From the course: Time Management Tips

Create a morning ritual

From the course: Time Management Tips

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Create a morning ritual

- The philosopher Aristotle is credited with saying, "Well begun is half done," meaning if you start something right, you're already halfway toward completion. Nowhere is that truer than how you begin each day. However, there's no perfect formula for how to begin your day. What I'd like to do is offer some suggestions for you to consider, and then you can implement these and see what works best. First, consider when you start each day. The more consistent you can be with this, the better it is for your body. Seek to avoid having different times that you start during the weekdays and the weekend. Of course, this requires that you've established a good routine for sleep the night before. Next, consider what you need to hear or read in order to get your mind focused in the right direction. For example, some people find it energizing to listen to a certain type of music. Others prefer listening to motivational or educational literature or even a podcast. Others find reading a helpful start to their day in terms of inspirational text or even articles related to their industry. You don't need to spend a lot of time in this step. For some, as little as five minutes is enough to get their mind in the right place. Next, some people find some value in beginning their day with exercise. While exercise certainly has value at any time of the day, I've worked with leaders who find that exercise get the blood flowing to their mind. It also gives them more energy. Also, take a close look at what you eat for breakfast. Skipping breakfast is almost always a poor choice, as you're not feeding your body the nutrients that it needs to perform properly during the day. I'm not a dietician, so I don't feel qualified to tell you what to eat. However, what I can tell you is to pay attention to what you eat, and recognize how those foods affect you afterward. For instance, I know if I'm going to record a video like this, it's a really bad idea for me to have sugars in the morning, because it will drain me and leave me without energy. You may even want to keep a simple breakfast journal for a couple of weeks. Write down what you ate, and write down how much energy you had two hours later. There are also many other practices that you should consider, things that might be unique to your career or industry, such as a writer starting every day by writing 100 words or a salesperson starting every day by reaching out and making one business contact. No matter what you choose for your morning routine, commit to it. Calculate how much time you think all of this activity is going to take, and budget time for it on your calendar every morning. Give yourself a little extra time in that budget so that you don't feel rushed. The more you experiment with and implement your daily routine, the more you will settle into a pattern that helps you achieve the most every day.

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