Win The Morning
How you start your day significantly influences the remainder of your day. If you wake up in a low state of energy, not excited for what is to come, and wishing you did not have to get out of bed, making the day end on a higher state of energy will be hard.
Conversely, if you start your day excited, ready to get to the tasks on your to-do list, and in a high state of energy it is more likely that your day will end in a similar high state of energy and be productive and enjoyable.
Obviously, waking up each morning in a high-energy state is ideal and what you would probably choose if given the opportunity, but the likelihood that you wake up EVERY morning in that state is not 100%--even the most content, fulfilled, and happiest individual has mornings where they aren’t operating at their typical high energy level.
This is where morning routines can come in handy.
Having a series of activities to get your Self into a higher state of energy, or maintain it if you’re already there, can set the tone for the rest of your day. Despite what many experts say, I don’t believe there is one “right” morning routine to follow–you must figure out what works for you.
It makes sense to build your morning routine around activities that stimulate a higher level of energy–these activities don’t have to be anything overly complicated or even time-intensive. It could be as simple as making the morning alarm tone a song that pumps you up; the first sound you hear is a song that makes you happy and gets you moving. Or, it could be a little more physical and getting up and doing a series of pushups, situps, and air squats–nothing crazy but just enough to wake the body up, circulate some endorphins, and have the sense of feeling a little bit stronger to start the day.
Again, there’s no right routine. But, you owe it to your Self to set your day up to be a high-energy, productive, and enjoyable day…every day.
I’m sure you’ve heard the quote, “If you win the morning, you win the day.” As I was thinking about today’s note, that quote kept popping into my head, but I didn’t know who actually said it–I figured it was some old football coach or motivational speaker. I was surprised to see Tim Ferriss as the individual credited with the quote. I wasn’t surprised that Ferriss said it–I was surprised that the saying did not become famous and quotable until recently.
After the first few minutes of the day, you begin to lose control over how the day will unfold–life begins, distractions come, unexpected phone calls happen, and the day can head in a direction you never anticipated. You may not be able to control everything that happens during the day, but you can control how you receive and react to the day’s events, which is all set by the mindset and energy YOU establish at the beginning of your day.
“Win the morning, win the day.”
See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,
JC
