When the alarm clock ring/start/go off, do you think, “Oh goody, another start to the day?"
Really, I’m serious! Stop laughing. What follows is a really, REALLY important question:
What are your morning rituals?
I believe that how we begin the day is a pretty good indicator of the kind of day we’re going to experience. Wake up tired, cranky and short-tempered, you might want to warn people. Wake up ready to move on the “mission,” and make big things happen? Connect with someone in your physical and/or virtual network and ask them to hold you accountable!
Here’s another question that “may” be worth asking:
“When I start the day thinking about potential, possibility and abundance, how does what happens that day change?"
Look, when you start the day behind, looking forward to the end of the day, feeling lonely/frustrated/upset (or all three!), what you do and who you are and how you show up is negatively affected. You don’t want to be “that guy” do you?
What you do early in the morning…That’s your time to “choose your life.” Choose to live. To bring life to the next thing. To “be” all you can be, while you’re doing all you’re doing.
So, here’s the scenario:
The alarm rings, and it's time to start another day. Will it be a productive one? Will clients return the calls you make? Will you be able to provide the best service you can throughout the day? These are questions people have on their minds, whether they're the CEO of Fortune 100 company, an individual contributor within that organization, or a community member with a vision of how things could be better!
Each new morning, we're given the opportunity to engage in habits we’ve put in to place to get us to where we are. What are some of yours? And, are they going to be enough to take you to the next level of who you want to be?
I recently spent 6 months coaching a client with a very focused goal: She wanted to get her most important work done before 11am every day. After spending more than 10 years building her business, she found that what she does in that early part of the day always produces positive results.
Instead of beginning with a new set of routines, we started a basic tracking system. For the first 2 weeks, we talked regularly (sometimes daily) as she created an honest inventory of her morning routine. Once we knew that there were more than 30 things she was doing between the time she woke up and about 11am, then we began to monitor that routine.
Where did we start? She drafted a list of what I call, “I am at my best when...” statements. These are the things that if she does during the day, there is a higher likelihood of things going her way. For example, here are some of mine:
I am at my best when:
- I eat a complete and balanced breakfast.
- I ask for help on a project.
- I spend a little time outside.
- I say thank you to someone who may not expect it.
After you watch the video here, create your inventory and have a day better than most!
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