How to Change your Mornings for a Successful Day
Mornings are rough. For most it means a quick exit from the land of dreams into the world of waking, heralded by the blaring of an alarm that we'd very much like to throw out of the window. Here are some tips for making the most of your mornings and learning to love them just a little more.
1. Skip Snooze and Run to your Muse
If you are a writer or wish to be, there is a magical time first thing in the morning when you are refreshed enough to be creative and just a touch too tired to tell yourself that you're not. Get in the habit of throwing yourself out of bed and rushing to write, if only for half an hour each morning.
You'll be surprised at the output. It's as if your Muse knows that there is coffee and if she is lucky delicious bacon. Some people say that you have to wait for your Muse to come to you and it is true, but like other dear friends you can share regular mornings together quite often every week if she knows exactly where to find you.
2. On Time is LATE
These are words to live by. If you are always 20 minutes early to work then you will have time to come in, have a coffee, read the news, or simply discuss the week with a coworker. The energizing effect this can have is enormous. Always getting to work at the last minute drains you. You are in a hurry and can't organize your thoughts. Sometimes you are still half-asleep. Change this by making sure that by the time work begins you have long been awake and ready!
3. Force Yourself to Eat Something
Breakfast is fuel and sometimes it can be awhile before you get to lunch. Make sure that you have the necessary fuel to make it to lunch. Something small will do if you are drinking coffee as well, but don't skip breakfast. Don't make your body run on stored fuel at the time when you are most refreshed and creative.
4. Read Every Morning that You Are up Early
If you aren't doing creative writing in the morning then at least read something. The news, a few pages of that novel you've just bought or checked out from the library, even the shampoo bottle in the shower will do! Get your mind in the habit of absorbing facts in the morning when you are still sleepy and getting things organized inside.
This will train your subconscious to handle facts on a more primal level and can improve how your thought processes manage them when there is a surprise work deadline or other crisis situations.
5. Morning Exercise will Energize You for the Day
Exercising early in the morning two to three times a week can have an amazing impact on your energy level. It sounds on paper like a bad idea. "Why would I want to be tired and sore before I have to work?", you ask. The thing is, you WON'T be.
Exercising gets the heart going. Your sore muscles begin repairing themselves and that protein shake or 'bacon and eggs' breakfast get to working to repair and improve your muscles. All this body activity has an energizing effect that is better than any energy drink and lasts ALL DAY. Try it for a month and thank us later.
6. Coffee is your Friend
"It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of the bean that my thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shakes, the shakes become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion." --parody from the 'Mentat Mantra' in David Lynch's Dune.
It's true. There is nothing quite like coffee to throw the mind into overdrive. Even just the smell in the morning can get you ready to face the world. Some of you may be sensitive to caffeine and that's okay, you can always try something spicy, like a little tabasco in your eggs or even Mayan hot chocolate with the traditional addition of peppers that it comes with if you are feeling like an exotic kick-from-the-past to start your day.
Now that you are awake and energized we hope that you will get out there and show the world what you are made of. Waking up early every day can add 356 hours to your life every year. What can YOU do with 356 hours? We bet there is plenty!
