Not everybody is successful, simply because not everyone is doing the right things to be successful.
People crave for success, but are not aware the small little things that work most effectively to put them on the success ladder.
Successful people know that time is a precious commodity. And while theirs is easily eaten up by phone calls, meetings, and sudden crises once they’ve gotten to the office, the morning hours are under their control. That’s why many of them rise before the sun, squeezing out as much time as they can to do with as they please.
Here are the 15 things you need to do every morning that will put you on the path of being super successful!
Apply them to your everyday life from today itself!
- Wake-up Early
In a poll of 20 executives cited by Vanderkam, 90% said they wake up before 6 a.m. on weekdays. PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, for example, wakes at 4 a.m. and is in the office no later than 7 a.m. Meanwhile, Disney CEO Bob Iger gets up at 4:30 to read, and Square CEO Jack Dorsey is up at 5:30 to jog. That’s right, early rising is a common trait found in many CEOs, government officials, and other influential people. These heads of the corporate giants know that utilizing the morning hours before work are the key to a successful, and healthy, lifestyle. Mediation in the early hours is also some CEOs resort to.
The bottom line: Productive mornings start with early wake-up calls.
- Drink A Glass or Two of Water
After not drinking anything while sleeping, your body is actually more dehydrated than you might think. Down a glass of water first thing in the morning, and you will be surprised how much that impacts your sense of physical well-being. You will see the difference in just a few days, how productive you make yourself, after having hydrated yourself and having all the toxins flushed out of the body, right at the start of each day.
- Give Your Body A Decent Workout
Most people that work out daily, work out in the morning. Whether it’s a morning yoga session or a trip to the gym, exercising before work gives you a boost of energy for the day and that deserved sense of accomplishment. Morning workouts also eliminate the possibility of flaking out on your cardio after a long day at work. Even if you aren’t bright eyed and bushy tailed at the thought of a 5 a.m. jog, try waking up 15 minutes early for a quick bedside set of pushups or stretching. It’ll help wake up your body, and prep you for an energetic day. And hence the results.
- Map Out Your Day To The Precision
Maximize your potential by mapping out your schedule for the day, as well as your goals and to dos. The morning is a good time for this as it is often one of the only quiet times a person gets throughout the day. The early hours foster easier reflection that helps when prioritizing your activities. They also allow for uninterrupted problem solving when trying to fit everything into your timetable.
- Give Yourself a Healthy Breakfast.
We all know that rush out the door with a cup of coffee and an empty stomach feeling. You sit down at your desk, and you’re already wondering how early the cafeteria guy starts to serve snacks. No good! You are wasting time wondering about food, while you should have been on to some productive task already. Instead, take good time in the morning to fuel your body for the tasks ahead of it. It will help keep your mind on what’s at hand and not your growling stomach.
- Visualise and Gain Perspectives
These days we talk too much about our physical health, but sometimes our mental health gets overlooked. The morning is the perfect time to spend some quiet time inside your mind meditating or visualizing. Take a moment to visualize your day ahead of you, focusing on the successes you want to have and how to reach there, without getting distracted. Even just a minute of visualization and positive thinking can help improve your mood and outlook on your work load for the day.
- Handle the Most Dreaded Task In The Morning
We all have that one item on our to do list that we dread. It looms over you all day (or week) until you finally suck it up and do it after much procrastination. Here’s an easy tip to save yourself the stress – do that least desirable task, the first thing, right in the morning. The morning is the time when you are more well rested and your energy level is up. Therefore, you are more well equipped to handle more difficult projects. And look at it this way, your day will get progressively easier, not the other way around. By the time your work day is ending, you’re winding down with easier to dos and heading into your free time more relaxed. Success right there!
- Reflect on Your Values, Reiterating Them
To be successful, you need to make decisions from your core set of beliefs and what character traits you want to cultivate. This may not always be easy to remember in the heat of the moment. Spend a minute or two each morning, in a calm frame of mind, reminding yourself of these values, and what they mean to you: “I am kind; I am compassionate; I see the best in others; I make decisions quickly; I am here for greatness; I wish to create good.
- Check Your Mails For A Set Time
It’s important to check in with your mailbox at the beginning of the day to know the course of action for the day. Your mailbox may be pointing towards some important action needed from you which you have not added to your schedule. Also, checking the mails from the team members, subordinates and bosses, makes sure that everyone has what they need to have a fulfilling, productive day. However, don’t “fall” into an email pit and spend the whole morning on email: set a time limit (say, 30 minutes) and address only the most important emails at that time.
- Pay Attention To Your Partners
Remember that your partner is preparing for their day, too. They might need a few words of encouragement from you, or a quick back rub to relax, and a few minutes of your attention can make all the difference in the world. Remember, “successful” doesn’t just mean at work!
- Organise The Things Around
There is something relaxing and recharging about coming home after a long day’s work to a clean home. While it may be tempting to leave that outfit you decided not to wear on the bed, or your dirty dishes on the counter, you will pay the irritating price for it later, when you enter the room dead tired. So, take those extra 30 seconds and straighten up the things in the room and in the kitchen to return home and feel fresh.
- Take Your Vitamins and Supplements
For many people, the morning is the most consistent time of the day, and so lends itself well to doing daily tasks like taking your vitamins and health supplements or remembering to give your pets their medications. A healthy, energetic and fulfilled body, free of fatigue and ailments is always charged to take on a new set of challenges! And that is where the secret to success lies.
- Avoid Distractions At All Costs
As tempting as it might be to pop in on the Facebook first thing in the morning, or get that one remaining unimportant chore done, it’s usually a good idea to eliminate distractions so that you can focus on the important work of creating your day. Schedule time for those leisure and mundane tasks later. Morning time is to focus on the things like, how to make a business presentation super effective, reading your favourite section of newspaper to get hold of that extra bit of information that can bring a tip for business.
- Plant The Seeds for Next Tough Project
Take a look at your tasks and anticipate what are going to be the toughest projects in hand. Start to mentally prepare yourself, and reflect on the open questions that need answering. Your subconscious brain will continue to think about these things throughout the day, and will often come up with the solutions for you. Prepare for the project and chalk out the research plan for the same. Morning hours are the best time to do it.
- Spare A Moment To Think of What All You Are Grateful For
It’s easy to think about everything that stresses you out, but the truth is likely that you have far more things to be grateful for than you have things to be worried about. Remind yourself of this each morning by thinking of at least 5 things that you are grateful for. You will start your day happier and more confident that life really is good. Happiness and confidence are the most imperative keys to success.
So here you go! Make all these your every morning habits because habits are all about efficiency. If you do the same routine day in and day out, not only will you get the results you want, but you also will spend less mental energy doing that routine because it has become automatic. That mental energy can be used for the important pursuits in your life. You will see the difference in your productivity for yourself, and hence the success.
Which one from this list will YOU implement in your mornings? Do share with us.
Lots of Love and all the best for your success!
Team Youngisthan!
