramming in more work at night and getting in bed an hour or two later than I should and expect a cheerful start in the morning. In most cases, I hit the snooze button multiple times and the next thing I know I’m behind on time and rushed in the morning. That is a recipe for a stressful day, not a winning day.
3. Be Quiet
We currently live in the most advanced and innovative time the human population has ever seen. Technology has connected us in ways that 20 years ago were unimaginable. People are selling, sharing and passing out their point of view everywhere we look and listen. We live in a noisy world. The stillness of the morning is a great time to be just that – still. Take some time to reflect on where you have been, where you are and where you want to go. Pause and think of the things you are thankful for in your life. My personal worldview is that I am a small piece of what God is working to accomplish in His kingdom. So, I take this time to read the Bible and refresh my soul and my purpose each morning.
4. Read and Write
It’s easy for me to pick up a book in the morning, but writing is a whole different ball game. I started journaling, which has helped me slow down in this fast paced world we live in. It gives me a chance to write down what I did yesterday, what I am thankful for, how I am feeling and what I need to accomplish today. In a noisy world, writing daily allows me to shuffle through the junk and pen out what is important.
5. Exercise
As a professional athlete, this comes easy for me. For many, exercising in general, let alone in the morning, can be tough and no fun. If I could just encourage you to start adding an exercise routine into your morning schedule, I promise you will be pleased with how you feel and the long-term results. Research shows that exercising in the morning puts you in a better mood and boosts your metabolism. Guess what that means? You’re burning calories all day long!
Here is what my morning routine looks like:
5:35 AM
Wake-up and get dressed.
5:45 AM
Make my morning brew (spark + rehydrate – WOW so good!) and sit in my reading chair for quiet time (my wife surprised me with an awesome reading chair for our 1st wedding anniversary!).
What I read (currently) during quiet time:
– It Is Finished, 365 Days of Good News by Tullian Tchividjian (on my iPad) – Tullian is a fantastic writer and each day consists of about a page and half of Good News!
– YouVersion: The One Year Bible by Tyndale House Publishers (on my iPad) – This is a great way to read through the Bible in a year! It is broken up into daily readings from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. It’s an excellent way to receive God’s word.
6:10 AM
Write in my daily journal.
I use Evernote as my journal space and the template I follow is from Michael Hyatt’s journal entry template. If you haven’t heard or follow Michael Hyatt, I suggest you spend some time on his website. He is one of the best mentors I have come across and the content he provides is very practical.
Note: I do not check my phone for email or social media until after I have written in my journal. Otherwise, I get too distracted and begin to lose my morning and focus.
6:35 AM
Exercise (I eat a snack before exercising – I don’t recommend working out on an empty stomach.)
I exercise 6 days a week and take one day off. I do strength training (lifting weights) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I do cardio (stair-master, bike, run, etc.) on Wednesday and Saturday. Sunday is my day off. My workouts range anywhere from 60 minutes to 90 minutes. To take a peek inside my supplement tool box and see which supplements I use for my training and recovery, please click here.
8:00 AM
Eat breakfast and Ready to WIN the day!
I am very intentional on how I start my morning but like everyone else, there are times I fail and miss my morning routine. I travel a lot as I speak to businesses, school and organizations, which requires an adjustment in my morning routine. I have also simply missed my morning routine before. When that happens, I remember to reset and restart. I actually wrote a post on how to do that.
Question: What works in the morning for you? Send an email as I would love to hear your morning routine.
