Your start-up sequence - after you wake up - affects your mood and sets the tone for your day. While you can make shifts and practice good habits later in the day, it's better to get quick wins with your morning routine.

In episode 14 of The Incrementalist podcast, you will learn: 

1. A routine doesn’t have to be rigid. You could have different themes depending on your energy level, the focus of your day, the season of your life, or the season of the year. 

2. A routine may include fixed tasks or variable tasks. A fixed task is what you do every morning; maybe it's drinking water or tea, or taking a walk. A variable task is what you can move or drop depending on the situation; maybe it's eating breakfast or going to the gym.  You decide what’s negotiable and what’s not.  

3. The difference between a routine and a ritual. A routine is a sequence of behaviors and habits that you do in a certain order. They are things you do automatically and repeatedly without conscious thought.  A ritual requires focus and attention to the present moment.  Rituals are meaningful activities you do deliberately. 

4. Key things to include in your morning routine - 

• Movement
• Sunlight
• Quick wins, e.g. make your bed, drink water

5. Key things to avoid in your morning routine - 

• Online activity, e.g. social media, news, emails
• The snooze button or multiple alarms
• Sugary foods

6. Hal Elrod's 6 steps to create a morning routine and save you from a life of unfulfilled potential. They are Life S.A.V.E.R.S

• Silence
• Affirmation
• Visualization
• Exercise
• Reading
• Scribing

Resources cited: 

• Hal Elrod, The Miracle Morning
• The Incrementalist podcast, Ep. 2, Building Good Habits
• The Incrementalist podcast, Ep. 3, Breaking Bad Habits

Music by:

• Sebastian Brian Mehr

Dyan Williams
Check out the book: The Incrementalist, A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps
Visit website: www.dyanwilliams.com
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