What successful people do in the morning

Get Your Morning Off to a Successful Start

Taking the time early each morning (yes even on the weekend) to reflect, refocus, rethink and renew. It’s what successful people do to insure a successful productive day.

Do you get to the end your your day and wonder where the time went?

When someone asks you what you did all day… are you at a loss?

Do you keep thinking that tomorrow will be different?  You’ll finally get a grip on your time…

Tony Robbins calls it his hour of power. Jairek Robbins calls it his miracle morning. I call it my Daily Focus.

How do they do it?

Here are eight ways to get your morning off to a successful start:

Get Up early: Research shows that our most productive time is the first 2-4 hours right after getting up (yes even if you think you are a night owl).  Get your most challenging work done soon after you get up. Start with your most demanding and high priority work at that time.

Have a plan:  Focus on the same key things during my daily focus/meditation/prayer time.  Here are some questions to reflect on:

• How do I want to show up today? (feeling and being)
• What did I accomplish yesterday?
• What are my top three priorities for today?

It’s simple but powerful.  Create a plan and a calendar for the week that lets you know not only the obligations you have such as appointments or meetings but the sacred times you’ve set aside for accomplishing goals.

Create a routine:  Not only is it important to have a plan for the day, but also have a routine for your reflection time.

• Spend some time writing in your journal.
• Create your daily priorities.
• Spend time in prayer or meditation.
• Read some inspirational material.
• Write in your gratitude journal.

Focus:  No multi-tasking allowed!  This is not time to catch the news on the television while you practice some breathing to get centered and send a text message to a friend.

Set priorities:  This doesn’t refer to just your work but also to your relationships and your time to unwind.  What you plan for and prioritize you will do.  Think you don’t have enough time to do it all?  It’s not a time problem, it’s a priority problem.

Practice Gratitude:  Recognizing the things that you are grateful for is the precursor to joy and happiness.  Be sure to spend some time appreciating the many blessings you have.  If you start your day by being grateful, you will set the tone for the day.

Stay active:  Plan some exercise and active time early in the day.  It will lift your mood, rev up your metabolism and keep you healthy.

Be still:  Successful people know the importance of being still.  You can’t run an engine 24/7 without a breakdown. Set aside some time to pray, meditate and be still.  Even the stuffy corporate world is recognizing the benefits of the practice of meditation and mindfulness.

Be consistent:  Consistent action over time leads to success.  Having a morning focus time is not just a sometime thing but a daily thing.  Yes, even on the weekend.  Trust me, once you get used to it you will miss it when you don’t have it.

Celebrate:  Make sure it’s not all work and no play.  Celebrate big wins.  Celebrate little wins.  Read something thoughtful or funny or hilarious…Celebrate life!

Successful people live life differently.  They establish consistent routines, focus and set priorities. Success is a 24/7 lifestyle choice but it isn’t a secret.  It’s an intentional way of life.

How do you start your day?  I’d love to hear what works (and doesn’t work) for you!

Want to get on track?

Grab a copy of my workbook: Dream Achiever: Simple Steps to a Productive Life