Almost everyone has a morning ritual, which they may or may not be aware of having. Having the right morning ritual plays a key part in conditioning the mind and body, which is absolutely crucial for you on the road to becoming more successful.
A typical person’s ritual when they wake up first thing in the morning could be something along the lines of this:
07:00 – Alarm goes off
07:10 – Snooze again
07:20 – Snooze, yet again…
07:30 – Eventually drag themselves out of bed, get in to the shower, wash and brush teeth. Watch the news or read the newspaper to find out what is going on in the world.
08:30 – Leave the house for the daily commute to work
08:59 – Just about make it in to work a split second before 9am
Following this routine every morning will leave you in a rush, stressed out, and un-prepared for the day ahead. Your productivity is going to be just about enough to get through the day, and like a lot of people, you’ll probably end up drinking coffee all day to keep alert.
Now let’s take a look at a totally different example of a morning ritual, which can help condition the mind and prepare the body for a productive and successful day.
07:00 – Alarm goes off, get out of bed straight away (no amount of 10 minute snoozes will help, in fact studies show these snoozes leave you feeling even more tired.) Jump straight in to the shower – a cold shower is even better, it will really wake you up and you can forget about the espresso!
07:15 – Have a healthy, wholegrain breakfast. You have probably heard time and time again, that breakfast is the single most important meal of the day. That is because it is true! By having a healthy wholesome breakfast, opposed to a fatty, typical ‘Full English’ (or even worse, no breakfast at all) your body and mind will get the kick-start required for a successful day ahead. A great example of a healthy breakfast would be wholegrain oats and fruit to start off your day.
07:30 – Read a motivational book, listen to an audio book or watch motivational videos for at least 30 minutes. If you drive to work, listening to an audio book in the car, opposed to music (chewing gum for the ears), you will turn your commute in to a mini seminar and your mind will be prepared for a successful day ahead.
Did you know, if you read for 30 minutes first thing every morning you would read, on average approximately 30 books a year? That’s about how much you would read over the course of a year studying for a degree at university.
08:00 – Now it’s time to get dressed, your mind and body are completely awake and if you want to, you can take a bit more time here dressing to look that little bit more sharper than usual.
08:20 – Leave the house for the commute (or seminar if you’re driving with audiobooks!) to work. It’s nice to arrive at your workplace a bit early and it gives you some time for those unforeseen circumstances which could make you end up rushing, which is definitely not cool.
As strange as it may sound, as you would have noticed if you have ever hit the gym and worked out, or gone for a run first thing in the morning, your body feels energised throughout the rest of the day. In a very similar way, mental conditioning first thing in the morning such as reading inspirational books, listening to audiobooks or watching videos, will leave your mind energised for the day ahead.
Why not try giving yourself a morning ritual, and following it every day for the next two weeks? I am sure you will be amazed at the results! If you have a morning ritual already, feel free to share below in the comments, it is always great to see different peoples routines!
I’d like to leave you with the following Chinese Proverb, for some inspiration.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
Photo 1 Credits: Al-Mobtasem
Photo 2 Credits: link