What does your morning look like?
Do you hit the snooze button after your alarm goes off, doze for another 15 minutes, and then, drag yourself out of bed, stagger into the shower, quickly get dressed, grab your keys and phone and run out the door, grabbing a coffee as you rush to the train station or your car, already thinking about all the emails waiting for you in your work inbox.
Or do rise majestically out of bed with a smile on your face, taking the time to make yourself a coffee, while settling on the couch with a good book, or perhaps going for a run or a walk outside, or doing some gentle yoga? You take a nice relaxing shower, get ready and walk out the door, feeling awake, refreshed and prepared for work.
Your morning may look like one of these scenarios, or perhaps it’s somewhere in between. Whatever the case, the way you spend the first 60 to 90 minutes of your day plays a critical role in how the rest of your day turns out. And how we spend our days is how we spend our lives.
So in this episode, we’re exploring the concept of the morning routine – what it is, why you should pay attention to it, and how it can make you a more productive, higher performing human.
While there are many ways to formulate a morning routine, in addition to my own routine, I share the ‘S.A.V.E.R.S.’ approach, made popular by Hal Elrod in his book The Miracle Morning.
The Miracle Morning ‘SAVERS’:
S – silence – (could be meditation, or just sit and breathe)
A – affirmations – read out 4-5 life affirming sentences
V – visualise – visualise your day, and how it will play out. Make it bright and colourful!
E – exercise – simple movement, like gentle stretching. Tim Ferriss says to do 10 reps of SOMETHING. This is NOT a full workout, it is to get the blood flowing.
R – read – it could be 10 pages, a chapter, or for a set time. Fill your mind with positive, juicy, life enhancing knowledge!
S – scribe (or write) – you can write your priorities for the day, affirmations, gratitudes, or a combination. The 5 Minute Journal is a popular method.
Important things to remember:
- Your routine will be unique to YOU. Play around and see what works. It doesn’t have to be in a certain order or for a set time period.
- Start simple. Implement one or two things, and as they begin to become habit, implement something else.
- Yes, you may have to set your alarm 15 – 60 minutes earlier than usual to implement a morning routine. It may be painful to start with, but think of the positive impact it will have on the rest of your day!
Do you have a morning routine that works for you? Or do you have something you want to start implementing? I invite you to come on over and join our Facebook group for podcast listeners, The C Method Rockstars, and join the discussion!
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