Welcome
You want to start the day feeling like you can take on the world! And with this routine, nothing can stand in your way.
We’ve all done it…
The alarm goes off and you know that you need to get up and prepare for the day.
But instead, you roll over, hit the snooze button, and give yourself that sweet extra 30 minutes in bed.
The alarm goes off again and you have to get up now..
Everything’s a mad rush as you force some food down your throat and race to the office. And while you’re sitting there looking disheveled, you know that you’re going to have a bad day.
There’s just no energy left inside you.
A poor or rushed morning routine leaves you feeling like garbage before you even step out of the door. But in this article, I’m going to share a routine that will leave you feeling bulletproof. With this routine, nothing will be able to stand in your way.
But first…let’s look at a client of mine who didn’t quite have it right.
Adam’s Routine
During a recent Mastermind session, I had a chance to chat with a client of mine named Adam. He told me that he often feels like he’s puttering around and has little direction in his work.
So, I asked him a question.
What does your morning routine look like?
He told me that he wakes up at 6am every morning and checks his emails. Then, he does the usual stuff. He shaves, showers, gets dressed, and grabs a little breakfast. After that, he’s on the road and doing what he needs to do. That often involves driving to several hospitals during the day, so he often has a pretty big to-do list.
I bet that sounds like a familiar routine to you. In fact, it’s the exact routine that so many of us follow. And buried within that routine is a blunder that you need to avoid…
The Big Mistake That Adam (And Other Business Owners) Make
Notice what Adam says he does before anything else when he wakes up in the morning.
He checks his emails.
He opens his eyes, shoves a bright screen in his face, and puts himself into work mode. Maybe he jumps on social media too or checks a few of his texts.
But the point is, he’s piling on stress before he’s even fully woken up.
That’s how he starts his day.
He already has work on his mind from the first minute and that can create a ton of anxiety. It’s also the reason why he has such a basic morning routine. He simply rushes through it because he needs to make a start.
Do you do the same thing?
The smartphone is one of the most amazing inventions of the 21st century. It gives us access to information whenever we want it.
But that is also the biggest downfall of mobile devices. If you’re going to check emails as soon as you wake up, you may as well just sleep at the office!
I know that Adam needs a better routine. He needs to use his mornings to energize himself so that he can throw himself into the day.
Thankfully, I have just the routine for him. This is what I do every single morning to make myself bulletproof.
Step #1 – Set an Alarm That Has Pump Up Music
I hate that loud beeping that so many alarms have. I hear it and I just want to turn it off as fast as possible. I think it’s this irritating tone that makes it so easy for people to hit the snooze button. It’s the kind of tone that shocks you awake in an unpleasant way so you just want it to shut up and leave you alone.
Instead of that terrible tone, I program my alarm with music that pumps me up. Any tune that gets me going in the morning is good enough for me. I want my day to start with energy, which is exactly what the music gives me.
Step #2 – Wake Up Before Anybody Else in the House
I have a wife, kids, and two dogs. Can you imagine the chaos if I woke up last out of all of them?
I’d get out of bleary-eyed to the sound of madness in the house. And you can bet that my stress levels would shoot through the roof because of it.
That’s why I wake up before everybody else. This allows me to wake up on my own terms. And it gives me some time to get my mind right before I invite the chaos of the world into my life.
Step #3 – Drink a Big Glass of Water
Let’s say you sleep for eight hours straight.
That’s a third of a day. And while you’re snoring away, your body isn’t getting the essential water that it needs to thrive. So when you wake up, you’re naturally dehydrated.
Yet so many of us don’t reach for water.
Instead, we make coffee, have an energy drink, and consume anything that will give us a short-term energy boost.
Replenishing your body’s water supply is a priority when you wake up. So grab a glass, fill it with water, and just gulp the stuff down. You’ll perk up faster because your body has what it needs to function.
Step #4 – Find a Sacred Place in Your House
Your sacred place is where you go so that nobody can bother you.
Maybe it’s a study room or a nice spot in the garden. Simply put, it’s your escape from the world where you can go to collect your thoughts and prepare for the day.
Create your sacred space and make sure that everybody in the house knows not to go there when you’re waking up.
Step #5 – Practice Meditation
Meditation slows your brainwaves and gets you centered. It helps you to get focused on the day ahead. And, best of all, it’s super easy to do.
Find a tutorial on YouTube or download a meditation app on your phone. Just give yourself that 15 minutes of reflective time and you’ll come out feeling energized. You may even have a revelation or two along the way.
Step #6 – Write in a Journal (To Complete Your Unfinished Thoughts)
I have a problem with repetitive and impulsive thoughts. And the big problem with them is that these thoughts don’t always reach a conclusion.
For example, I used to have thoughts about how I hated my former business partner, Todd. I’d think that I’m not getting paid enough and that I’m doing all of the work.
And those thoughts stopped there, so I’d go into the day feeling angry and frustrated.
I started journaling to process these thoughts. So I’d start off with “I hate Todd because <insert reason>”. But as I put pen to paper, I also focused my mind on the relationship we had. And that allowed me to think about the positives:
Todd also put the money into the business 10 years ago. He got us our track record and reputation.
My journal allowed me to complete my thoughts and come away thinking positively.
Step #7 – Write a Note to Your Partner
I write post-it notes to my wife and daughter every single day. The reason for this is because I’m already grinding by the time they wake up. I know that I need to show them that I’m still connected to them, even when I’m working.
Those notes show them that I’m dedicated to them and I’m thinking about them. It’s a little thing, but it’s amazing what it can do when it comes to the connection you have with your family.
Step #8 – Get Your Body Moving
I do a workout every morning. It works for me. But I also know that a full morning workout isn’t for everyone.
Even so, you need to find a way to get active. If you don’t want to go all out with the exercise, just knock out your age in push-ups and body squats. It’ll take about five minutes and it gets your blood pumping. That little bit of exercise changes your state and wakes you up.
Step #9 – Read Something That Nurtures You
I love to read in the morning. Leaders are readers.
However, I will not read the news or scroll through my social media feeds.
Instead, I pick up a novel I’m enjoying and read a chapter. Or, I grab a book that teaches me how to do something new. I always read with a highlighter to help me retain key points.
When I read, I want what I’ve read to nurture me, rather than detract from me.
Stop letting the news and social media drain the energy out of you. Read something of value and I promise, you’ll feel better for it.
Try the Power Hour
All in, these steps should take you about an hour to follow. In fact, I call this my “Power Hour”. By the time I’m done, I’m ready to go and I know that nothing can stop me.
It’s only after I’ve done all of this that I’ll even start to think about work.
Give it a try yourself. You might tweak and change a few things, but the whole point here is to get a routine that works for you. Just think about how valuable it is to have that energized feeling every single day! That’s how to get you and your business to the next level. And to find out more, just go here.
