Your morning routine has a lot of impact on your productivity throughout the day. This is why you should be more deliberate about starting your day.
Remember that all of us have the same 24-hour period each day to make an impact. What you do with the first hour or two after getting out of bed sets the tone for what you will achieve in the day’s remaining hours.
The good news is that we can emulate some of the morning routines of highly successful people, even if we are not CEOs. This article highlights the 6 morning habits of high performers and tips on how to implement them in your life starting right now!
1. Get Up Early
First things first, you’re less likely to make the most of your day if you spend all day sleeping in. High performers and successful people are usually up and about long before most ordinary people get out of bed.
Most successful people wake up between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. Of course, waking up very early doesn’t automatically translate to a productive day. However, developing the habit of getting out of bed pre-sunrise gives you plenty of time to get ready for your day.
Here’s why most successful people are early risers; it gives them the time to reflect or meditate, exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, and get clear on what they want to accomplish for the day.
Consider this example. It takes you about 30 minutes to get to work, and you must be at work by 8 a.m. It is nearly impossible to spend time in silence, set clear intentions for the day, exercise, and eat a healthy breakfast if you wake up after 7 a.m.
What if you work from home? Do you still need to wake up early? Yes, you do! Rising early isn’t just because you want to arrive at work on time. Instead, it is about achieving certain tasks before the usual distractions set you off track for the day.
Kids, family, neighbors, phone calls, emails, text messages, social media, and many other things will likely occupy your morning if you don’t wake up early.
2. Spend Time in Silence
Successful people don’t just get out of bed and go after their goals. They start their day by turning inward in silence and connecting with a part of them that’s greater than their mere physical bodies.
You could spend time in meditation, prayer, journaling, or other similar practices. Whatever practice you prefer is okay. The most important thing is committing to it as part of your morning routine.
Spend about 10 minutes or more in silence every morning, appreciating the stillness and allowing your mind to focus on the moment. Let go of any past mistakes or future fears and worries – simply inhabit your moment and be fully present.
If you jump into your day without sitting with your thoughts, you will likely get distracted and miss out on all the amazing and productivity-enhancing ideas that would have flowed into your mind.
3. Affirm Goals as Commitments
Many people know what affirmations are, and they use them to channel their focus toward what they want to be, do, or have. However, high performers use affirmations a bit differently, and that’s why they are very successful at what they do.
Successful people affirm what they are committed to instead of focusing on what they want when saying morning affirmations. They craft mantras that affirm their commitments rather than stating who they are or what they hope to achieve.
To use affirmations this way:
- Think about what’s meaningful to you and what you’re committed to
- Ask yourself what specific actions you need to take to ensure success
- Be specific about when you will commit to taking the actions you’ve identified
Now, you are better positioned to craft affirmations that will serve as your commitments. This way, you start your day with your mind zeroed on actions that result in success.
4. Visualize Success
Visualization might sound like new-age hype or a bit too “woo-woo,” but it is one of the crucial 6 morning habits of high performers and successful people. Research shows that practicing something in your mind can result in physical success.
Visualization refers to focusing on your desired outcome while conjuring the feelings associated with achieving the end result. In other words, visualizing success early in the morning isn’t merely about running a few images on the screen of your mind. You have to mix those images with strong feelings.
Visualization is based on the idea that “seeing is believing.” But in this case, it isn’t about seeing with the physical eyes. Instead, it is seeing your goals already achieved in your mind.
Use visualization as a tool to prepare yourself emotionally and mentally for the results you want at the end of the day. You can choose to visualize right after sitting in silence or as you repeat your affirmations. The important thing is to firmly believe that what you visualize is already done.
Here’s a caveat: the outcome might differ from how you visualize it. My advice? I often visualize and end it with, “this or something better!” That way, I don’t cling too tightly to a specific outcome, or else I set myself up for disappointment.
5. Exercise for a Boost of Energy
High performers don’t focus only on mental and emotional routines in the early morning. They also carve out time for physical exercise.
Regular exercise gives you an energy boost, even if you do it for short periods. Yoga stretches, dancing, jumping jacks, and several other simple workout routines can help clear the cobwebs and prepare your body for the day ahead.
Even if you’re already hitting the gym after work, adding a few minutes of exercise into your morning routine is great. Getting your heart pumping in the morning can positively impact the rest of your day.
6. Complete the Hardest and Most Important Task First
After being grateful for the day, centering yourself, visualizing success, and getting a boost of energy, it is time to get down to business.
But don’t just rush into tackling the first task that pops into your mind. Spend a few minutes writing down your priorities for the day. This activity takes only a couple of minutes to complete, but it helps you create a focus for your day.
High performers understand the value of time, so they don’t waste it. If you must make the most of your day, you must first figure out what’s worth your time and what’s not important. This will help you avoid wasting your precious time and effort on less critical tasks that aren’t very beneficial.
Once you’ve set your priorities for the day, zoom in on the toughest task first (or at least early in the day).
Here’s why.
Most people are more productive in the morning, so it makes sense to give your best effort to the hardest tasks first before taking on easier ones. By the way, the hardest tasks are usually the most important ones, offering the highest benefits.
Final Thoughts
There you have it – 6 morning habits for high performance. Remember, it is crucial to never give up when things go off track, regardless of how well you started your morning.
Sometimes, life gets in the way of our best plans, and we can do nothing about it. The trick to getting ahead is recognizing what you can’t control and not wasting time in regret.
High performers have bad days too, but they don’t allow temporary setbacks to keep them down. Therefore, remain determined as you implement these productivity-enhancing habits of successful people for a miracle morning routine.
