Setting yourself up for success
5 steps to create a “Morning Ritual” to set yourself up for success:
Is the way you start your day setting you up for success? Do you want to be in a peak state to perform at your best throughout the day ahead? Wouldn’t it be great to knowing the direction you are going, rather than starting the day in a reactive state?
If you want to be in a peak performance state, it would be wise to think like an elite athlete. An elite athlete has their preparation, warm up and pre match routine all laid out ahead of time. If you would love to perform in your role like an elite athlete, it would be wise to do the same with your day. There is no difference for a mum who would love to give her kids the best experience and upbringing, to a business person who would love to get the most out of their team in order to achieve massive targets.
One important thing to be totally clear on, is that you need to lead by example. As a CEO you need to lead your team. You need to energise yourself and be mentally strong before you can expect your team to express this. Same for a parent at home with children. You need to lead by example and start with yourself. If you expect the kids to be energized and seeing the best in life, it would be wise for you to be expressing this and teaching them. Kids just love being like their parents. They look up to you; They are going to mimic what you eat, what you wear and the type of activities you do. There is nothing more rewarding than teaching your kids great habits!
The way you start your day can affect your mood, your confidence and therefore your ability to execute and lead (whether that be your family or a team at work). This is why a morning routine which is effective and rejuvenating can change your life. It’s up to you to take charge and know that you have a choice. It’s only you standing in the way.
What distracts you in a negative way at the start of your day? Most of us get sucked in to social media and checking emails. It takes a lot of self-discipline to change this habit. Let’s look at the things you can do in your life to create a strong morning ritual to set you up for success no matter what your goals are in life.
- Waking at the same time each morning –
This has always been a strong area of mine. No matter if we are on holidays or in a normal week at home, or even on a weekend would you believe, I am usually up at 5/5.30am. I find this is the best time of the day to get up. I can make sure I get my exercise routine in and complete my morning ritual before the boys wake up. This way I know I am certain to keep my morning routine on track. If I didn’t plan to get up early before my son wakes up I would miss out on doing the things that are important for me to be at my best, because I would want to spend the time with him. As a result I have always planned to get up earlier than anyone else. This shows the level of priority I put on my morning routine, and you should too! Once you get in the habit of getting up early every morning it is actually not an effort. It is lovely to have that time to yourself to set yourself up for success.
If you are not used to waking up early set your alarm 15 minutes earlier for 1 week then half an hour earlier the next week and so on until you reach your ideal wake-up time to fit in your morning ritual.
It is up to you!!
2. Exercise –
Exercising for 40-60 minutes per day is essential for improving your health.
Our body craves movement.
This can be walking, swimming, bike riding, gym etc find an exercise type that you enjoy. There is no one size fits all. Getting your body moving first thing in the morning helps to energise you for the day ahead. It gets your heart pumping, blood circulating and brain switched on and alert. Exercising assists in keeping you in a better frame of mind and reduces stress. It is something positive everyone needs to be incorporating into their daily routine as it is one of the essential ingredients for health.
3. Hydration –
It is quite easy to drink the recommended amount of water per day. Measuring out your water initially can help you keep track of the amount you have consumed. A great trick for drinking water in the winter and on cooler days is to put ¾ room temperature or straight from the filter and ¼ boiling. This will bring the temperature of the water to room temperature or slightly more. Your body will stay warm drinking this, therefore you are more likely to drink more of it.
You can use herbal teas which are caffeine free. They will count towards your water intake.
Keep a water bottle with you. This makes it easier to consume throughout the day (whilst driving, at your desk at work, running around after children).
4. Vitamins and Supplements –
By taking most of your vitamins, the ones that are recommended, first thing in the morning limits the chance of you forgetting to take them throughout the day. Have them measured out the night before and sitting on the bench with your water bottle full. Your routine is all set for you. This is the exact routine I use. After I have done my exercise I will take my apple cider vinegar, lemon and water drink and then wait 1 hour and take my vitamins with a green tea and some more water.
The key here is to plan ahead and have everything measured out the night before. It is then right there in front of you to take. There is no excuse, except you getting in the way of yourself if you do not take them. It depends on the priority you put on it.
5. Breakfast –
The biggest excuse I hear from people is that they don’t have time in the morning to prepare a nutritious breakfast. As a result they simply grab what is quick and easy, which often is not the wisest choice to fuel your body for the day ahead.
The best advice I can share with you is to make sure the night before you have your breakfast prepared ready to go.
You know exactly what you are having so you don’t waste time trying to think about it. Even if you are wanting to have eggs, have the pan out on the stove as well as your plate and knife and fork. When you get up in the morning put the water on in the pan to come to boil while you are in the shower. When you get out it is only 3 minutes and your eggs will be done. If you like omelets you can actually make it the night before and then in the morning place it in the oven covered and it can heat through while you are in the shower.
It all comes down to taking the time to prepare!
Hopefully these 5 easy steps will help you create an awesome routine for your morning, and allow you to set yourself up for success in your life.
You have to respect yourself enough to give yourself the opportunity of success. We all have the ability, and a healthy morning routine is one area that will get your day off to a great start, and have you heading in a positive direction.
Dr. Deanne Esposito (Chiropractor)
Global Chiropractic