7 HABITS TO DESIGN A LIFE-CHANGING MORNING ROUTINE

As a person who not only hated mornings, but despised morning people, I have evolved into a strong believer in the efficiency of waking up early. Our mornings can go two ways; a relaxed productive morning gearing us towards long-term success, or a stressed morning which comprises of waking up late, and rushing to work or school, setting us up for stagnancy if not failure.

I take motivation and inspiration from successful people, and one of the common denominators in the lives of such successful people is waking up early. Here is a look at the time some of the most successful people in world wake up;

Apple CEO Tim Cook wakes up at 3:45 a.m.

CEO and co-founder of Ellevest, Sallie Krawcheck wakes at 4 a.m.

L. Rafael Reif, President of M.I.T., gets up at 5 a.m.

CEO of Xeroz, Ursula Burns rises at 5:15 a.m.

Michelle Obama wakes up at 4:30 am, to name a few.  

 

Do you want to know the 7 habits I implemented to have a life-changing morning routine?

 

1. MORNING PAGES

Morning pages are the holy grail I live by. I collect my thoughts and ideas in one place, be they dreams, thoughts, troubles or worries. I write it aaallll down, and make room for more productive and positive ideas.   

This is not just venting time; it is also gratitude time. There is so much to be thankful for, and merely recalling them can be a huge morale boost.

 

2. HYDRATE

Your body has been snoozing for hours, and whether you feel it or not, your body is thirsty. I start my day with a glass of water and lemon, as this helps with not only hydrating my body, but also some vitamin C.

As you develop the habit of keeping your body hydrated, you will experience a drastic decrease in your cravings. This will keep your weight in check, keep your skin shiny and fresh, as well as a long list of other benefits that come with it.

 

3. WORKOUT/EXERCISE

While I am a sucker for routines, and cannot stand change, monotony can be a buzz kill and severely affects my ability to perform, especially my writing ability. Thus, not only does exercise break this monotony, it stimulates creativity by firing off endorphins and getting the blood flowing to our brains.

Additionally, along with being an energy boost, exercise helps in staying fit and healthy by burning of those extra calories, thereby keeping you in good shape and health. If you don’t spare time to exercise now, you will not only have to make time but also spend money on your health in the years to come.

 

4. READ A BOOK

“Let’s be reasonable and add an eighth day to the week that is devoted exclusively to reading.” – Lena Dunham

Reading is the second common denominator in the lives of all successful people I have seen or read about. Thus, instead of mindlessly scrolling on social media, I have made it a habit to read a few pages every morning. I realized that due to busy schedules I was losing my love for reading, and thus replaced 20 minutes of social media time to reading a book.

It is very true that some people despite trying do not enjoy reading, and that is okay. Let’s celebrate our difference, in style. I suggest audio books or podcasts for those who for whatever reason can’t read. You can listen to these while doing something else, thereby killing two birds with one stone.  

 

5. STAY DISCONNECTED

Social media comes with pros and a long list of cons. Due to its addictive nature, social media usage increasingly occupies time meant for other activities, or in most cases leaves no time to pursue other activities.

Your mornings are meant to be your YOU time, and checking emails, replying to DMs or checking Instagram stories among others can wait. Stay disconnected from this false reality, and use this time for self-improvement, and enhanced productivity

 

6. EAT THE FROG

Frogs are nasty, literally and figuratively. Eating the frog is basically about getting the most difficult chunk of work out of your day. With these extra hours on your hand, down that difficult bit, and by the time your day starts, you are already ahead of others, less stressed about what you have to do, and most likely will have a relatively relaxed and spaced day.

 

7. CHANGE ONE THING

We can always do something different, something that actually makes a difference and matters, but are either stuck in a bad habit, or too lazy to take on a new one. Use this extra morning time to work on something productive, and build on it gradually to make a difference. Bear in mind, massive success starts with the change in a day.

 

As we come to the end of this article, remember that these extra 3 or so hours are a gift of nature to you. While many spend it sleeping, or struggling to get out of bed, use it to your advantage, and design your mornings for a life-changing experience. 

Here are a few extra tips that helped me

 

Take A Cold Shower; A cold shower in the morning is not only hygienic it is an excellent jolt to being active, and out of the sleep zone. Avoid warm showers, as that relaxes your system, and may tempt to you to crawl right back in bed

 

Make Your Bed; The armed forces are keen on making a perfect bed in the morning, as it builds discipline. But for ordinary peepz like us, it merely prevents us from going back to sleep as the bed is all made up, and making it all over again can be a headache.

… And also the discipline part

 

Don’t Skip Breakfast; It goes without saying, skipping breakfast is a NO NO. skipping breakfast makes you cranky, causes headaches, general weakness, and eventually impacts the quality of your work. If you are unable to eat before leaving for work or school, pack your breakfast and eat it as soon as you can.

For people with desk jobs, it is always best to eat a low-carb breakfast, while those with more manual work regimen can eat a carbohydrate-rich breakfast.

Whatever you do, don’t skip breakfast

 

We are all made differently with different needs, and set on different paths. These are outlines of some of the changes I made in my mornings that set me up for a better life. They may not be what you need in your life right now. These are guidelines aimed to help you in designing your life according to your life and challenges.

"You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream" C. S. Lewis

STAY STRONG AND WORK HARD FOR THE LIFE YOU WANT.