We all have our morning rituals. Some good and some bad. It’s a worthwhile exercise to compare the worlds top performers to us. It becomes an exercise in isolating excellence and implementing the best strategies for ourselves.
I have looked at many of the worlds most productive and impactful people who have been interviewed about their morning routines. With that information I’ve compiled a list of the top trending morning behaviors.
1. Waking up before sunrise
Studies have shown that people who get up early are happier and more productive. This comes from the Journal of Applied Social Psychology and the American Psychological Associations Journal. That makes it no surprise that the top performers in the world all avoid the snooze button.
2. Working out
Working out has a massive list of benefits. One commonly believed benefit is that it extends a persons life and that claim may not be true. A study using twins found that there was no longevity difference between exercise and not. Even if exercise doesn’t increase the length of your life, it will improve the quality of it.
3. Eating Breakfast
They call it the most important meal of the day for a reason. Without it, you don’t get the all important glycogen into your brain and muscles to begin your day. So eating up, early, can change the quality of your life when it is done regularly and routinely.
4. Clearing the Inbox
This might be snail mail, email. or just a small task list. Getting your inbox to empty means that you can prioritize your tasks effectively and predict some of the things that may happen in your day. It also removes a huge source of ambiguity from your day.
5. Meditation
Many believe that meditation is one of the most powerful mental exercises to include in your morning rituals and that it can improve your performance. This only works when practiced regularly. There are lot’s of ways to do it. If you are just getting started, I would recommend the free 10 minutes for 10 days from headspace.com.
6. Journaling
It can be easy to focus on the future but it can cost you. There are things to learn from your past, and effectively journaling can provide you with the reflection you need. Journaling is also a way of acknowledging situation that have already occurred so that your mind doesn’t continually remind you of the traumatic situations of your past.
7. Reading in your morning rituals
If knowledge is power then why not take some of that power for yourself. Information is more accessible than any time in history. Take advantage of the ubiquity of that knowledge. Absorb some for yourself each day and use it to make your life and this world a better place.
8. Goal Setting
People who set goals achieve more then those who don’t. It is that simple. Without a goal, you do not know what direction you are moving toward. Get that out of the way be defining what great thing you are going to do today. As Benjamin Franklin journaled “What good shall I do this day?”
9. Be with Great People
They say that we are the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with. If you are the best person among them, then the average is bringing you down. Why not play the game smarter by associating with people who are greater then you and letting them help elevate your potential.
10. Take Breaks
Breaks help you reset, recharge, and reflect. All the important “R” words. There are a lot of apps and techniques for taking breaks. It sometimes feels counter intuitive that your productivity could increase by working less but it’s worth a shot to add to your morning rituals.
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