Robins Sharma’s simple quote “Mind over Mattress” says it all. Many successful people in the past such as Benjamin Franklin, Richard Branson and Barack Obama have all been known to put their feet on the ground before the crock crows and there is more than enough evidence to show the benefits they have reaped from this.
There are so many genetic, systemic, cultural and geographical factors that produce success but waking up early is often at the top of the list. The power of the early morning should never be underestimated. Scientific research shows that people who are early risers are more proactive than those who become active later in the day. This is why successful entrepreneurs arrange their lives to harness the power of the early morning wake. If you want to become one too, here are some of the routine morning activities of successful people.
Tackling the biggest challenges in the morning
Successful people often begin the day by tackling the nastiest tasks when they are most proactive. Many entrepreneurs have come to realize that you can get the greatest traction for the toughest challenge by handling it in the early morning hours with a well-rested and cleared mind. Most successful business people often begin their days between 4.30 AM – 5.30 AM even when they are supposed to be relaxing on vacation. This leads to the question: why the morning for these people instead of after a big cup of Joe and checking some emails.
- Mornings are the best time to handle big challenges because they are distraction free. There are no ringing phones, people bustling about or noisy traffic outside to divert your attention from the matter at hand. You get to be alone with your thoughts.
- You are strongest in the morning. Willpower is like a muscle that is strongest in the morning but as you go through the day, your will power energy reduces and it becomes harder to make decisions. If you handle tough tasks early in the morning, you will use your willpower strength to ensure it is completed successfully.
- Accomplishing something great in the morning is almost a sure guarantee to a successful day. The successes you achieve before breakfast will create a positive energy that will empower you throughout the day with more productivity, optimism and power.
Mornings are tough but success is never easy. That is why you need to move out of your comfort zone. You can only achieve growth if you feel uncomfortable or awkward when you start something new. If you are comfortable and relaxed, then there is surely no growth happening and worse still, there is only room for shrinking.
Focusing on self improvement
There are so many things that you could do early in the morning but why waste such a unique and precious time doing ordinary things? You can use this peaceful and quiet time to improve your life in an extraordinary way. The first time you wake up early, it will be a completely new experience and a foreign feeling. However, one thing that is for sure is, you will have a completely different initiative from your normal routine and this is the power you need to harness and there is a lot of growth waiting to happen in the morning. This is when you can experience great self-improvement by doing things like:
- Listening to lectures or seminars
- Doubling up on your morning exercise
- Meditating or listening to a self-improvement audio
- Praying if you are religious
- Setting your goals with a clear mind
- Reading something informative and motivational
- Journaling
- Visioning and planning for your future with a clear outline
Working out
Physical improvement and mental improvement are interrelated and one cannot exist without the other. Ever noticed how physically fit most successful people are. You don’t see Richard Branson sporting a pouch do you? Exercise is more than just toning up the muscles and staying lean, it also combats stress, improves your mood, helps your memory and improves your intellect and decision making skills.
Since your morning hours have the greatest potential for will power, you can use the morning hours to crush your workout goals and even discover muscles in new places. If you always have a hard time working out, you can use the mental willpower you have early in the morning, to put on your trainers and hit the ground running. Many people often say they can hardly find time to exercise but in truth, they often spend time doing other things that they can do without instead of working out. Prioritizing on exercise can also help you push out other bad habits that you have been trying to stop such as excessive spending in bars and restaurants.
Reviewing big goals
You cannot advance forward in life without goals, and not just goals but realistic goals. The biggest mistake you can make in life is simply coasting through doing whatever comes your way and caving to the easiest way out. You can never amount to anything without targets and goals because there is no challenge in life.
The difference between a successful person and regular person is the big goals they set for themselves. In addition, goals alone are not enough to move you forward but keeping your eye on the prize constantly can motivate you to come up with ways to achieve it every day. That is why you need to review your goals every morning.
It’s quite simple, if you read your goals every day, you will think about them every day and you will work towards them every day until you achieve them.
Conclusion
Using your early morning effectively can immensely change your life. The simple act of waking up early and focusing on the right things can lead to great success in life and all your ventures. With the many examples of successful people who have experienced the tremendous impact of the power of early mornings, you should think about moving your wake up time back a couple of hours.
To find out more about the morning routine of a successful entrepreneur, you can visit this blog.
