It’s no secret that routines often reap high rewards, especially those in the morning. If you have done any kind of research on this matter, you know there is a long list of reasons to rise early in the morning.
If the facts are all laid out in front of you, what are you still waiting for?
Here’s how it all started for me.
I had heard great things about organizing and prioritizing mornings. So, I decided to take the plunge and put these ideas into practice. I set out to create my own set of morning rituals and find out the truth for myself.
After only a few months of implementing these changes, I figured just about anyone can benefit from waking up with the sun. In fact, busy people might just need morning rituals more than anyone else to keep their days productive.
Modern life can be fast paced, ever changing, busy, and stressful. For many, we are constantly interacting with a variety of clients and multitasking to get a to-do list complete. Taking time each morning to slow down may just help those of us who are busy. Having a specific morning routine helps you to be more organized and less stressed out, ultimately making you a better professional and much more productive.
Whatever it is you need to get done, if it’s a slow start to the day with a lot of take care of, then you are almost guaranteed to struggle throughout the rest of the day.
A morning routine helps set the tone for the rest of your day. If you are not a morning person, you may be thinking, “all that sounds nice, but it just isn’t going to happen.” But I am here to tell you that it doesn’t matter if you absolutely hate waking up early, you can still incorporate a morning routine to have a productive and successful day.
Waking up late, skipping breakfast, and rushing to work makes you feel like you’re trying to catch up all day.
If you already have a lot on your plate, there is no time to fall behind. If you work in a position where you need to be energized, enthusiastic and radiate positivity, how can you possibly expect to do these things when you are struggling from mental fatigue?
Each night our energy canteen is refilled, but as soon as we wake up in the morning it starts draining. Every decision we make takes away from our energy and willpower. Furthermore, when we spend all morning making meaningless decisions, the energy is drained even faster.
Trust me when I say this - avoiding mental fatigue ensures better proactivity and productivity throughout the day. Knowing exactly how the first hour of your day will look reduces stress and anxiety to a great extent. You are able to focus on the important things and start thinking about what to prioritize.
If I still haven’t convinced you to recreate your mornings, then take Mark Zuckerberg’s word for it.
He wears the same shirt every day to avoid fatigue. When asked about it he said, “I really want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community.” Having a full life is pretty awesome, but it doesn’t come without its own set of challenges. We are tasked with goals, obligations, responsibility, and people relying on us.
Here are my rituals, that I follow religiously everyday:
A mixture of a cold or warm bath, three minutes of yoga, a bowl of matcha tea, taking a few deep breaths for thinking about how grateful I am for the simple things in life that I’ve achieved, followed by a 15-minute run. I like to earn my bath!
In addition to all those, morning rituals such as visualization and meditation help me keep my creative juices flowing. My best ideas always seem to come to me when I’m least expecting it and not forcing it. Being the first to rise can make all the difference.
For instance, I recall having slacked off quite a lot attempting to create this mega guide on setting up a dropshipping website for my ecommerce blog.
But, on one fine day, I decided to rise up early, throw away the procrastination in the trash, and my fingers and head worked in unison to create something I couldn’t accomplish for many days.
Do you reach for your phone first thing in the morning? Are you scrolling through social media feeds or checking your email before your body has even had the chance to wake up?
We’ve all been there and it’s squashing our creative juices.
I used to think that checking my phone right when I opened my eyes helped me to wake up. I could not have been more wrong. Going on your phone and social media first thing in the morning is not an ideal morning routine for a productive day.
Yes, it’s important for us busy folks in the modern world to stay up to date with current events and trends, but you will have all day to check your phone. If you absolutely have to check your email before starting your work day, do it at the end of your routine.
As soon as you start opening those messages, there is no going back. Your mind starts working a mile a minute and you become laser focused on what needs to be done. Only respond to pressing matters, and prioritize everything else for later in your day.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a morning ritual everyday, for the rest of your life. Experiment with it. Find what works for you.
Always remember that what works for one person, won’t necessarily be the best for you. If you don’t know where to start, check out my exact step by step morning routine here or look up morning rituals of successful entrepreneurs and marketers on Google. If you’re still unsure, try doing small and simple things each day. Slowly build up and add more to the ritual. Create your morning to-do list at the end of workday or the night before. Keep writing these lists until your mornings become habitual.
Being disciplined may seem boring, and the very last thing any successful person wants to be is boring, but it’s actually the complete opposite.The truth is that creativity and success stems from daily rituals. If it’s worked for some of the most successful minds, than chances are it will work for you.
Creating a morning ritual and sticking to it may seem like a daunting task, but why not tackle it head on?
You may just find yourself being more observant, curious, and accountable. And as it turns out many of the most successful people share common traits like being remarkable observers, extremely curious, and highly accountable.
By Catalin Zorzini
Catalin is the founder of Ecommerce Platforms and Web App Meister. He blogs about matcha, Japanese lifestyle, and mindfulness at matcha-tea.com. He's a design enthusiast and loves matcha, and is uber passionate about blockchain technology and travel.
Make yoga and meditation part of your morning routine for a productive day now with these two classes designed to start your day!
Morning Manifestation Meditation with Jackie Casal Mahrou
Morning Badass Flow with Mark Morford